Homesfornh.com – Solanum Lycopersicum or Tomato plant is the kind of berry plant. It produces delicious fruits of various sizes, flavors, and colors. This amazing plant is native to Central America and South America. Tomato has many functions for the cook. It can transform into tomato juice, complete the salad’s condiment, and make a delicious sauce. Tomato has many species such as Better Bush, Bonni Original, Tami G Grape, Sun Sugar, and many more. You will find fresh tomatoes in the market or even in the garden. If you like to grow vegetables and fruits at home, the tomato should be a nice choice to plant in your garden. A seed is a fresh embryonic plant to grow a new plant. Tomato has many small seeds inside the flesh. Without any further we do, let’s see the simple steps to plant tomato plants!
- Collecting the seeds is the first step before planting the seeds. Take one tomato and collect the seeds from the flesh. Put them in a container. Another option, you can cut the flesh and use it to plant in the soil
- Take a container. The big one is better, then create some drainage holes on the bottom.
- Prepare the medium to grow. Take some garden soil and mix it with compost. Pour the soil into your container.
- Dig some small holes using your finger and put the seed in there. Take the 2-3cm depth, then cover them with the soil.
- Water the seeds gently and move the container into a sunny place if the seeds start to germinate.
Growing tomato from seeds is easy, but care for them can be hard without any knowledge about this plant. Since the tomato plants are a sensitive plant, you need to take notes at some points below. Let’s discuss!
Sunlight
Sunlight is the most important element for a plant to grow. The early growing plant needs lots of sunlight to stimulate the growth of the seeds. Tomato plant needs sunlight at least 4-6 hours per day to produce many fruits. Adequate sunlight fastens the growing process from seeds to the harvesting time. It also helps tomato ripens the fruit perfectly and even makes them tastes so delicious. Since the sunlight is important for the taste of tomato, you need to choose a sunny place for tomato.
Water
The second element is water. Every plant needs water, especially the early-growing tomato. Water is important for the roots system. It helps the roots to absorbs nutrients in the soil and delivers them to the stem, then produces fruits. You can water your tomato when the soil starts to dry. You can use a drip hose for gentle watering. The watering routine depends on the condition of the soil, climate, and growing periods. Don’t forget to mulch the soil for stable humidity.
Supporting Stake
The young tomato plant has a tender stem and easy to fall on the ground. You need to add a supporting stake near the plant to help them stand firmly. The simple and cheapest way is using a wooden stick. Choose the wooden stick 4-6 feet tall, then tie the stems on that stick. Another idea is using a cage for tomatoes. This cage helps the growing tomato to stand and hold the fruits while it produces them vigorously.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is a must-have element to pour into the soil. The tomato plant is a heavy feeder and needs a routine fertilizer to remain healthy during the growing process. Before you give fertilizer to the tomato plant, remove all the weeds in the soil around your tomato plant using your gardening tools. The weeds will suck the soil nutrients, so remove them all. Prepare the fertilizer by mixing fishmeal, vermicompost, and chicken manure. Pour the fertilizer once per three weeks.
Pruning
Pruning is a beneficial process to make your tomato still fresh and grow well. The part of a tomato plant that needs to prune is the low leaves. Remove some lower leaves to prevent diseases and pests. When the lower leaves touch the soil, it may attract the sickness. Remove the suckers too. The suckers grow below the first flower cluster. After pruning the tomato, shakes the flowers gently to help their reproduction.
Pests and Diseases
The common pests and diseases in tomato plants are causing by insects, watering errors, and the wrong fertilizer. Insects such as cutworms, flea beetles, and hornworms are easy to pick then kill. Diseases and sickness symptoms like early blight, wilt leaves, leaf mold, powdery mildew, and grey leaf spot need a special water solution. Make a homemade insecticide and herbicide by boiling garlic, turmeric, chilly. Add water and neem oil in one bottle. You can spray it on the tomato leaves and sick spots.
Thus our discussion of All About Tomato Plants : Easy Ways to Plant and How to Care for Them. Tomato is a delicious fruit to eat after you pick it from the garden. This fruit is a useful ingredient to delicious some food. Salad and sandwiches are a delicious meal that uses tomato to add a juicy taste. You can grow a tomato plant in the garden. Even in the pot, this plant grows well. This plant needs good maintenance to get delicious tomatoes. The short guide that we have summed above is useful to help you grow the best tomatoes. Happy gardening!
