How to Grow Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the types of vegetables that have antioxidants that help boost the immune system and protect the body from certain cancers. Although generally known as a vegetable, the tomato is botanically classified as fruit because it grows from the ripened ovary of the tomato plant.
Tomatoes can be found in a number of recipes that it would be nice if you have them in your own garden. Here are the steps on how to grow your very own tomato plants.

Suitable Conditions for Growth
Before purchasing tomato seedlings or seeds, you have to make sure that you have a place that has the suitable conditions for growing tomatoes. Tomatoes are sunshine-loving and moisture-loving plants. Make sure that you have an area in your home where the tomatoes can get sufficient sunshine. The soil to be used for tomato planting should also be prepared beforehand. As early as three weeks in advance, mix up to eight pounds of compost per square feet of soil. The soil should be able to trap in as much moisture. The temperature of the environment for growing tomatoes should not be less than 50°F.

Planting the Tomatoes
If you are just a beginner when it comes to planting tomatoes, it is best that you purchase tomato seedling and transplant them into your garden instead of growing the seedling from the seed packets. If you intend your garden to be the sole source of your tomatoes, use the ratio of 2 tomato plants is to one member of the family. However, if your family really loves tomato-based recipes, you may increase the ratio to four is to one.

Within ten minutes transferring the plants, give the plants about four liters of warm (80 °F) warm water in order to prevent shock due to the change in conditions.

Caring for the Seedlings
Give the plants about 500 ml of water daily for the next ten days after the transplant. After about two weeks, place about 2.5 cm deep mulch of straw, pine needles or dried grass around the stem of the plant. This will prevent the growth of weeds.

Two weeks after transplanting the tomatoes, make sure that they get around 8 liters of water every week. They have to be watered two or three times a week. You may decrease or increase this volume depending on the current weather condition.

As you take care of the tomato plants, you can expect to see the fruits within 40 to 90 days after the transplant. The fruits are green in when they form and they turn into bright red-orange once they are ready for picking.
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by Kenny Leones