Three of the most important steps for successful tomatoes are sometimes the last things that a gardener remembers to think of, and then wonders why the success is either diminished or nonexistent on his tomato vines.
The first thing to remember when preparing to plant tomatoes is that they need lots of heat, mostly in the form of sunlight, in order to produce larger tomatoes and overall yields.
If you have plants in cooler climates or too much shade for the plants, you will invariably grow tomato plants that are leggy with fewer leaves and even less flowers to produce fruit.
You will need to choose the most cool-tolerant tomatoes you can find, and with all the hybrids that are on the market these days it should not take too much research to find out what types of tomatoes grow best in your specific area.
Your choice of planting spot should be well though out, providing the most light and heat possible.
The correct breed of tomato in the ultimate spot = premium success! The second thing to remember is that tomatoes will need to have a lot of water during their production period.
You need to place them where you can give them adequate water during the hot summer months, and if planting in containers the choice should be the self watering type with at least a one gallon capacity.
However, the plants roots cannot stand to be flooded at all times.
The roots also need oxygen, and keeping them in standing water prevents them from obtaining it.
Letting them dry out will curtail some of the fruit production, so a fine line between over moist and overly dry should be maintained.
This is why a self watering planter can help - they only use water when the plant calls for it.
One more thing to remember is that the tomato plant does not need all of its foliage.
In fact in most instances the plant will produce either lots of beautiful foliage - or lots of beautiful tomatoes.
If a perfect balance is reached to accommodate the plants needs, you can have the best of both worlds.
But do not hesitate to prune the plant back if it starts slowing down in fruit production or shows signs of disease.
The best idea is to keep the lowest leaves cleaned out so thatbacteria in the dirt does not splash up onto the leaves and cause the plant harm.
Any leaves that are starting to turn yellow or that develop brown or black spots should be suspect.
Preventing the spread of disease is easier than having to replace the plant or lose fruit production trying to keep the plant alive.
Growing tomatoes successfully is easy and rewarding if done with a little care and diligence.
Most plant varieties will continue to give fruit as long as its needs are met and you continue to harvest them.
Whether growing in a garden area, along a sidewalk, or as a patio plant tomatoes are a healthy alternative for your daily diet.