Tomato Plants from Seedshow to grow tomato plants from seeds

I MISS THOSE BIG, CRAZY GARDENS

My late husband was a city transplant. What he couldn’t “farm” on acres, he tried to plant in our backyard, my aunt’s larger country garden and at his father’s actual farm.

Every year, he would swear he’d plant only six tomato plants in our backyard, plus a “couple” hills of cucumbers, a row of bush green beans, about four pepper plants, maybe a watermelon plant or two and a few cantaloupe hills. Some radishes and a bit of lettuce (which he wouldn’t even eat), maybe a few sweet peas.

He always lived up to his promise – for at least a week or two. Then suddenly I’d go out and there was more freshly dug soil. “Hey, I just found these beet seeds. You know I love pickled beets.” And, “We really want more tomatoes because we just might want some green ones late in the season to fry or use for relish.”

Somehow, another row or two of green beans always showed up and usually more cucumbers and peppers.

Then my aunt called and said, “I was so glad Delbert wanted to plant a few things out here. We had more ground dug than I had plants for. And you know potatoes and onions do better in this sandy soil than they ever do in your clay.”

She didn’t mention the extra four rows of beets or the 12 tomato plants he’d gifted her with. She didn’t mention more green beans. And green beans not only need picked almost one by one by one, but they definitely need cut the same way.

That was an extremely good tomato year. Between the 12 tomato plants here and the 12 at my aunt’s – who absolutely refused to use any of ours since the 6 she’d planted were more than enough – I had a perpetually steaming canning kettle going.

During the worst day of steam, my father-in-law walked in with a bushel basket of ripe tomatoes. “I couldn’t give any more away,” he said apologetically. Then he went back to his truck to get another bushel basket full.

There Delbert had an entire farm to plant upon! Seems that we had a full two-dozen plants there. Plus a lot more potatoes and onions.

The potatoes and onions did keep in our basement or the cellars and basements of relatives, neighbors and friends.

But like I said, it was a very good tomato year. Once my friends started hiding when I showed up with a box or a sack, I canned more tomatoes, froze at least 30 pints, made tomato sauce, ketchup and relish (the peppers kicked in pretty good, too).

The cucumbers were a semi-decent crop that year. What I didn’t pickle were gift able. So long as I called ahead and said I was not bringing tomatoes.

The beets were a harder problem. We all loved pickled beets and canned beets, but one medium size beet makes a lot to preserve. And only one of my friends even ate beets. Having been totaled out on tomatoes, she specified, “No more than four.”

Today, my garden truly is small. I plant four to five tomato plants of various varieties; some just for snacking. I plant a very short row of cucumber plants. Maybe four pepper plants, also of various varieties. A few zucchini, a few yellow squash. Pots of herbs.

During a good year I may still have to freeze a few tomatoes, but I can give most extras to neighbors and friends without anyone running for cover. Yet…it was such fun, too, with my garden “farmer.”

Yes, I miss those wild and wacky huge gardening days.

• Indoor Gardening
• Greenhouse Gardening

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Jiffy 5089 Tomato Starter Greenhouse 36-Plant Starter Kit

My favorites are all the ones I like to eat! I’m primarily a vegetable gardener but I do add in a few flower varieties to enhance my garden visually and as companion plantings.

For instance, you can improve the performance of tomato plants by planting marigolds and nasturtiums with them. This helps keep whiteflys, aphids and nematodes away. I always grow 6-8 tomato plants and I love to experiment with all the different varieties. I can my own tomato juice and it’s better than any store bought brand by far. And home grown tomatoes make the best tasting BLT’s!

You can also make greater use of space in a small garden by taking advantage of how plants grow. Carrots are another good companion for tomatoes, helping to keep pests away, and you can grow them in the space between the tomato plants. They benefit each other and you get more crop in a smaller space.

Many plants are very easy to grow and take very little care. You can grow a lot of radishes in a small space. They mature very fast so they are one of the first harvests you will get from your garden.

A great way to increase the yield from your garden is to plan crops for several harvests. Leaf lettuce doesn’t do that well in really hot weather so plant it early in the spring and start harvesting. Then when the weather gets hot, replace it with a plant that does better in the hot weather. When it starts cooling down in the fall, you can plant another crop of lettuce for a late harvest.

Another favorite in my garden is zucchini. Three hills of zucchini and I get more than I can possibly eat. I grate and freeze a lot of it for making zucchini bread all winter.

Some of the other things I have grown in my garden are broccoli, head lettuce, cabbage, onions, potatoes, snow peas, string beans, melons, pumpkins, acorn squash, rhubarb, asparagus, herbs, pop corn and sweet corn.

Here’s a quick tip about growing corn. You should plant it in block shapes rather than long rows. In other words, it’s better to plant 4 short rows rather than 2 long rows. It will germinate much better and you will get better ears with more kernels.

Of course what you plant in your garden will depend on what you have a taste for. It also depends on where in the country or world you live and how long your growing season is. No matter where you live though, you will be able to grow some good food and flower varieties that are native to your area. You can always enhance your growing season with a green house or cold frames too.

Good luck and thanks for reading.

When we first moved into our house I saw we had two small patches of dirt, one on each side of our back steps. My son had just turned 2 that winter so I decided it would be fun to do some gardening with him. I thought he would like to watch the vegetables grow and help me look after them. The first summer of gardening with my son went by uneventful, but fruitful.

The next year we had a new addition to our family. I didn’t think that anything would be different in teaching the baby not to destroy mommy’s plants. My second son hadn’t even started to crawl when I started the tomatoes indoors with my older son. We kept them on the floor by the back sliding door, where we thought they were safe from the baby.

Well, we started out with six tomato plants. Then one day, the baby decided to start crawling. And what do you think was the first thing he wanted to crawl to? He beelined straight for the tomato plants. Only two survived.

I managed to keep the baby out of the garden his first summer. But the next summer was a different story. By his next summer, my crawling baby had turned into an active, running toddler. I was hopeful when his big brother helped me put in the seeds in the garden and we bought an already started tomato plant. I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to teach the toddler to leave the plants alone, except to water them.

Before the seeds came up, my toddler would run into the garden any chance he got. He loved to feel of the dirt between his toes, especially after I had just watered it. Every time I would just scoop him up out of the garden and tell him “no, don’t go in mommy’s garden.”

When the seeds started sprouting and the plants were popping up through the dirt, my toddler got a new idea in his head. He knew now he couldn’t go tromping through the garden, but he also knew he liked to dig. He took his little pail and shovel from the sandbox and squated at the edge of the garden. I watched him scoop up a shovel full of my tiny lettuce plants and dump them in his bucket. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself before I scolded him and redirected him back to his sandbox.

When it came time for me to do some weeding, I noticed my toddler watching me and thought to myself “I hope he doesn’t get any ideas”. Soon after I stepped away from the garden, over came my son and I watched as he proudly plucked out a small bean plant. I took the bean plant, placed it back in the dirt and told my son that that plant is supposed to be there. He pulled that same bean plant out one other time, but I put it back and it survived.

I have to say it has been an adventure gardening with my sons. I am always wondering what they are going to do next, which plants will make it and which will succumb to my curious toddler.

It’s easy, very inexpensive and they taste better too so lets get started!

STEP 1: Which tomatoes should I grow?  If you have a long growing season then you would want to go with an indeterminate variety which grows all summer long.  If your growing season is short then you would go with a determinate variety which produces its fruit quickly (in as little as 85 days or less) and ripens all at once.  Go to www.PennysTomatoes.com for more info on varieties.

Step 2: Now that I have bought my seeds what do I do with them? Six to eight weeks for the end of winter I line up little paper cups filled with peat moss and put one seed in each cup. I then place them in a sunny window sill and water almost daily as peat tends to dry out quickly. Make sure not to over water or let the seed/roots sit in excessive water as this will kill them.

As your seedlings grow transplant them into larger and larger containers, each time burying them up to the first set of leaves.  The plant will send out roots from the buried stem and will develop a stronger root system by the time they are ready to be planted outdoors.  Once your seedlings have taken off and the threat of frosts are over move your plants outdoors for a few hours each afternoon to get them acclimated, or hardened off, before actually planting them in the garden.

Will any soil work? Tomatoes need a rich, well-drained soil ideally full of organic matter, so get started on that compost pile early.

How much sun do they need? Tomatoes require full sun which translates into no less than 6 to 8 hours a day.  Plants will be weak and unhealthy with anything less.

STEP 3: Okay it’s time to transplant. Transplanting is an important step and if you do it carefully, you can look forward to an abundant crop of healthy mouth watering tomatoes.

Once your tomato plants have been hardened, or acclimated to outdoor conditions, and night-time temperatures continually exceed 50 degrees, it’s time to set your plants out into your garden or patio containers.

Raised beds work best and you’ll want to bury your plants up to the first set of leaves.  This will ensure a healthy root system. After planting it’s a good idea to place mulch around each plant. Mulch helps keep the soil most and helps keep fruit off the ground, preventing rotting. The advantages to mulching are that the soil retains moisture requiring less watering. Also, the mulch acts as a slow release fertilizer and helps keep the weeds down.

How often should I water them? Your plants should be deep watered 2 to 3 times a week or more depending of your soil type. If the plant is seen wilting in the middle of the day, ignore it. They will perk right back up by late afternoon. If the plants look droopy in the morning, they need water.

All that hard work is getting ready to pay off and depending on what type of tomato plants you chose more than likely you will have an over abundance of ripe tomatoes.

When the fruits have ripened, pick them by bending back the fruit at the notch on the stem.

Tomatoes store well in a cool, dry location. Do not put them in the refrigerator. While they last longer in the refrigerator, they will lose their flavor and texture.

What do I do with all these tomatoes? We have some great recipes at www.PennysTomatoes.com and we would love for you to share yours so check us out online.

Good luck and happy gardening!

Penny

Not only do you wait for that great harvest of tomatoes but you may have deer waiting to share your harvest with you. When this is the case you will want to prevent these deer from eating not only your tomato plants but anything that is in your garden. You will not be successful in preventing that deer from coming into your garden and eating dinner unless you have the right products to stop them. There are several products on the market that may interest you with a variety of deer repellents and even deer fencing you will be able to shop and make the best choice in keeping deer out of your tomatoes and your garden.

When trying to keep the deer away from your property you want a safe and effective method to keep the deer away. You will be able to find a product that will not only keep the deer away from your garden but is safe and easy to use. There are many different sprays on the market that will allow you to create a safe zone for your garden. Spraying these products around the perimeter of your garden will keep the deer from having your tomatoes for dinner. When you are using spray products most are safe for humans, other animals, and plants so you will be able to keep your garden and family safe. These sprays are designed to scare the deer away through taste and smell. With bitter tastes and smells that tell the deer predator’s are near by the deer are sure to leave your garden alone.

There are also concentrate mixtures and granular products that can be just as safe and just as effective. You can find one that will allow you to keep the deer away yet let the dogs and children play safely on your property. Some of these products deter more than one animal from coming on your property so make sure the product you choose is exactly what you need. Another thing to be concerned about when you are choosing a product to keep the deer away is the amount of times you will have to reapply the product. This may cut into your time and your budget so checking the frequency of application is important to make sure you get the most effectiveness out of the product.

There are also fences available that will deter deer away from your garden. These fences can provide safe and effective protection against the deer entering your property or certain space. They are easy to use and can be a great benefit in also keeping out other large animals. You can see that you have many options when it comes to deterring deer away from your garden. Whether you need the protection of a fence or a liquid fence you can find what you are looking for. When you want to create a safe perimeter around your property you can with the variety of products that are available. When you find the right product for your deer problem you will be able to enjoy your harvest of tomatoes and vegetables without sharing.

Well, first things first – if tomato blight strikes your garden, pick your tomatoes! I’m not suggesting that your tomato plants will definitely die, but not being the green fingered type myself I tend to hope for the best but expect the worst. If you have no tomatoes – I have so far only managed to grow two small tomatoes from ninety six plants – you could try spraying them with something or other from the garden center. To date, I have tried many remedies, including potato fertilizer, without success. However, I remain optimistic.

Don’t be afraid to experiment! New techniques are constantly being developed in the world of gardening. If you have no tomatoes, you have nothing to lose. Encouraging hardy varieties by various means is environmentally friendly because it increases the amount of dead tomato plants available for compost.

Be generous! Donating your sick tomato plants to neighbors will make them feel valued for their nurturing skills and give them a sense of purpose. Your tomato plants may even be revived and you could receive a ‘special thank you’ or some free tomatoes.

Americans are facing their worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and more than 60 million of us are 30 or more pounds overweight. Where do these two conditions converge? In a home garden.

During World War II, when food was rationed, Americans planted Victory Gardens to get the fresh produce they needed. Now, the need to save money coupled with the need to eat healthier, has many people getting out their shovels and hoes and going to work.

*Deciding What to Plant*

There are three questions to be considered in deciding what to plant:

- What do you eat?

- What will grow in your climate?

- How much space do you have?

Some plants will do well in containers, others will not. If you’re unsure about what will grow in your area or in the space you have available, consult your local plant nursery for region-specific advice.

*Start with Tomatoes and Branch Out*

Almost every beginning gardener starts with a few tomato plants because they will do equally well in containers or in a small patch of dirt. Tomatoes are also versatile and can be used for their juice, as an ingredient in sauces and salsas, or eaten fresh. Tomato plants do, however, tend to get huge quickly. Plant them in their own large pots and use cages to keep the bushes contained.

Fact: One well-tended tomato plant can easily yield 100 lbs. of tomatoes. Estimating on the low side, tomatoes in the store run about $1 a pound; $2 if they are certified organic.

Pepper plants are a good second choice because they can be used to spice up other dishes and work well with a variety of herbs. (Like tomato plants, they do well in containers by themselves, can grow quite large, and will generally require a cage.) Lettuce is also a good choice because its the basis for fresh, healthy salads. (A variety of herbs can easily be incorporated into a container garden or the “left over” spaces of a regular garden.)

*If You Have Land Available*

If you’re lucky enough to have a spot of yard that will work for a home garden, consider augmenting the space with terraced beds and adjacent planters. Not only will this make your garden more visually appealing, it will also make it more productive and allow you to cultivate a wider variety of plants.

A good rule of thumb is to pick a site that gets good sun, but drains well. Different plants require different amounts of sun, so you will need to plan accordingly (probably in consultation with your local plant nursery or a more experienced gardener.) Herbs, for instance, generally need six to eight hours of sun a day.

Although herbs like anise, coriander, fennel, dill, chives, oregano, tarragon, and sage will all serve you well in the kitchen, at least plant rosemary. It takes almost no water, smells wonderful, and grows rapidly. The leaves are excellent for cooking and can also be used as an inexpensive potpourri.

*The Benefits of Your Project*

By starting a home garden, especially if you have children, you’ve provided the family with a low cost project that gets you outdoors and working together. (Exercise is just as important to trimming off the pounds as eating right.) Once the garden begins to yield produce, you’ll also see a positive effect on your tight budget.

*Natural Pest Control*

On a final note, by growing your own produce you can avoid ingesting many of the pesticides and chemicals that find their way into commercial produce. There are many ways to accomplish natural pest control, from planting certain plants close to one another to releasing lady bugs in your garden. You can find more information on Natural Garden Pest Control here.

It all went terribly wrong when I had the brilliant idea that I could garden! As a young woman in her first home, I thought that gardening would come to me. My mother had a knack for growing vegetables, as well as my grandparents and they had beautifully manicured gardens and yards, and stemming only a few generations away from an Amish like heritage, I was to be a wonderful gardener!

How terribly wrong I was! Who knew that gardening takes knowledge, patience, and time. The three things that I lacked most as a new wife, new mother, and a new home owner.

I was fortunate enough to have a home that already had established gardens and a tomato garden. Yummy, I love tomatoes! I bought the home in the winter, so I waited for spring. Well, I didn’t know to buy more tomato plants, there went that garden to the weeds. I wasn’t the best weeder, especially of spider grass, there went my other gardens. I tried to get out and garden once a month (I wasn’t the most committed gardener) so hence, all of my gardens went to the weeds! And that is how I terribly destroyed the long hard hours the owners before me put into their landscaping and gardens.

I had since got a Farmer’s Almanac, some gardening magazines, and researched gardening on-line. I had come to the realization that gardening is to be wonderful, peaceful, and enjoyable to work on and to look at. So for the time being, I decided to support the knowledgeable experts who make a living creating wonderful, peaceful and enjoyable gardens for me to look at. I wanted to say thank you, to everyone who takes the time and energy to garden, you are my hero, and one day I will have the knowledge and skill to join the ranks of the great gardeners of the world.

“You know what this sandwich needs?”, I would always say to my wife when she made BLT’s. “A real tomato, THAT”S what it needs”. I could never make her understand that these red bags of water, that the grocery store called, “tomatoes” wasn’t the real thing.

“Well plant your own, since you think you’re so smart”, she replied one day. I thought to myself, “Why the heck not”. “My Mom’s a great gardener, surely I must possess some of that skill”.

So began the odyssey of our tomato patch.

I’m one of those fathers who employs his kids in all family chores. I figure the labors cheap, and besides my parents did it to me. My girls (ages 5 and 3) were drafted to be my crew. We went down to the Home Depot to scope out some plants.

“What are we doing Dad?”, they asked. “We’re planting tomatoes”. beamed their father. I’m was gonna teach the girls, the value in home grown vegetables. By the time we got home I’d spent $112.95 in tomato plants, fertilizer, potting soil, and big pots to put them in. (Did I mention we lived in an apartment?)

The terrace was nice and sunny. We got all the plants put in. My oldest daughter made a scarecrow out of an old shirt of mine, a stick, and a Styrofoam wig head that my wife gave her. It looked scary enough to me, so I set it right smack in the middle of our tomato patch.

The next morning I stepped out to look over my tomato plantation, only to find cats had dug up 3 of the plants, and what looked like bird poop on the scarecrow. “What the heck”, I yelled. “There’s varmints in the mator patch!” After work I got some netting at the military surplus store. They had tons of it for $50.00 bucks.

6 weeks go by. Nothing…

Finally one early Saturday morning. (I mean early) My daughter comes rushing into our bedroom. “Daddy, daddy, we got a mato”. “Thats nice, go back to bed”. I moaned.

“DAD!”

I got up and went out to the terrace, and sure enough, there was a tiny little tomato. I was choked up with pride. My little girl and I just staring at our little tomato. We knew that all the hard work and sacrifice was going to pay off. Considering that all but that one plant had succumbed to one disaster or another. A bird had even made a nest in our scarecrow. We named it Charley.

Through the rest of that summer, we babied and nurtured that freaking little tomato. Lord love me it was the only one to grow on that stupid plant.

Finally the day came, and we picked it. I took it inside, and my wife sliced it up for BLT”s. I took my first bite, and gloried in the marvel of fresh ripe heaven. “Now that’s what a BLT is supposed to taste like.”

That tomato cost me $162.95 but I swear it was worth it.