Options

You have several different options available to grow your greenhouse tomatoes. You can dig them straight into the soil, within your greenhouse, or you can grow them in containers (at least 12” diameter, or about 10 gallons). To avoid any greenhouse related problems, you can use special seeds developed specifically for greenhouse growing. You may either start your tomato plants as seeds or seedlings.

Tomato Varieties

There are plenty of tomato plant varieties to choose from, so spend some time deciding what you would like to enjoy, come harvesting season. Here are a few popular ones to get you started: cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, beefstake tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, pear tomatoes.

The Greenhouse

Make sure your tomatoes are going into a ‘healthy’ greenhouse. If it looks dirty or unhealthy in anyway, you must prepare it first, by sanitizing the place. Tomatoes are prone to bugs and infections. Companion planting methods will help reduce pest problems, while making use of the valuable space within your greenhouse. Basil and lavender are great for this purpose.

It is a good idea to wipe down the inside of your greenhouse and sterilize any pots before use. You want to be certain there are no bugs left!

Greenhouse soil will need to be replaced about every two-three years as it will become devoid of nutrients after this time. Old soil can also be the carrier of disease, so it is recommended to use fresh soil to prevent the spread of disease.

Space

Because space is limited in a greenhouse, indeterminate tomatoes are great to grow. They will give you lots of fruit over an extended period of time. To stop the growth of these tomato plants, simply pinch out the main stem.

Watering

If you do not setup an automatic watering system, then the greenhouse plants will be entirely dependent upon YOU for water. If you go away, you will need to organize a friendly ‘water person’ to take care of your plants. It is best to water your tomato plants with water that is the same temperature as the surrounding environment to avoid shocking your plants.

Lighting

During the winter months you may need to supplement your lighting with grow lights. High-pressure sodium lights are best for tomatoes as they encourage flowering and fruiting. Lights should be used up to 16-18 hours per day. You tomato plants need to be in a location of full sun, or near a heat source of some kind.

Heating

You must maintain a constant temperature in your greenhouse or your tomatoes will not produce fruit. Aim to keep the greenhouse temperature above 60°F and below 90°F. In most areas, this will require some heating during cold weather.

Support

A great way to support your greenhouse tomatoes is with stakes. Place them at either end of the greenhouse and run some thin rope or string between them. Use these ‘lines’ to support the growing branches of your tomato plants.

Lastly, you can hang a couple of bananas in the apex of the greenhouse to encourage the last fruits of the season to develop. If they do not, there are plenty of green tomato recipes to try out, such as chutney. Although more effort needs to be put into soil preparation, sanitizing for diseases, and solving the watering issues, growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is almost the same as growing them outdoors.

1. Give seedlings space - You like to have your own space right? When your seedlings produce their first true leaves it is time to transplant them, as their growth may be stunted if they are crowded together.

2. Give them what they want – Light -Tomato plants LOVE direct sunlight. Place them in the sunniest patch of your garden, or somewhere they can receive at least 6-8hours sunlight per day. You can place your seedlings under grow lights, a couple of inches away, to hasten their growth.

3. Preheat the soil – A few weeks before you intend to plant your tomato plants, cover your garden with dark, opaque plastic. This will trap in heat, causing the soil to heat up. A few extra degrees will produce earlier tomatoes for you.

4. Plant them deep – Plant your tomatoes deep into the soil. As long as the top most branches are showing, your tomato plant will be fine. Roots will emerge from the buried stem and develop into a strong root system. If you don’t have the depth then you can lay your plants sideways, as they will correct themselves later.

5. Mulch when warm - Mulch after the ground has had a chance to warm up.

6. Rotate your crops -To reduce disease and insect problems, you are advised to plant your tomatoes in a different patch every three years.

7. Companion plants – tomatoes grow well next to chives, onions, parsley, marigolds, nasturtiums, carrots or garlic.

8. Remove bottom leaves – Remove the bottom foot of leaves, when the plant reaches three feet high, to help solve fungus problems.

9. Stake your tomato plants – using old pantyhose strips.

10. Pinch & prune – If you prune the plants ‘suckers’, you will get fewer, but larger fruit. Pinch to remove them, as they won’t produce fruit, only drain energy from the plant. The suckers can be found growing out from between the stem and the lateral branches.

11. Smokers – To prevent the infection of tobacco mosaic virus make sure you wash your hands after smoking

12. Water your tomato plants regularly - Water your tomatoes early in the day so that the foliage can dry before night fall. Water abundantly and regularly during the plants development stage and lesser when it begins to bear fruit, this will help make for sweeter tomatoes. Try not to water irregularly or let them dry out too much.

13. Transplanting tomatoes – transplant on a cloudy day that is free from wind, and preferably wait until the late afternoon.

14. Indeterminate tomatoes can set fruit earlier if you break off the tips of the main stems in early summer.

15. You can ripen tomatoes inside by picking them of the plant when temperatures are above 85 degrees.

Although there are practically endless tomato growing tips to find, I hope that you found something useful here that will add the value of your experience.

If you have a tomato plant bearing yellow leaves then this is generally not a good sign. The leaves may be turning yellow right before your eyes and you may have no idea why, or even worse, what to do about it! Well, before you go and do anything in a hurry, be sure to read over this article as you will find some helpful tips here.

CAUSES for tomato plant leaves turning yellow

Leaves on tomato plants turn yellow for a whole host of reasons, and there may not be one quick, easy solution. One thing is sure though, the health of your tomato plant is suffering and something needs to be done about it. Possible causes for the yellowing of your leaves are:

Lack of water

Yellow leaves on your tomato plant could be a sign of under watering. This is one of the first and easiest things to check. Touch the soil around the bottom of the plant to see if it is slightly moist, but not overly wet. If it is dry and you have a busy schedule, you may want to setup a simple drip hose system.

Lack of sunshine and soil nutrients

Believe it or not, something this simple may be the cause for the yellowing of your tomato leaves. This is likely to occur as the plant is maturing and bearing a lot of fruit.

Lack of nitrogen in your soil could be another possibility, so you could try adding a little nitrogen or other plant nutrients to your soil.

Another soil deficiency could be magnesium, yellowing leaves is a sure sign of this. Most often this deficiency will turn the area between the veins of the leaf yellow.  It is not usual for the whole leaf to change colour.

Blight – Fungus or bacterial problem

When your tomato plant leaves turn yellow it could be a fungal or bacterial related problem. These pathogenic organisms cause a disease in your plants which are commonly referred to as blight. Blight is a condition where the organism literally cripples your tomato plant, resulting in chlorosis (browning of the leaves) and then, ultimately, death. Early blight happens annually and is a common problem for most gardeners. Usually, this will develop into a problem when the tomato plants are heavy with fruit and there has been a lot of rain. The leaves must be wet for the infection to occur, and spores can be transferred through wind and splashing rain water.

To treat bacterial problems, talk to your local garden center to get the right advice and treatment. You don’t want to go putting a mix on your lovely plants, only to watch them wither away, as you have chosen the wrong one!

Pest problems

The cause of your yellow tomato plant leaves could mean that you have a pest problem that needs to be dealt with.  Possible pests include worms or caterpillars, for they can affect the health of your plant. I recommend using some sort of organic pesticide to treat this problem.

Chlorosis

The root cause for the yellowing of your tomato leaves is chlorophyll degradation. Either your plants aren’t producing enough of it or the chlorophyll is being destroyed by something. This symptom is known as chlorosis. Chlorophyll is what plants produce to make them appear a rich green color. There are many reasons for chlorosis, some include over or under watering, insects, disease, excessive fertilizers, excessive shade, or just poor drainage.

So you can see that there are many reasons for the cause of your tomato plant’s leaves turning yellow. Use this article as a guide to figuring out why they are affecting YOUR tomato plants. Have faith that your tomato plants will return to full health in no time.

What a bizarre idea you might ask. Well, exactly as the name implies, upside down tomato plants are tomato plants that are grown upside down. People also refer to this method of growing as upside tomato plants. Exactly how long this method of growing tomatoes has been in existence is uncertain, but probably for many years. Over that time, growing methods have been refined, and now you may be surprised to hear how relatively inexpensive it is to setup this system. The benefits are very tempting indeed.

There is a variety of upside down planters available for purchase these days, for varying prices. But you can simply make your own if you like. Smaller varieties of tomato plants, or ones that are suitable in pots are preferred for growing them upside down.

BENEFITS

Improved air circulation is a major benefit of this method, which will result in LOWERED disease and fungus problems. Your tomatoes will be less likely to rot as they will not become as wet as if they were on the ground. The plants may also produce better because of lower stress levels.  All of these result in a better, bigger harvest of delicious tomatoes.

HOW TO

The actual method of creating an upside down tomato hanger is fairly straight forward and you will only need a little equipment. There is a lot of information around on using 5 gallon buckets, and this, by far, is the most common method. Some people, such as myself, prefer to use other containers, like a hanging basket for instance. You also have the option of decorating your bucket to create a more pleasing eye piece. But whatever you choose to use, the main criteria you will need for your container is a good strong handle to bear the weight of a fruiting tomato plant.

Once you have chosen your container you will want to make one hole in the bottom and one hole in the top (lid), roughly two inches (5cms) in diameter. One is for air flow and your tomato plant will grow out of the other one. At the bottom of the container, layer some fabric down, to cover the hole. A coffee filter will also work well for this. Fill your container with appropriate soil for your tomatoes, which is generally a loosely packed soil to allow for ample drainage. Apply another layer of fabric, or coffee filter, on top of the soil, put the lid back on, and then turn the container over so the bottom is facing up. Make a slit in the fabric, for this is where we are going to plant our seedling. Give your seedling some good depth to allow it to take root and spread within the soil. Let your plant grow to about a foot, then you are ready to turn it upside down and hang it on a support. Hang your bucket somewhere that gets a lot of sun.

At first your tomato plants will grow up towards the light, so make sure they grow to the side of the container and not up into it. Once they bear more foliage and weight, they will hang down of their own accord. Keep an eye on the level of the soil and top up if required.

Your climate will determine the amount of water you give your tomato plants,  just bear in mind that they prefer a dryer soil, so be sure to not over water them! Your upside down tomato plant will not need as much water as one planted in the ground because the soil will not drain as much. You may want to add fertilizer to your soil periodically, which can be done by simply removing the lid and placing onto the soil.

Planting upside down tomato plants is fun and a worthwhile endeavor. As well as being something a little unique, you will actually receive great benefits from planting your tomatoes upside down. I highly recommend giving it a try!

How To Plant Your Tomatoes

Tomatoes produce best if they are planted once the weather begins to get warmer, during the onset of spring. Aim for at least a three month period of weather that will be free from frosts, as this will ensure best produce from your plants.  Tomatoes love being warm, much like us humans.  They can be started indoors from seeds, if you like, but just make sure to give them enough room to spread out, as close proximity an inhibit growth.

When they produce their first true leaves, the little ones will be ready for the outdoors.  Lightly break the plants apart, if grown together, and place them gently into the soil roughly 40cm apart.  Basically, with the soil, you want it rich and light, so that it drains well.  You can mix your soil with sand if it is on the heavy side.

Positioning And Support

Your soil needs to allow for good drainage, as tomatoes like dry conditions, and they will want plenty of sunlight too.  Tomato plants become prone to windy conditions the taller they get, and some varieties of tomatoes can grow quite tall indeed!  There are many methods to supporting your tomato plants while they grow.  An easy solution is to position your plants close to a wall or trellis fence, or simply to put stakes into the ground before the seedlings go in. This will prevent damage to their delicate root system.

Feed And Water Your Plants

Your tomato plants require frequent watering and must not be allowed to dry out.  When the small fruits start to appear, they will become very hungry and thirsty, so you would do well to feed them fortnightly and water more regularly.  Tomato fertilizer is high in potash which encourages more flowers and more fruit.  To conserve moisture during summer, mulching is a good idea.

Do Tomato Plants Need Training?

Yes, tomato plants will need pruning to produce their best results, especially if they are of a tall variety.  Pruning increases the fruit quantity and size, as more and more sunlight finds its way to the main stem leaves and less energy is spent growing extraneous foliage.

Watch Out For Pests And Diseases

The first leaves to usually develop fungus problems are the leaves from the first foot of stem.  Trim these off once the plant has reached three feet tall. Any fruit or foliage that is showing signs of disease, remove them to stop it spreading.  Encouraging air circulation, via pruning, can reduce the risk of disease.  It is also recommended to spray fortnightly to reduce the risk of fungal diseases and harmful insects.

Eating Time!!

As soon as you see color in your tomato fruits, it is time to pick them off the plant.  Let them develop and produce sweet sugars in a warm place, out of the direct sunlight.  Be sure not to place them straight into the fridge at this time, as this inhibits the ripening process and you will end up with a less sweet fruit.

This article will give you a great start on your tomato growing journey. I strongly recommend researching further as there is still a lot you will need to know. I highly recommend reading Growing Organic Tomatoes, as it covers EVERYTHING you need to know about growing Mouth-Watering, Organic Tomatoes. You can access this book on the panel to the right. ==>

One definition of heirloom is as follows – “A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.”

A true heirloom tomato plant is similar to the above definition. The seeds have been passed down through many generations, perhaps because of a particular characteristic or taste. Heirloom tomato plants are becoming increasingly popular amongst gardeners these days for a variety of different reasons, the main one being the general consensus that heirloom varieties taste better than other commercially available plants.

Heirloom tomatoes tend to be fairly resistant to disease, perhaps due to their organic evolution. There is also much talk about genetically modified food in contemporary society and many share the desire to return to the land and grow natural produce. The heath benefits of organic growing are only just beginning to spread to the wider public. If you have tasted a fresh, juicy tomato straight from the vine, you will understand why!

FOUR CATEGORIES OF HEIRLOOM PLANTS

Two tomato experts, Craig LeHoullier and Carolyn Male, have classified heirloom tomato plants into four categories. These different heirloom categories are widely accepted now, so I shall introduce them here.

The commercial heirloom tomato – These are open pollinated tomato varieties that are more than 40-50 years old. They were introduced around 1940, by seed companies.

The family heirloom tomato - Special tomato varieties that have been passed down through generations in one family.

The created heirloom tomato – Is a tomato plant that has been cross pollinated by two other tomato plants. The parents can either be two heirlooms, or a heirloom and a hybrid. Through successive generations the grower will weed out the unwanted characteristics, while retaining the desired ones.

The mystery heirloom tomato –These tomatoes are a product of natural cross-pollination from other heirloom tomato varieties. Most heirloom varieties have originated in this manner, and it can produce some of the quirkiest tomatoes around!

PROTECT THE HEIRLOOM!

Many varieties of heirloom tomatoes have been lost over the last 40-50 years, with the onslaught of industrialization and commercialization. Independent family farms have given way to large, single-crop farming giants, geared towards profit. During this process, many unique tomato plants have been lost, and replaced by only a handful of hybridized varieties, which are grown for their commercial qualities, not for their special characteristics. Because of this, much of the genetic diversity has been lost and will continue to be depleted, unless more people help protect and replenish it. There are many advantages to growing unique, genetically diversified crops. They have enhanced resistance to diseases and pests, adapt to growing conditions naturally, and most importantly, taste magnificent!

You can be part of the solution simply by planting a heirloom variety. The responsibility lies with each individual to make their own choice as to how they will help shape the world we live in. If you truly want to experience that old-fashioned tomato flavor and add something special to this earth, then plant some heirloom varieties in your garden this season, you will not be disappointed!

A LITTLE HISTORY

Believe it or not, tomatoes were not consumed for nearly a century after they were introduced to the Americas. The Europeans thought the red fruit of the tomato plant to be poisonous. To the observant reader, you may have picked up on how I referred to the tomato as a FRUIT. This is not a typo. Tomatoes are actually classified as a fruit and not a vegetable, which is commonly thought of. If you want to be technical about the issue, the tomato is the ovary of a flowering plant, so it is rightly a berry. Whatever you like to call it, tomatoes are one of the most commonly grown vegetables throughout the entire United States. There is truly something magical about a freshly picked, juicy red tomato, straight from a vine.

Perhaps you have already encountered many different tomato plants, for there are some 25,000 different varieties, grown in a few different colors. Tomatoes range in size from a marble, to about a softball. A common small variety is known as cherry tomatoes and a common large variety is known as beefsteak tomatoes. Tomatoes are available in a host of different colors that range from orange, to yellow, to purple, and to the well known and loved, red tomatoes.

There are basically two different types of tomato plants that grow. We call these two types the determinates, and the indeterminates. Even though they have strange names, it is easy to understand why, once you know the answer of course.

DETERMINATE TOMATO PLANTS

These tomatoes grow to a pre-determined height and then stop growing, as if their genetic material was programmed to grow to that specific height from seed. Using this to your advantage, determinate tomatoes are fantastic for growing indoors in pots, or for people with limited space available.

INDETERMINATE TOMATO PLANTS

These tomato plants grow to no predetermined height. Therefore, they are sometimes called vine tomatoes, because they have vine-like characteristics. Indeterminate tomato plants are perfect for outdoor growing, but usually require some kind of support, like or fences or stakes.

When starting out on your tomato planting journey, you may find it easier to buy your tomato plants as small seedlings from your local plant supplier, especially if you are new to gardening. From there, once you become familiar with the growing process, your tomatoes can be grown from seed with relative ease. There are many places to buy seeds from these days and thanks to the internet, many obscure and hard-to-find varieties are commonly available now. One of the most important and basic growing conditions for tomato plants are full sunshine, plenty of water, and soil that is rich and well draining.

If you follow those basic steps there is little to go wrong, your tomato plants will literally grow by themselves. But, like anything, there are lots of techniques and growing methods around these days, if you want to take your tomato growing to another level. There is definitely an ART to growing and producing superior tasting tomatoes, because no one wants to grow tomatoes that taste dull and lifeless like the supermarket brought variety. To help you out, there is plenty of information on this site to get you started. Happy tomato growing!