-Tomatoes are a great crop to grow in your garden. If you’re planting tomato plants for the first time, here’s some helpful tips that will make planting tomatoes go smoothly. Prepare your planting area by loosening the soil with a spade or hoe; removing weeds and debris; turning over the soil again to mix it up well. You should have a planting hole approximately 6 inches deep and wide enough for each plant to spread its roots. Plant your tomato plants at the same depth they were grown in their planting pots, water well and then cover with soil. Give them a gentle pat down to secure it into place. Water again after planting so that the root ball is completely soaked through.
– Seedlings can be planted immediately but if planting tomato plants from a container, let them drain for an hour or two before planting.
– Plant tomato plants in rows spaced at least 18 inches apart; the more space you have the better as they need plenty of room to grow and spread out their roots. – If your garden area has poor soil with few nutrients–or if planting tomatoes is your first planting of the season–add some compost to the planting area before planting.
– If you live in a cold climate, protect your plants with a protective cloth or plastic sheeting that will just cover them until they grow bigger and stronger. – Tomatoes are heavy feeders so fertilize generously twice during their growing season (once at planting and again about three weeks later).
– Remove any suckers that grow from the main stem to ensure a single, healthy plant. – Keep an eye on your plants for pests like aphids or tomato hornworms; these can be controlled by planting garlic nearby or using insecticidal soap spray.
– Pinch off dead blooms as they appear to help promote production of healthy fruit.
– Place stakes in the planting area before planting and tie tomato plants with string or garden twine as they grow so that you can support their weight; this will also keep them from breaking under the heavy fruits, which may cause disease problems for your plant. – Once vines reach a height of 18 inches, pinch the growing tips to encourage branching and help increase production.
– Harvest ripe tomatoes by cutting them from the stem with a sharp knife; don’t pull them off which may damage your plant when planting tomato plants in winter or early spring. – If you are planting tomatoes outside on the patio–or if planting pots of patio tomatoes–you can also harvest by cutting the entire branch at a point where it has reached its capacity for producing fruit.
– Store your fresh tomatoes in shallow containers of water or wrap them loosely with plastic to keep their skin from drying out and cracking as planting tomato plants outside in fall when frost is coming on. – To dry excess ripe tomatoes, leave them on the plant to ripen until they are just about ready to drop off and then pick carefully.
– The best planting time for tomatoes is in April or May when planting tomato plants outside, with a second planting two weeks later if you live in an area of the country that has long days during summer months–or from March through October if planting tomatoes in pots on the patio or indoors.
– Be patient with your tomato plants and don’t be afraid to ask for help from gardening friends; these tips will make planting tomatoes go smoothly!