How to Plant Tomatoes

Learning how to plant tomatoes is “easy breezy”! Tomatoes are one of those plants that can pop up in places even when you don’t want them, and require very little in the way of maintenance. A tomato plant would be a wonderful addition to a childrens garden because of their easy growth habits, and reliable production.

Tomatoes can be started from seed directly in the garden, or my favorite method, by purchasing a small plant from a local garden center. You can decide how to plant tomatoes by placing them in rows, or by placing individual plants throughout your yard. Tomatoes can be grown in containers, or they can be placed directly in the ground.

When learning how to plant tomatoes, you don’t need to be overly concerned about soil preparation before planting as they are such hardy plants. It’s still worth investigating how to start a garden - more specifically, how to prepare your garden soil, and you may also want to decide how to layout a garden.

If you’re planting from seed, push the seeds about 1-2 inches in the ground once all danger of frost has passed. A small plant can be added to the ground a few weeks later, but to maximize production, I would also recommend getting it in the ground as soon after the last frost as possible.

Then make sure you keep the soil moist by watering on a daily basis. For more information on watering, see how to water your garden, and more specifically, watering your plants by use of rain water barrels.

Your success with your tomato plants also depends on the amount and type of support you provide the plant. Keep in mind that the tomato plant will grow to be about 3 feet tall or higher, and will maintain heavy branches supporting large vegetables. While the plant is small, stake a tomato support over the plant so that it can grow into the support over time. You’ll need to check the support regularly to make sure that the branches are growing thru it correctly.

Your tomato plant will produce tomatoes from any of the branches that have flowers. Branches that do not have flowers take energy from the plant unnecessarily and should be clipped off.

I've been planting tomatoes for over 15 years, and I’ve never used any special type of fertilizer to assist in their growth, or any type of spray to deter bugs or tomato rot. I haven’t noticed any problems with my tomatoes, and believe me, they’re not getting the “Shangri La” treatment at my house! Tomato plants are just that hardy! The only type of fertilizer I’ve used in my garden has been compost.

I hope this has helped give you information on how to plant tomatoes in your own yard. Happy gardening!

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