Green Landscaping and Gardening - How do I GROW TOMATOES?

:cheshire: How do I start out growing tomates once I get them home to plant out of already established little pot containers? How do I maintain them and what types of soil or ingredients do I need to add to keep them maintained?

heres what I use

http://www.earthbox.com/

tomatoes for dummy's , great results little effort

it was invented and develpoed by a long time local tomato farmer

You can also plant them in a bag with soil and hang it from a hook. They will hang down and you end up growing them upside-down.

Great if you have soil with fungus, they don't rot and you can control the fertilizing better. - They must be is a suuny location also.

We grow the off a north facing deck becaue they get the best sun there.

Because you posted in Green Gardening, I assume you want to know how to grow organic tomatoes. The best organic tomatoes are grown from organic seed, especially an heirloom variety. Heirlooms are not hybrids and tend to be more disease resistant, have better flavor, and can remain on the vine longer.

If using tomato plants from the local garden center, you can do some companion planting to ward off disease and insects. Parsley and carrots are among such plants. Rather than using chemical fertilizers, use compost tea (compost steeped in water) as foliar spray. Fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer from garden center can be used on soil. Feed every other week until fruit is set. Mulch around tomatoes and stake or cage to keep plants off ground where they can acquire fungus and disease. Mulch will help keep soil moist. Do not allow tomatoes to dry out. Avoid chemical pesticides. Use soapy water or pepper spray insecticide from garden center.

See: http://greenlivingideas.com/gardening/growing-organic-tomatoes.html

you also don't mention where you are . while this is the time to plant tomatoes in most of the country the season here is over

to hot with summer coming

we replant in September

mango man - You are dead on about the location!

We hope to plant in about a month (May 15) in Minnesota. - The old-timers say wait until Memorial Day.

You can plant earlier, but the trouble and over-all temperatures do not permit much growth in hot weather plants until after May 15. - The plants just sit there and stare back as you want them to grow.

In late June and early July we almost have to close the windows because of the sound of plants growing/exploding. - All ripe at the same time unless you select a range of varieties.