Indoor tomato growing

growing tomatoes indoors

Indoor tomato growing is a breeze. What could be more satisfying and tasty than growing your own tomatoes? The price of tomatoes will be climbing this summer as fuel prices raise with the outside temperature. Indoor tomato growing will save you time and money and provide healthy food for your family.

Americans are experiencing sticker shock as the prices at the supermarket soar. With tomatoes near two dollars a pound, I decided to give indoor tomato plants a try. One bite into your own sweet, juicy tomato; the tasteless store brand tomatoes will rapidly lose ground.

Tomatoes thrive in a warm and humid environment. The ideal time to begin indoor tomato planting is mid-March. This season I chose to start with tomato plants instead of seeds. I was one weekend too early planting, as a late frost damaged two of my plants. They are my �runts� of the bunch. [I am an avid believer that talking to your plants is beneficial!]

Indoor tomato gardening allows you to enjoy home grown tomatoes year round. A rule of green thumb is plant two tomato plants for each member of your household. Increase this number if you plan on canning or freezing tomatoes.

For your indoor plant growing, You can purchase organic potting soil and use homemade mulch on your tomato plants. Homemade mulch is made up of saved grass clippings, raked leaves, broken egg shells, used coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels. Using recycled kitchen waste, your tomatoes ripen on the vine. Indoor tomatoes growing gives you the freedom of making your tomato garden mobile.

Place your indoor tomatoes plants facing south where they will receive the most sunlight. Sunshine is the gardener�s secret ingredient in growing colorful tomatoes. Your indoor tomato growing could also make a fashion statement, by using large, wooden crates or tubs for planters. My tomato plants are shabby chic bedded in plastic garbage containers. You make holes in the bottom for water drainage. Black plastic bags keep the soil in and bugs out.

I water my Big Boy tomato plants everyday and mist in between watering. The Big Boys have just begun to flower and you pinch off their yellow flower heads. You will discover gardening is a relaxing tool that helps relieve daily stress. Indoor tomato growing also saves your back from having to bend over in the flower bed to pull weeds.

Another advantage to indoor plant growing is you have more control over the soil and fertilizer quality. This enables you to prevent weeds, avoid fungus, insects, and other unwanted pests from harming your tomatoes. As your tomato plants grow taller, you will need stakes for their support. You may consider using tomato cages. They allow growth and keep the fruit and leaves off the ground.

Planting upside down tomatoes may be another indoor tomato plants option for you. You cut out the bottom of a large, plastic container and hang it from the ceiling. You place the tomato plant through the opening, to allow the plant to grow �upside down�. Water and plant food will go directly to the root of the tomato.

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