Growing tomatoes is easier than you think.
By Pat Roome, Master Gardener and ENN Member
Everyone loves home-grown tomatoes. Surprisingly, growing them is a lot easier than you think. It all starts with a big sack of good dirt. Cherry tomatoes are the easiest to grow. Larger tomatoes need a longer season.
Tomato roots grow best in the top 4” of soil and can spread wide. Buy a bag of garden soil and plant directly into it. Place the bag in the sun next to the house or on a deck. Poke a dozen holes with a screwdriver on the bottom side, turn it right side up, and cut a large X in the middle. Plant at an angle to bury 3” of stem which will grow more roots.
The fluffed up bag of soil with an X cut in the top and drainage holes is the permanent pot - that’s what makes it so easy! Make sure to set the bag up in its long-term home from the start.
Next steps:
- Apply a liquid fertilizer three times: at planting, at flowering, and when fruits start to grow.
- Place a square cage over the plant.
- Water at planting and then once or twice a week. Do not let the soil become dry.
- Give the plant a shake every day when flowering to help pollination.
- Enjoy!
Here are Pat's answers to some questions from the editor:
