Almost everyone at MOES has a tomato plant in their vegetable garden. It's an excellent idea, because tomatoes thrive in a greenhouse thanks to the abundant light. Perhaps you're growing your own tomatoes for the first time this year and wondering how to do it successfully.
Fortunately, growing tomatoes isn't difficult. If you follow these basic rules for growing tomatoes, success is virtually guaranteed:
- Plant tomato plants at least 30cm apart. A common mistake among beginning vegetable gardeners is planting small, young seedlings too close together. This becomes a problem, as the leaves and fruit will interfere. Also, keep in mind not to plant your tomato plants too close to your fence, so your neighbors won't be bothered by overhanging leaves and tomato clusters.👨🌾
- Remove the suckers from your tomato plants weekly. Side shoots from the leaf axils of the main stem are also called suckers. These side shoots are removed to ensure optimal tomato production from your tomato plant, as shown in the photo below. Leaving them will result in very bushy, large plants with abundant foliage and few fruits. You want one main stem from which the plant produces fruit.
- Remove the lower leaves from your tomato plant regularly. Tomato plants grow tall, and the lower leaves quickly become less valuable. To prevent fungal diseases, tomato plants need plenty of air and space, and it's important to keep the leaves from getting wet. Continue gradually removing leaves from the bottom throughout the season, first while the plant is growing rapidly and later to accelerate the ripening of the tomatoes. A rule of thumb is that as soon as a tomato truss begins to ripen, remove all leaves up to a maximum of two leaves above the ripening truss.
- Support your tomato plants. It's important to support tomato plants properly and promptly to prevent the top from falling over and breaking. This is best done with twine, a support hook, or a long stick of about 2 meters. Note: tomato plants grow quickly, so don't be caught off guard and support them promptly.
- Provide sufficient water and prevent blossom end rot. Sometimes your tomatoes can rot at the tip of the fruit. This is usually due to a lack of water. Make sure the soil your tomatoes are in is always sufficiently moist. This doesn't mean the topsoil, which can be quite dry, but the layer where the roots are located. Check this regularly by feeling a little deeper into the soil. Note: the soil shouldn't be wet, as that can also cause problems, but moist.
- Top your tomato plant in August and give less water. To ensure all tomatoes ripen in time before the end of the summer season, remove the tops of your tomato plants no later than August. This will prevent the plant from sprouting further and allow it to focus all its energy on fruiting. Reducing watering also encourages this process.
- Tomato plants require a lot of maintenance, even during your holiday. If you're going on vacation for longer than a week, it's a good idea to ask someone to care for your plants, especially your precious tomatoes, so they can continue to thrive and be supported during your vacation.
Good luck!!