How to Grow and Care for Tomatoes? Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Timing
Tomato is a common vegetable and is also very popular in the market. Do you know how to grow tomatoes? When is the right time to plant tomatoes? Let's take a look!
Tomato planting methods and timing:
Tomatoes are usually sown 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost. Some people say to sow them later, more like 5 weeks before the last frost, but either will work. Keep in mind that the earlier you start, the larger the plants will be when planted out.
Start the seeds using a seed-starting mix, such as Miracle Gro or Jiffy Mix. Add some mix to a bowl and work in some water until the mix is saturated but not soggy. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep, 2 seeds per cell. I break off the tip of a pencil to make a 1/4“ deep hole in the center of each cell, then place 2 seeds into each hole and firm the mix around the seeds to cover them completely.
Keep the tray moist and warm to speed up germination. Loosely fit plastic wrap over the top of the tray to keep water in while still allowing air circulation. Germinating seeds do not need light. At any time from 3 to 15 days, you should begin to see small seedlings appear. When your seedlings emerge and the first 2 leaves (cotyledons) begin to open, you need to place the seedlings under light.
Caring for seedlings: Keep the seedlings watered, do not overwater, but also do not let them become too dry. Make sure they stay within 4 inches of the grow light. You can adjust the chains the lights hang from, or you can place the seedling tray on books or boxes to adjust their distance from the light. Make sure your grow light setup is in a room that is not too hot (80+ degrees Fahrenheit) or too cold (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
After more than a month of growth, repeat the trenching process for all plants, spacing them at least 2 feet apart (if you plan to prune) or 3-4 feet apart (if you do not prune). When all plants have been trenched, water them thoroughly and add mulch as needed. Push stakes or cages into the ground, making sure not to pierce the buried stems.
Your tomato growing site should receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day for good yields. I can only get up to 5 hours per day, but my plants basically produce quite well. Keep the plants watered, but do not overwater. Do not let them dry out or water them inconsistently. Not enough water can cause fruit problems such as blossom end rot, and overwatering can cause fruit cracking.
Prune your plants by pinching off suckers (the shoots that emerge between each leaf and the main stem). You can let some suckers grow to get more fruit, but generally, the more fruit you allow, the smaller they will be. Last year, I let each plant grow one sucker, for a total of 2 stems per plant. As they grew, the remaining suckers were pinched off.
Fruit begins to ripen within 2 to 4 months after planting. Different varieties have different DTM (days to maturity), so some will ripen 70 days after transplanting, and some will ripen at 100 days or longer.