Growing Tomato Plants from Seeds

Growing tomato plants from seeds is what l love doing , how about you?

Tomatoes originated in Andes in South America. They made their appearance in Europe in the 16th Century. Previously, tomatoes were known as Peruvian apple or wolf’s peach. The Elizabethans regarded the red color of the tomatoes as dangerous. But today tomatoes are used more frequently than any other fruit or vegetable.

When growing tomato plants from seeds, you should sow the seeds 6 to 7 weeks before you plan to transplant the plants. Starting earlier might make the plant spindly and leggy. Peat pots are good to grow tomatoes as they provide the plants with space and the roots are not disturbed while transplanting. The seedlings should be kept moist (not soaked) and should also be provided with lot of sunlight.

Disease resistant varieties of tomatoes seeds are found in the market. First Lady II and Celebrity are good disease resistant species of tomatoes. You can experiment with a few varieties to find out the one you would prefer growing.

Two different types of varieties, namely determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, are usually found in the market. The determinate ones grow in a short span of time, while the indeterminate ones grow and bloom over a long period of time. If you prefer eating fresh tomatoes, growing indeterminate ones would be a better choice.

You can choose from growing tomato plants from seed or by buying transplants. Should you decide to go with transplants make sure they are straight with sturdy stems and a few leaves. There should be no blossoms in the transplants. You should check carefully for the presence of insects or diseases in them. An open pollination or heirloom variety helps you to save seeds for the next year’s crops. The crop that is produced is the same as the parent crop.

Tropical climate is best suited for the proper growth of the tomato plants. If the plant is positioned beside a wall or a fence the growth is further stimulated provided there is an adequate supply of water. The plant also requires good drainage and protection from strong winds. The beds for the tomato plants should be prepared with a lot of manure so that it has higher capacity of retaining water, a must for tomato plants. Tomatoes grow best in soil that is slightly acidic with pH between 6.2 and 6.8.

The tomato plants need to be hardened before transplanting. A caged or staked tomato plant needs an area of 3 square feet. Set the tomato plant on a mound if the soil is not properly drained. Likewise it has to be set in a depression to collect water around the roots in dry soil.

Before growing tomato seeds or transplanting, water the tomato plant. While transplanting they should be placed 2 inches deeper in the soil than they were in the pots. A must for growing tomato plant from seeds is lots of water.

So keep watering then every time you see them wilted, beyond your regular schedule. Tall and leggy transplants should be planted via the trench planting method. A horizontal trench for the plants rather than a single hole is advisable.

All the leaves except the upper cluster should be removed and the bare part should be laid in the trench and covered with soil. When the tomatoes are grown in containers then care should be taken to provide containers with proper drainage.

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