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18 September 2012

Tips on how to Grow Tomatoes At home

By Trenton Rivers


If you want to know tips on how to grow tomatoes indoors then you are at the appropriate destination!

Tomatoes are on the list of easiest crop-bearing plants to grow indoors.

Nonetheless, with that in thoughts you can find nevertheless a handful of guidelines to follow to ensure the maximum effectiveness with the tomato plant.

Picking & Planting the seeds. - What you need to know about which seeds you should pick for the best crop and tips for planting. Tomato plants usually develop as large plants and easily develop to over 6ft in size!

Nevertheless, this presents a problem for the indoor vegetable gardener as standard tomato plants have very large root systems (often as big as the plant above the soil) and require a large amount of soil to accommodate these large roots.

Since many others will find it difficult to grow plants of this size, it is a much better option to look for one of several smaller 15 inch dwarf or cherry types of tomato plant like Tiny Tim or Small Fry.

You will find that you have a much better success rate and for newbies, these plants are much easier to keep control of and definitely will happily sit on the window corner in a kitchen.

It is nevertheless necessary to make sure that you provide a nice sized pot of around 9 inches to give your plant plenty of growing room with plenty of soil.

Tomatoes are slow growing so plant your chosen seeds early in the year to allow the 60-65 days for your crop to mature and begin producing & ripening fruit.

Note - This is especially important if you're relying heavily on natural sunlight to develop you're plants! If so, plant around March-April time.

Before deciding upon a variety to grow indoors, you should ALWAYS plan your space! - Allow for growth!

Light & Temperature - How to provide the correct environment for your plants to ensure growth. Tomatoes need warm temperatures but not too warm. The plant cannot stand temperatures of 95 degrees F (x degrees Celsius) and this heat will no doubt cause the plant to wither and die. Keep a thermometer close to your plants and assure that they stay at a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius during the day.

Note - Make sure that your plants never drop below 0 degrees Celsius as this will also cause them to die. Strong lighting is very important for tomatoes. On the other hand, it is equally important for tomatoes to receive the proper amount of darkness.Avoid setting your plants where they may succumb to spillage from any outdoor (or indoor) lighting. Unless they receive at least 7 hours of uninterrupted darkness, you may find that the plants refuse to bloom; Regardless in the strength of your light during the day. Watering - Watering techniques specifically for Tomatoes Water tomato plants not more than once a week as they can stand large periods of dryness and cannot tolerate water standing around the roots especially when young.

As fruit begins to swell and the tomatoes get bigger, the plant will require watering more often.

You may need to test how often is best depending on the variety of plant you choose as well as the conditions you provide for them.

Feeding & Nutrition - How you can make sure that your plants get all the nutrients that they need in order to survive and produce juicy fruits! Phosphorus is the most important nutrient for tomato plants and should be provided 1-2 times weekly. On the other hand, this should be reduced as the plant reaches maturity.

You should be able to find a suitable tomato feed in most good stores and most should provide individual instructions on how you can use the product.

Pollination - The way to guarantee that your plants are productive in their indoor environment. Hand pollination can potentially double the size of your crop when you harvest! This can be done by gently tapping on the stems to create the vibrations needed for the plant to pollinate itself. It usually takes around 45-50 days from the first blossom to produce a ripe fruit ready for harvesting.

Harvesting - Tips on how to collect your fruit safely and the best way to maximise crop growth for the future. When it comes to reaping the fruits of your labour, you can find several tips that can maximise the rewards!

Allow the fruit to ripen the natural way on the vine before picking. Vine-ripened tomatoes possess a much higher concentration of vitamin C than those picked early and ripened artificially. It usually takes a fruit about 7-10 days to ripen fully from when the first flashes of red are seen on the fruit.The correct way to pick a tomato is to twist the fruit gently and tip it over on its side whilst twisting. This will allow the tomato to break free from the plant without causing the main body of your plant any trauma. This means that the plant may then continue to produce fruit normally.




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