For Tasty Tomatoes Great Tomatoes Start with Good Soil   For Tasty Tomatoes You need the best tomato fertilizer to get the tastiest tomatoes. That means the best fertilizer specifically formulated for tomatoes, not just great fertilizer in general. You know the saying, “you are what you eat.” Well, that definitely applies to tomatoes; they are what you feed them. Tomatoes need particular nutrients at different stages of growth to ensure that they grow properly. Proper growth will ensure that the tomato fruits you harvest are sweet and tasty, as well as abundant. (That’s right, tomatoes are actually fruits!) Great Tomatoes Start With Good Soil For tasty tomatoes, start with good soil. After 179 years of living among the plant roots, I know a thing or two about good soil. Tomatoes like a soil that is rich, yet well drained. This means that they like lots of good organic matter , like compost . I will have more articles on compost later.  If you would like to use nothing but compost to feed your tomatoes, you need to prepare the soil at least a month or two before you plant your tomatoes so that the soil organisms have time to break down the compost into nutrients the plants can absorb. Also, augment your compost with rock phosphate so there is enough phosphorus for bloom and fruit production. The soil pH is also an important part of plant nutrient availability and tomato plant health. Tomatoes like a slightly acidic to neutral soil, which is a pH of 5.5-6.8. Within that range, the nutrients that tomatoes need are easily available to the plants. (They are not tightly bound to the soil particles.) Tomato Fertilizer For Tomato Seedlings Growing tomatoes do best with different types of fertilizer at different stages of growth. For supplemental fertilizer at the seedling stage, you will want to add a fertilizer with the ratio of 1:2:2. You can pick up a 2-4-4, 5-10-10, or a 10-20-20 fertilizer. It is the ratio that is important. If the numbers are small, use more; if larger, use less. Those fertilizer numbers refer to the ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium in the fertilizer. You can purchase organic fertilizers or synthetic fertilizer with these nutrient ratios, though I urge you to lean toward the organic. During the seedling stage, your plants will lean heavily on the nitrogen in the fertilizer for good vegetative growth. Tomato Fertilizer During the First Flowering Stage. During the first flowering stage, plants need a higher ration of phosphorus and potassium so that they have a healthy flower and fruit set. Phosphorus is essential to help your plants develop strong roots and blooms. Potassium is active in many different plant systems, including water movement. Without enough potassium, the fruits will not develop properly—they will not be sweet, and will be uneven in color. Additionally, if the plants do not have enough potassium at this stage, the fruits will drop off the plant, and turn into compost. :-( Recognizing Nutrient Deficiencies As the plants grow, you will need to monitor them for proper nutrient levels. If nutrients are deficient, you will notice the following symptoms: Nitrogen deficiency:Yellowing of lower leaves, small or stunted upper leaves and flowers. Nitrogen excess:Excessively bushy plants with bright green leaves. Very few flowers. Phosphorous deficiency:Very dark green leaves with purple veins. Potassium deficiency:Dark green lower leaves that are rolling and curling in at the edges.  These three nutrients are imperative for good plant growth. It is important to monitor your tomato plants throughout the entire growing season so that if you notice a deficiency in one nutrient or another you can correct the problem before it is too late.  If you notice a nutrient deficiency, you will need to add nutrients in the proper dose of liquid fertilizer . Granular fertilizer and compost take some time to break down and become accessible to plants. The liquid fertilizers are immediately accessible and can begin working in plants as soon as you foliar feed your plants. Remember, though, more is not necessarily better. You always need to follow the instructions on the fertilizer label, and apply the fertilizer appropriately. If you feed your plants too much, it can actually kill them. Consider it a really bad case of plant indigestion. If you’ve ever eaten too much of something, you understand. The right tomato fertilizer will make all the difference. Here is some Free Gardening Gifts for You ! Follow Us on Twitter                     Follow Us on Facebook Happy Gardening Roland in Phoenix                     Back to the Home Page   4176 West Hearn Rd, , Phoenix, Az, USA t: 602-89-8342 | f: Your Fax e: Rolandd@cox.net | w: http://www.gogreeninarizona.org/Gardening.html

How to Plant Tomato Plants

How To Plant Tomato Plants

When your tomato plants are ready to be planted outside, repeat the phrase "deep planting" over and over again, so you don't forget it. Most plants rebel if transplanted deeper than they have been growing.

Not so with tomatoes – the stem will thrive if it's buried in soil up to the first leaf, allowing new roots to sprout and grow from the newly buried portion of the stalk.

In about three weeks those new roots will cause the plant to explode into new top growth as well. Remember that the stronger its base, the higher your tomato plant can soar! Use a natural compost to fertilize your plant.

If you don't currently make compost at your home, you can head to a local garden center and buy organic compost by the bag. They also need a good Tomato fertilizer with enough phosphorous to assure that your plants will blossom heavily and set plenty of fruit.

Avoid applying harmful pesticides to your tomato plant, and let nature do its job! I'm a firm believer in organic gardening, and over the past fifty years or so I've seen major changes made to gardens...it's all, chemicals, chemicals, chemicals!

When planting tomatoes, treat them right and you won't need to go that route. 

Also a hint is to plant Marigold, Onions and Garlic around your Tomato Plants.

Watering Your Tomatoes

When planting tomatoes, proper watering is crucial. Water regularly and deeply, but not too often once the plants are established. Deep watering encourages roots to grow deep where they will have access to a smorgasbord of minerals to feast upon.

Watering during the early morning will allow your plants to soak in more water without it evaporating in summer's heat. Nighttime watering interferes with the plants' need to take in oxygen through their roots after the day (and photosynthesis) is done.

Water at the base of your plants, rather than overhead. Getting the leaves wet encourages disease in tomatoes, as well as other vegetables. Drip systems are ideal. How often you water will depend not only on your climate, but also on your soil type.

Remember always tomatoes do not like to vary their dryness. In other words don't wait until they get dry to water them. Water them on a constant schedule for best results.

If you are going to be away for more than a couple of days, and there's no rain on the forecast, have someone come tend to your plants. Irregular watering can do serious damage, and your tomato plants will not bear fruit.

It is best to set up a wattering system.  A Timer and a few feet of plastic pipe will go a long was in raising you beautiful tomatoes plus save you a lot of work and effort. 

Here is some Free Gardening Gifts for You ! 
Follow Us on Twitter                     Follow Us on Facebook
Happy Gardening
Roland in Phoenix

Planting Tomatoes  How To And When

Planting tomatoes shouldn't be backbreaking work.... in fact, quite the opposite! They are easy to plant, thrive if the conditions are right, and once ripe, they taste nothing like the their distant relations at the supermarket that are ripened using gas!

There's a reason growing tomatoes is so popular; they're the perfect plant for the new gardener, and there is lots of room to experiment for the veteran.

The first step in planting tomatoes is picking the perfect spot. Tomato plants adore sunlight, and will need about fourteen hours of it per day. If you are unable to find a spot with full sun for your plants in the yard, consider purchasing a small florescent light to give them artificial sunlight, and growing them indoors! 

Gardening is about flexibility, and if you can't bring your plant to the elements, bring the elements to your plant!

When To Plant Tomatoes

You know that tomato plants are not frost hardy, so obviously they cannot be planted out until after the last frost. If you are growing your own plants from seed, growing to transplant size takes about 6 weeks.

So, plant those seeds indoors, in your greenhouse or cold frame six weeks before the last expected frost date for your area.

I use a styrefome dozen egg carton. Punch some holes in the bottom with and Ice pick.  Sift out your potting soil so it is fine. Fill the egg carton full with sifted potting soil. Pack it down. Water it good. I use a cleaned out  2 gallon Garden sprayer to water with. 

Use a pencil eraser end, to punch two holes in each corner of the egg pouches. Twenty four in all in a dozen egg carton. Drop two seeds in each hole. Cover with more sifted potting soil and rewater. Let sit on a paper towel for about one half hour for any excess water to drain. That will require 24 seeds for each dozen egg carton. Some may not germinate.

Shut the lid of the egg carton tightly and place on top of your Refrigerator where it is warm constantly. This will stimulate germination much faster. Watch for the next 7 days for them to sprout out. 

Once they sprout out open the lids and place under a 

florescent light to give them artificial sunlight. Keep the light within one foot of the plants.  Try and maintain the temperature constant day and night until they get there first two leaves. They will be about one  to one and a one inches high. Be sure and water them every day a little bit. Tomato plants like constant watering on a schedule.

Once they have reached their two leaves you can transplant them into styrofome cups that you can purchase very cheaply at the grocery store. Fill the cups up three quarter full of sifted potting soil and using a table spoon lift out one entire egg pouch with small tomato plants at each end.  Divide the spooned out pouch in half with a small sharp knife. Plant one half in each cup and fill around it with more potting soil.

Label the cups so you know what kind of plant it was.  Water them again using B1, in the water, which can be purchased in a concentrate from Home Depot or Loews.  Requires about two tablespoons per gallon of water. This has many nutrients to help stimulate root production which is very important in its beginning growth.

After a day or two you can set the cups outside in the sun for a few hours and bring them in at night when it is colder. Once they have been conditioned to outside weather, they can be transplanted in the garden. I use 2 liter plastic pop bottles with the top and bottom cut off around the baby plants to prevent the wind and birds from destroying them until they get about 6 to 8 inches tall. The containers can then be removed. 

But, frost alone does not dictate the time for planting tomatoes. They are a subtropical species that will not thrive and grow vigorously until the soil temperature has climbed to about 50 degrees or so.

Planted in cold soil, even after frost, most tomatoes will just sit and wait. This will permanently stunt your plants and will not result in an earlier harvest. For best results, check your soil temperature and delay planting out until your soil warms.

If you must jump the gun, choose a tomato variety that will grow and bloom in cooler temperatures. There are several, so check the online seed catalogs.

Gurney's Seed and Nursery

Henry Fields Seed and Nursery

Here is some Free Gardening Gifts for You !

Home Gardening.

 Hi My name is Roland Dufault. I have lived in Phoenix, Arizona, USA for
over 30 years now.

Going Green in Arizona, for me is a lot of fun. Mainly because I can grow my Garden all year round. Many people in the world grow their own gardens to provide food for themselves and their families.

It requires very little space, just your back yard can provide you with a multitude of vegtables that can be dried or canned or frozen to provide food for months.

Once you get started you can easily gather your own seeds for the next year.

You can save your rain water or just let it fall on your garden. The tools required are few.

Having your own mulch pile from your left over food or food products like the shells from your eggs, the topping from your vegetables, your grass clippings and weeds around you home within 8 to 10 weeks will provide
you great mulch which furnishes you the fertilizer for your Garden.

To See all about Gardening many different Vegetables Go to my  Site an check it out.

http://www.gogreeninarizona.org/Gardening.html  

Follow me on Twitter  
           Follow me on Facebook

Hi Again, Roland here.  Just a little follow up on yesterdays Blog on my Garden site.  It is a good idea when it is cold like it was here this morning very close to the freezing mark to sprinkle your plants with a light spray of water, just before the sun comes out and  several times after the sun comes out until the morning temperature is a little warmer.

The warmer water which comes from the ground will keep the plants in many cases from freezing and causing you to replant.

To See how to Grow Tomatoes Click Here

See how to Grow other Garden Vegtables Click Here            

Here is some Free Gardening Gifts for You !

See My Gardening Website




Follow me on Twitter                     Follow me on Facebook

Hi My name is Roland Dufault. I have lived in Phoenix, Arizona, USA for over 30 years now.

Going Green in Arizona, for me is a lot of fun. Mainly because I can grow my Garden all year round. Many people in the world grow their own gardens to provide food for themselves and their families

It requires very little space, just your back yard can provide you with a multitude of vegtables that can be dried or canned or frozen to provide food for months.


Once you get started you can easily gather your own seeds for the next year.

You can save your rain water or just let it fall on your garden. The tools required are few.

 Having your own mulch pile from your left over food or food products like the shells from your eggs, the topping from your vegetables, your grass clippings and weeds around you home within 8 to 10 weeks will provide you great mulch which furnishes you the fertilizer for your Garden.

To See all about Gardening many different Vegetables Go to my  Site an check it out.
http://www.gogreeninarizona.org/Gardening.html     

Follow me on Twitter                     Follow me on Facebook