How to Grow Tomatoes to Obtain Juicy and Tasty Fruit
You can plant tomatoes this time of the year until the end of the month and even in the first third of May in colder regions. Planting correctly is essential, but so are a bunch of operations that follow in order for the plants to grow healthy and strong and offer you a good harvest. This is how to grow tomatoes to get them juicy and tasty all summer long.
Tying them up
Tomato plants have to be tied up to stacks or on strings to have the support they need as they grow. You have to do this as the plants begin to fruit and become heavier.
There are two types of support most commonly used: stacks of 3 – 4 feet thrusted into the ground next to every plant, on the north side of it, or trellis built from thicker pillars, thrusted every 6.5 feet along the tomatoes row and used as support for metal wire stretched at 1.5 – 2 feet above the ground.
For tying up the plants, you can use twine, torn cloth or other fabrics. Leave enough room between the stem and the support for the fruit to grow properly.
How to grow tomatoes. Watering
Should be done every 6-7 days, depending on the weather which dries the soil more or less. In spring and at the beginning of summer, tomatoes will be watered in the morning to let the soil warm up during the day so the plants won’t be cold during the night. In the summertime, watering will be done late in the evening or at night, to allow the soil to cool off.
Water shouldn’t be applied directly on the plant, but on the ground close enough to get to the roots.
How to grow tomatoes. Fertilization
Should be done 10 – 15 days after planting and then two weeks after. Natural fertilizers are best. You can use manure diluted into water – one bucket of manure mixed with 5 buckets of water – 10 – 15 litres on every square meter or fermented manure with dry plants spread among the plants and buried into the ground when it’s dug for weeding out and allowing some air to get to the roots.
How to grow tomatoes. Pruning
The side shoots that begin to appear under the main groups of leaves have to be removed for the fruit to grow well. One or two shoots that grow close to the first fruit cluster can be left alone.
The top of the plant, 2 – 3 leaves above the last fruit cluster, also has to be cut. This accelerates the ripe for early times, makes fruit bigger and juicier during the summer and accelerates ripe again for the autumn tomatoes, so they won’t be affected by rime.
HERE‘s a trick to grow healthy tomatoes pesticides free.
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Photo credits: elisagradinameadevis.wordpress.com, cartiagricole.ro
