A Guide to Planting Tomatoes
We’ve all heard about the best way to plant tomatoes, but what exactly is it? Is it true that by placing your garden bed in a certain way you will attract tomatoes with ease? Does it really make sense for us to do that? What can we learn from these old-timers? How come they are still growing plants in that fashion? Here’s a look at how they did it back in the ol’ days and also some modern tips to keep things interesting.
The basics – growing vegetables was as simple as placing your garden in the correct location and ensuring that the soil held enough moisture. There was no question of nutrients and water availability. Of course, things have changed and modern tomato plant spacing is as complex as anything. Today, you have to consider a whole array of factors including disease prevention, harvest time, the security of your yield, and more.
Modern tomato growers face many challenges, some of which are rooted in tradition while others are due to modern changes such as tilling, chemical fertilizers, and soil preparation techniques. The key to growing healthy plants is making sure that your soil is ready before planting. You also need to give your plants everything they need to grow, including the proper nutrients and water. Remember to add compost to your soil in the spring and you’ll be well on your way to a successful tomato growing season.
Planting Tomatoes in the fall is a tried-and-true way of growing them into the winter months. Just make sure that you don’t plant your seedlings too close together, especially in the case of grape vines. One thing that makes fall planting easy is that tomato seedlings don’t like being crowded, so space them four to six inches tall. Be sure to use stakes to help keep the young ones out of harm’s way.
Mulching your tomato plants in the fall ensures that they stay healthy through the cold months and that they’re ready to take root again in the spring. Mulch allows the air around your plants to circulate without obstruction, helping moisture to reach the root systems. Mulch also insures that your soil stays moist and doesn’t dry out too much. When you plant tomatoes in the fall or in the spring, it’s important that you water the plants every few days to keep the soil moist. Mulch encourages slow, steady growth instead of having to break and replant your plants each year.
Another consideration for those of you who want to know the best way to plant tomatoes in the fall is the depth of the growing hole. If you’re planting tomatoes in the late summer, the best depth for them is one foot below the surface of the ground. It doesn’t have to be that deep though; leave about a half inch of space between the top of the potting soil and the surface so that air can reach the roots. The deeper the pots and the wider the planting hole, the better for your tomatoes.
One word of caution about tomato planting in the fall: Don’t be discouraged if your first few plants don’t produce. This usually means that the variety you chose isn’t producing enough tomatoes. In most cases this means that you should switch plants. Try a different variety. In most cases you’re not going to have luck with a single variety. Keep trying and you will find the variety that does yield.
The final step in learning the best plant tomatoes is watering. It’s best if you use a watering plan based on the conditions of your chosen variety of tomato. Use a watering schedule that consists of watering during the hottest part of the day and once every other day throughout the growing season. You’ll find that as long as you mulch and fertilize your plants, watering is unnecessary.