Spring is here and tomato lovers are thinking about that sweet taste of a home grown tomato. These are one of the easier vegetables to grow, but tomato gardening tips are always welcome. Whether you have a large backyard garden, or containers on your deck, you are dreaming of the day the soil is warm enough to get down and dirty and plant your tomatoes deep into the newly prepared soil.
One of the best tomato gardening tips I learned that really has made the biggest difference when planting them, is that it is really important to plant tomatoes deep. The deeper you can plant them the better. Your goal is to establish a strong root system using the stem of the plant as a kind of rod and roots growing not only from the bottom of the stem but off the sides. The stronger the root system, the less likely they will fall all over the place as the plant grows bigger.
This is what need to do, when you buy your plants get the taller ones. Cut off all the leaves except the top two or three and plant the tomatoes deep enough so the only thing showing is those top leaves. Leave a well around it, up to a foot deep, so that as the plant grows, you keep taking off leaves as new ones form, and push more soil around the stem. Keep taking off leaves and adding soil until the well is full. Even then you can shore up the root system buy making a mound around the plant. Keeping this vast root system watered daily is even more important as the plant’s health depends on it.
Now you must understand, this will not take the place of other tomato gardening tips involving staking, or cages to hold the plants up. Some with lots of room will let them grow on their well mulched ground. Anyone who has ever grown tomatoes knows that at one point it just goes wild and you can hardly keep up with all the shoots. You keep pinching new growth and taking care of the plants, but you will know that underneath there is a strong root system giving you the best nutrients possible from the soil.
There are many tomato gardening tips that will come your way. There is lots to learn about their best care and it seems each year you try something different. One thing that should never change and become a part of your standard care is to plant tomatoes deep and keep them watered.
