On 16 May 2003 12:12:05 -0700, (Goose) wrote:

i saw a tomato plant sold in my local natural food stores and i was
really tempted to get them. the tomato plant has a couple of fruits at
the bottom of the stem. if i do get them, what do i do?

Don't buy it! Unless the plant is in a 6" pot or larger, it's been
grown way past its prime, and will be root-bound and not a happy
transplant to the garden. Don't even buy plants with blossoms on them.
I wouldn't get a tomato plant (or any other, come to think of it) over
about 4" high that was growing in a 1"x2" 4- or 6-pack plastic cell.
Or much over 10-12" in a 4" pot. And none with blossoms or tiny fruit.
Those are signs of plants that have been growing too long in
greenhouse conditions and that may or may not survive transplant into
the Real World. Look for plants with thickish main stems, and healthy
foliage.

Decide what variety you'd like. Do you want to try a large, beefsteak
type? A cherry or smaller tomato? Roma types are versiitile -- good
for cooking AND slicing into a salad. Like kittens, there are
practically no unattractive tomatoes. :-)

Give your tomato plant the best environment you can. Full sun. Nice
dirt ammended with compost and/or composted manure. And *support*.
Even a little cherry tomato plant may grow to a 4-6' tall (by 2-4"
diameter) bush/tree/thing, and will need to either be 'caged' or tied
to *sturdy* stakes. Search the web for non-commercial "tomato cages."
The little, inverted cone wire things about 4' tall (incl. the
supports) sold in many stores are inadequate for all but the most
sickly, stunted plants.

It's not rocket science. The above are suggestions, not laws. (Well,
'full sun' is a law. And 'full sun' means outdoors, 6 hrs/day mininum
direct sunlight -- the more the better.)

Have a good time.