Hi there,
I have some experience in particular plants, but I am new to the tomato gardening thing and I just planted four yellow tomato plants. Do you have any gardening tips to get quick results?

On May 19, 9:08*am, JessiOnela
wrote:
Hi there,
I have some experience in particular plants, but I am new to the tomato
gardening thing and I just planted four yellow tomato plants. Do you
have any gardening tips to get quick results?

--
JessiOnela

You don't say where you are, and that's essential information.

Also, did you plant them indoors or outside? If inside, keep them
warm. If outside, you might cover the spots with a plastic bottle (cut
it in half, and work it a bit into the soil). It will make a miniature
greenhouse and warm the soil. If you didn't do any soil preparation,
it's not quite too late. Get some 5-10-10 fertilizer (or something
similar) and scratch it into the soil around the plants. Add compost
if you have it or can get it. If the seeds are inside, prepare your
bed by adding fertilizer, compost and peat moss. Lime the soil if it
is acidic. Use ground limestone at this point, since pellets won't
have an effect for weeks.

Chris

In article ,
JessiOnela wrote:

Hi there,
I have some experience in particular plants, but I am new to the tomato
gardening thing and I just planted four yellow tomato plants. Do you
have any gardening tips to get quick results?

This is rather long, but just keep reading. With any luck it will be
Fall before you're done, and you'll have the winter to plan.


One of your countrymen, ackeiyword, wrote the following on Sat, 25 Dec
2010. Since s/he must be out for a pint, I'll post it for her/him ;O)


10 Tips For Growing Tomatoes

1. Don't Crowd the Seeds - When Growing Tomato Plants from seeds, you
want to leave enough room for the plants to branch out. To many plants
placed too close together will inhibit there growth. Once the seeds grow
and the first true leaves appear transplant each plant to 4 inch Pots.
You will do this in about two weeks.

2. Tomatoes Love Light - If you are growing your plants indoors you
will want to use grow lights. The plants will require 12 to 14 hours of
light a day. Place your grow lights about 2 to 3 inches from the plants.
Tomatoes love the light so you will want to plant them in the sunniest
part of your garden.

3. A Cool Breeze is Nice - Tomatoes love to sway in the breeze. When
growing them indoors it's a good idea to put a fan on them twice a day
for 10 to 15 minutes. This helps to promote strong stems.

4. Tomatoes Love the heat - When you get ready to plant your
seedlings in the garden warm soil is the best method. You can place
black plastic or weed block in the area prior to planting. This will
heat the soil. You should do this 1 or 2 weeks before you plant. This
warm soil will promote earlier production.

5. Plant them Deep - When you plant your tomatoes plant them deep.
Plant them up to the first leaves. Tomato plants will grow roots right
out of the stems and this will give a good root system for your plants.
You can also dig a small trench and lay the plant sideways. Don't worry
the plant will grow toward the sun and come out straight. I like to use
tomato cages to help support my plants once they have grown tall. It's a
good idea to put the cages into the ground first so that you don't end
up puncturing a healthy stem.

6. Mulch is Good - Placing Mulch around the plants is good as it
keeps the soil born diseases from splashing up on the stems. Mulch also
retains the water and helps to conserve water. Since tomatoes like the
soil warm mulch can also cause the soil to be cooler so using a black
rubber mulch works better for the warm loving plants like tomatoes.
Since I grow only organic tomatoes I use no mulch or only organic
materials for my mulch.

7. Remove the bottom Leaves - Once the plants grow to about 3 inches
tall remove all the leaves from the stem up to about 1 inch from the
soil. This will help prevent fungus from developing at the base of your
plants. Spraying your plants weekly with compost tea also seems to be
effective at warding off fungus diseases.

8. Prune/Pinch Gives More Tomatoes - Pinch and remove suckers that
develop in the crotch joint of two branches. The crotch joint is where
the branch joins the stem or two branches split. They won't bear fruit
and will take energy away from the rest of the plant. But go easy on
pruning the rest of the plant. You can thin leaves to allow the sun to
reach the ripening fruit, but it's the leaves that are photosynthesizing
and creating the sugars that give flavor to your tomatoes. So take it
easy with those pruning shears.

9. Timely Watering - Tomatoes like regular watering. You never want
the plants to begin to wilt before you water. Timely watering is a must.
Water the plants deeply and regularly especially while the plants are
developing. If you miss a watering don't over water to compensate. This
will cause root rot and eventually kill your plants. When fruit begins
to ripen cutting back on the watering will cause the sugars to
concentrate and give a sweeter tomato. Don't cut back too much though or
the plant will drop it's blossoms and fruit.

10. Getting them to Set Tomatoes - There are two varieties of tomatoes
determinate and indeterminate Determinate tomatoes are varieties that
grow to a fixed mature size and ripen all their fruit in a short period,
usually about 2 weeks. Once this first flush of fruit has ripened, the
plant will begin to diminish in vigor and will set little to no new
fruit. Determinate tomato varieties are often referred to as "bush"
tomatoes, because they do not continue growing in size throughout the
growing season. They are generally smaller than indeterminate tomatoes,
with most growing to a compact 4-5 feet. Pruning and removing suckers
from determinate tomatoes is not recommended. Despite their compact
size, staking or caging is still recommended, since the concentrated
fruit set can contribute considerable weight to the branches. Many paste
or Roma tomatoes are determinate varieties. Some others bred to be
determinate include: Celebrity, Mar-globe and Rutgers. Growing
determinate variety tomatoes makes good sense when you want a large
amount of tomatoes all at one time, to make tomato sauce for example.
Indeterminate tomatoes are actually vines that continue growing in
length throughout the growing season. Also referred to as "vining"
tomatoes, indeterminate tomato varieties will also continue to set and
ripen fruit until killed off by frost. Tomato growers seldom allow
tomato plants to actually vine. Indeterminate tomato plants will require
substantial staking or caging to support what can become a large (6-10')
heavy plant. However, tomato plants can easily be grown as a hanging
vine. This eliminates the need for support, keeps the fruit up off the
ground and permits the plant to grow in an open manner, allowing
sunlight to reach throughout the plant. The majority of tomato varieties
are indeterminate including most heirlooms and most cherry types. Other
indeterminate tomatoes include: 'Beefsteak', 'Big Boy' and
'Brandy-wine'. Early producing varieties like, 'Celebrity' and 'Early
Girl', are also indeterminate. However since they tend to mature earlier
and die back before the end of the season, they are sometimes labeled
semi-determinate. Heirloom tomatoes are all indeterminate varieties and
the plants get so large and heavy they can break the stakes holding
them. You can get indeterminate type tomatoes to set fruit earlier by
pinching off the tips of the main stems in early summer.
--

and conversely

Ten Mistakes To Avoid When Growing Tomatoes
http://www.chiff.com/a/garden-tomato.htm

1) Choose the right variety - Some tomato varieties are determinate type
plants, meaning they may grow to about three feet in height and then
stop. Others, especially most of the heirloom types, are indeterminate,
meaning they will grew as high as you allow them to grow. If your space
is limited, choose determinate types like Celebrity, Sunbeam or Mountain
Spring.

2) Don't plant them too close - Tomato plants need at least 1 1/2 feet
between plants, preferably 2 feet, and that's for plants that are grown
upright on stakes or cages. If no support is given and they are allowed
to sprawl on the ground, tomato plants need twice as much room. Plants
spaced too closely will produce few fruit and have more disease problems
as the foliage stays wet. Plant according to how big they will get, not
on the size of the transplants.

3) Plant what you can use - I love tomatoes. My two kids and wife love
tomatoes. But for us, six plants is usually more than enough, and that
leaves us with enough to supply my non-tomato growing neighbors. Save
room for other vegetables and flowers.

4) Don't plant in shady spots - Tomato plants, like any plant that
produces fruit, need at least seven hours of direct sun. If you have
less, you will have fantastic foliage but very few fruit. There is
nothing-repeat, nothing-that can overcome this light requirement. Fruit
production takes a tremendous amount of energy, and tomato plants, like
all plants, get that energy from the sun.

5) Feed the plants, but not too much - tomatoes like a balanced
fertilizer, with similar amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Avoid using fertilizers that are intended for lawns. The high nitrogen
will push the leaves at the expense of fruit. Look for fertilizers
designed for tomatoes and follow the label directions. Or better yet,
throw a shovel full of compost around the plants every other week.

6) Don't lose sleep over pruning - Tomato plants will grow just fine
without pruning. Pruning refers to removing the sideshoots or suckers
that come off the main shoot. Pruning will help control the size of the
plant and can keep the plants more manageable, which is usually
desirable in a small garden. Pruning will result in slightly fewer total
fruit but the fruit will be slightly larger. You will likely get more
but slightly smaller fruit from non-pruned plants. Do what you're
comfortable with.

7) Keep the plants well watered - When the soil around tomato plants
dries out, a serious problem results. Calcium, one of the handful of
minerals needed by all plants to grow, is absorbed by the plant's roots
along with water. If water is limited, so is calcium. The result is
blossom-end rot, a brown, dry, leathery spot found on the bottom of
fruit. Don't be fooled by magic remedies that promise to fix this.
Special fertilizers, egg shells or a Tums tablet placed next to the
plant won't make a difference. Only water will make the difference. So
make sure your soils don't dry out and use mulch to help conserve
moisture.

8) Don't remove leaves or branches from mature plants with fruit - Some
people think that tomato fruit need direct sunlight to ripen. This is
untrue. Pruning the plant prior to fruiting is fine, as discussed
earlier, but never remove foliage from a mature plant. This exposes
fruit to direct sun and can lead to sunscald, a yellowing of the side
exposed to the sun. The same holds true for green fruit you are ripening
inside. Do not put them on a sunny windowsill. Instead put them in a
paper bag and place them out of direct light.

9) Identify your pest problems - Remember, it's normal to see insects on
your plants and chances are, most of them are not doing any harm. And
every year, diseases will cause some yellowing and browning. But you
should get more than enough fruit to satisfy your needs even with some
pest damage. At the very least, learn to identify common tomato pests so
that you can take appropriate action. Use chemicals as a last resort.

10) Don't put fruit in your refrigerator - You've done everything right
and now it's time to pick the first fruit, but don't be tempted to put
that fruit in the refrigerator. Temperatures below 55F will destroy the
fragile balance of sugars, acids and other flavor inducing compounds.
Leave tomatoes at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. If you
want them to ripen faster, put them in a brown paper bag.
--
- Billy

Mad dog Republicans to the right. Democratic spider webs to the left. True conservatives, and liberals not to be found anywhere in the phantasmagoria
of the American political landscape.

America is not broke. The country is awash in wealth and cash.
It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the
greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks
and the portfolios of the uber-rich.
http://theuptake.org/2011/03/05/michael-moore-the-big-lie-wisconsin-is-broke/

On May 19, 4:44*pm, Billy wrote:

snip


5) Feed the plants, but not too much - tomatoes like a balanced
fertilizer, with similar amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Avoid using fertilizers that are intended for lawns. The high nitrogen
will push the leaves at the expense of fruit. Look for fertilizers
designed for tomatoes and follow the label directions. Or better yet,
throw a shovel full of compost around the plants every other week.

Great advice- all of it, but I WISH I had this much compost!

Chris

On Thu, 19 May 2011 13:57:43 -0700 (PDT), Chris
wrote:

On May 19, 4:44*pm, Billy wrote:

snip


5) Feed the plants, but not too much - tomatoes like a balanced
fertilizer, with similar amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Avoid using fertilizers that are intended for lawns. The high nitrogen
will push the leaves at the expense of fruit. Look for fertilizers
designed for tomatoes and follow the label directions. Or better yet,
throw a shovel full of compost around the plants every other week.

Great advice- all of it, but I WISH I had this much compost!

No one produces more compost than Billy. hehe