Tomatoes are tasty and have a ton of health benefits. They contain compounds proven to help prevent cancer, heart disease, and many others. They have large amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium. And they are even better when you grow some yourself. Organically. So, what’s the best way to plant tomatoes? If you start tomatoes from seeds, be sure to give the seedlings plenty of space to grow. Your tomato seedlings will need lots of light, so give them direct sunlight or put them under grow lights for a couple days. Put some black plastic on top of the soil a few weeks before planting the tomatoes. This will heat up the soil, giving your tomato starts and extra edge.

Tomatoes, of course, love sunlight, so be sure to plant them where you get the most sun. When planting the tomatoes, plant them deep enough so that just the few top leaves are above the ground. Tomatoes can grow roots on their stems, so you want to give it a good root base. When the tomatoes are 3 feet tall, cut off the leaves from the bottom foot of the stem. This will stop fungus from growing on the tomato plants. Just follow these methods, and enjoy some tasty tomatoes in the summer. Check out the garden tip below for watering tips.

Here are some helpful tomato watering tips. Always only water the base of the plant. When the plants are developing, water deeply and regularly. Be sure to water your tomato plant thoroughly, hold off several days, and water thoroughly again. Still, don’t give your tomato plants uneven watering, or the ends of the blossoms could rot. And don’t over-water your tomatoes, or they’ll just grow big and green, with little or no tomatoes. You just need to find that sweet spot in between under-watering and over-watering. Once the fruit on the tomatoes begins to ripen, lessening the water will make the plant concentrate its sugars, which is a good thing, but still, too little water and the plants will wilt and drop the developing fruit. Again, just find that sweet spot.

Pete Skenandore

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