Growing your own tomatoes can be a very worthwhile and fulfilling experience. For anyone interested in growing tomatoes, it is important to know that tomatoes can be grown in two ways. You can plant seeds and let them germinate, after which you transplant them or you can buy seedlings that have already germinated.
These seedlings can be gotten from a local nursery.
Tomatoes come in very many different varieties and so make sure you get seeds for the particular variety you desire. Many horticultural shops stock these seeds, so it is easy to identify the type you want as it is clearly marked on the packaging.
After identifying your desired seeds, you can take any receptacle, say a tray, and drill holes beneath it for drainage. Put a mixture of compost and nutrient rich soil after which you water the mixture.
When the mixture is ready, you can now plant the seeds inside.
The ideal place for putting the tray would be at the window sill where the germinating seeds would be exposed to sunlight that is critical for their development. The seeds shall stay indoors for a period of between six to eight weeks.
In order to maximize the likelihood of the seeds germinating well, place a sheet of Seran wrap or nylon film like the one for used wrapping food, and cover the tray. This will aid in the retention of moisture that is vital for the growth of the seeds.
After the seedlings start sprouting leaves, you may now take off the Seran wrap or nylon film.
At this stage continue watering the seedlings, taking extra care not to overwater them.
The next stage is the transplanting of the seedlings. Due diligence should be observed at this time since the plants are still very tender and can easily be damaged. When uprooting the seedlings, you should hold them by the leaves and not the stem.
At this point dig a hole big enough to accommodate the seedling up to the two bottommost leaves and fill the hole with compost. Gently tap the compost so that it fills in completely around the plant.
Whether you want to grow a hanging garden, or plant you tomatoes in an outdoor garden, the steps are the same. If you plant the tomatoes indoors in pots, just make sure you rotate the pots so that sunlight is adequately provided to the whole plant.
For seedlings that have been planted in small pots once they grow to about eight inches, you have to move them to bigger well drained containers. By this point the plants have hardened, whereby they have been slowly acclimatized to the outdoor conditions, by exposing them to the open air for a few hours each day.
After the plants have developed strong roots and appear sturdier you can now transplant them in the outdoor garden or you can continue growing them in containers if space is lacking. Either way I wish you a bountiful harvest of fresh, juicy, home grown, organic tomatoes.
Thomas Taylor is a Tomato growing enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing information about Growing tomatoes seeds
His newest book,”The Expert Guide On Growing Tasty, Tantalizing Tomatoes”teaches Tomato growers everything they need to know about planting and nurturing their tomato garden. http://www.tantalizingtomatoes.com
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