Some useful tips for beginners who want to start growing tomatoes on their own in their own vegetable garden in the garden or on the balcony
Growing tomatoes by yourself which are then used to make the sauce or eaten raw in salads or other recipes is the best way to always have fresh vegetables available. Furthermore, we will be sure to produce healthy and genuine tomatoes without using chemical pesticides. But how to get a good harvest, even if we are beginners?
Growing tomatoes can seem very complex and particularly intimidating for the less experienced in gardening. However, there are some useful tips to keep in mind to ensure that tomato plants grow strong and healthy so as to produce tasty fruit.
So here's what to look out for:
Index
Start with a potted seedling
Some vegetables grow best when planted from seeds directly into the ground outdoors. However, tomatoes are not among them. The best option for beginners is to purchase potted tomato seedlings from a local nursery or farmer.
But how to choose the best plant? We gave you some tips in the following article:
- How to choose a tomato plant and tricks for making juicier fruits
Choose a delicious-tasting tomato
The best tomato growing tips don't count for much if the variety we choose to plant doesn't taste as tasty. Since growing tomatoes requires some care, it is worth spending some time researching one of the best varieties in terms of flavor.
For those who are beginners, among the most suitable there is the Sungold, it is about Cherry tomatoes yellow-orange with a very characteristic flavor but you can also choose other types of small tomatoes such as i cherry. If you prefer larger tomatoes you can opt for the good heart or the San Marzano (excellent for the preparation of tomato puree and sauces).
To get to know many other varieties of tomatoes. Read also:
- Tomatoes: the best and tastiest varieties
Pay attention to transplant times
Tomatoes love heat, and seedlings can be permanently damaged by too cold weather. The temptation to transplant tomatoes outdoors too early must therefore be overcome. A good rule of thumb suggests keeping the tomato seedlings indoors until temperatures are below 10 ° C, otherwise plant growth would be drastically slowed down.
@ Paul Maguire /123rf
Tomatoes grow best in raised beds
One of the best tomato growing tips is to grow the plants in high-quality potting soil inside a large, raised container. Tomatoes planted directly in the ground could be affected by existing soil conditions while raised cultivation helps the earth warm up quickly in the spring and prevents gardeners from trampling around the plants as they grow.
The raised flower beds also have the advantage of allowing the cultivation of tomatoes almost everywhere.
Use a slow-release organic fertilizer
Tomato plants require a large supply of nutrients to fuel their growth and fruit production. Although many pot mixes already contain compost or organic fertilizers, the soil is not actively replenished with nutrients. For this reason, it is worth applying organic fertilizer to plants as they grow.
The best advice for beginners is to feed tomato plants with a slow release granular fertilizer that is simply placed on top of the potting soil and watered for a couple of months. It does not require pre-mixing with water or weekly / biweekly application like many water-soluble liquid fertilizers.
At this point all that remains is to enjoy the tomato harvest!
Many other useful tips for growing tomatoes can be found in the following article:
- How to grow tomatoes in pots, in the vegetable garden and upside down: the mini-guide
Fonte: Mother Earth News
Read also:
- TomTato: the solution for growing potatoes and tomatoes together
- How to use garlic against garden pests
