These tomato growing mistake are well-fixed to make , but simple to avoid .
Do n’t let a few love apple growing mistakes stand up between you and a plentiful harvest . The winder is to know how to start off your plant right and avoid practice session that can result indisease - riddled plants . Here ’s a look at the 9 most vulgar tomato plant growing error , along with crown for avoiding each blunder at planting clip and all the manner through to harvest . Even if you ’re a beginning gardener , you could have a successful maturate season that will give you aplentiful harvest of homegrown tomatoesby avoiding these " don’ts . "
Mistake 1: Planting tomatoes too early or too late.
gardener in stale realm routinely set out legal tender young plant life before thelast frost of the season . freeze out temperature zap seedlings in short order . Even if the seedling is n’t kill by a late rime , it will likely be stunted and spend several weeks regaining intensity level and vigor . In Zones 7 and below , aim to transplant Lycopersicon esculentum seedling outsideafter any chance of frost has go and when nighttime temperature are regularly in the upper 50 .
Tomato growers inwarm regions experience a different timing challenge . Tomatoes in Zones 8 , 9 , and 10 must be planted very early in the growing time of year so they fruit before intense heating system sets in . Tomatoes grow best when daytime temperature are between 70 and 80 ° F and dark temperatures are between 60 to 70 ° fluorine .
Peter Krumhardt
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Mistake 2: Starting with poor seedlings.
In the garden center , it ’s tantalizing to reach for the tall transplant even if they ’re lanky or are bloom and on the leaflet of acquire yield . Resist the urge . self-aggrandising is not better in the case of tomato seedlings . When shit fortomato seedlings , or uprise your own , aim for a works that is stocky with a straight stem and burnished green leafage . Tall spindly seedlings and blooming plants often take calendar week longer to demonstrate in the garden than stocky seedling .
Mistake 3: Shallow planting.
Tomatoes , unlike most plants , can produce root along their master stem . Because of this special ability , tomatoes seedlings can be planted several inch deeply than they were growing in their nursery pot . Plant seedling so that the top of the root ball is two to three inches below the soil level . Deep planting will spur a larger , more talkative root system than if the transplant was situated at ground tier .
Mistake 4: Inconsistent watering.
Tomato plantsthrive when theyreceive about 1 column inch of water system per week . When rainfall does n’t provide the necessary moisture , supplement by hired man watering or delivering water with asoaker hose or drip irrigation .
Lycopersicon esculentum plants that endure big swings in wet availability are more likely to have cracked fruit or succumb toblossom last rotting . For example , too much wet after a period of ironical conditions leads to the plant life taking up lots of water system and thrive heavy yield before the wall skin can expand , ensue in split tomatoes . bloom end rot takes keep when soil moisture is n’t available to help the plant access code Ca necessary for good fruit developing . Bottom blood : Be suretomato plantsreceive about 1 inch of water per calendar week .
Mistake 5: Overhead watering.
When watering tomato plants , head off spatter the parting . Instead , deliver the water supply to the base of the plant life with a lachrymation wand , long neck watering can , or soaker hose . This direct - to - the - origin lachrymation method help discouragefoliage disease , peculiarly those that get splashed up from the soil . Plus , it also maximize the amount of water deliver to the plant stem and slenderize moisture lost to dehydration so youavoid wasting water system in your garden .
Mistake 6: Not staking tomatoes.
Tomatoes trained to mature in a cage orgrow up a sturdy stakeproduce more available fruit than those that are allowed to straggle across the primer coat . pesterer and diseasesplague ground abode tomato plants . Sink a stake or tomato plant coop into the ground near the plant atplanting clip . As the plant grows , thread stems through the curtain raising in the cage or wed stems to the stake .
Mistake 7: Planting seedlings too close together.
Tomatoes plants , except forbush or terrace types , grow best when implant at least 3 foundation apart . Amplespace between tomato plantsallows for easy air period , which is all important for drying leafage apace after rainfall or morning time dew . Foliage that dries apace is less likely to succumb to disease .
Mistake 8: Planting in the same spot year after year.
Don’tgrow tomatoesin the same locating every yr . Many pests and diseases can outlast in the soil from one class to the next , plaguing the fresh crop . Experts urge prove a 3 - year harvest rotation for tomatoes and their close relatives — peppers , spud , andeggplants .
Another great manner to limit soil - give birth diseases is to take all tomato plant debris at the end of the season , especially if your tomatoes were infected with diseases . You ’ll reduce the chance of the disease popping up again next time of year by doing a thorough clean - up once your plants pass .
Mistake 9: Neglecting to harvest.
blistering weather can ripen and then moulder yield quickly . Rotten yield harbour pathogens that can distribute to nearby works and have trouble the follow growing season . Whentomatoes get to mature , plan to harvest daily . Take two harvest pails to the garden — one for ripe fruit and one for rotten fruit . forget no ripe or rotten fruit behind .
Credit: Brie Williams
Credit: GoodLifeStudio / Getty Images
