In case you’re wondering the best time to plant tomatoes is two weeks after the last average frost date in your area. You don’t want to plant your plants to early or they may get killed by a late spring frost.
Make your holes about a foot deep and put a shovel full of well rotted compost in the bottom of each hole where your going to plant your tomatoes. Put two tablespoons of powdered flavored gelatin in the bottom of each hole. The powdered flavored gelatin will feed helpful bacteria and it will supply needed nitrogen to your plants. Also put a tablespoon of cinnamon in the bottom of each hole. The cinnamon will take care of the dampening off fungus that often kills young seedlings like tomatoes and peppers.
Your tomato plants are very important to. You don’t want long leggy seedlings. You ideally want your seedlings to have an inch or less between the branches. Short compact plants with well developed roots will do the best for you and they are less susceptible to diseases that attack tomato plants. One key thing to remember here is to not rush out and buy your plants as soon as they appear in the stores. Wait until the temperatures outside at night are staying in the 50’s before you purchase and set out your plants.
When you do set out your tomato plants you should set them out in the very early morning before sun rise or in the late evening before sunset. You can make and get your holes ready ahead of time. You should purchase and have a wire cage for each tomato plant you set out. You’ll need a bucket of water when you go to set out your plants.
If you already have a shovel full of well rotted compost in the bottom of each hole start off by adding your powdered gelatin and cinnamon in the bottom of each hole and then set your tomato plant down into the hole. Pour two cups of water in each hole before you add the dirt. I dig my holes deep enough that when I fill each hole with dirt only the top part of the tomato plant is left sticking up out of the ground. By planting your tomato plants deep like this you’ll be helping them to have a good foundation and it will encourage good root development.
Now once you have the plants in the ground pack down the soil around each tomato plant and set your cage down into the ground around each tomato plant. I use small metal tent stakes to make sure the tomato cages stay in place.
Your tomato plants are now ready to get busy growing and will in time provide you with delicious homegrown tomatoes. For organic pest control plant at least two marigold plants in the same row with your tomatoes. This will prevent garden pests from bothering your tomatoes. And in case you’re wondering six to eight tomato plants will provide a family of 4 – 6 with all the tomatoes they will want or need.
And now you know the best way to grow tomatoes there is. I hope there are tomatoes in your future real soon.