You can't beat fresh tomatoes from your own garden. The following tips and tricks are helpful in growing paradise apples correctly in beds, greenhouses and containers.
How to grow tomatoes correctly?
To grow tomatoes successfully, you should sow the seeds in potting soil, let them germinate at 20-24°C, prick out, place in a bright location at 16-18°C, plant outdoors from mid-May, and water regularly, fertilize and mulch, as well as remove (prune out) unnecessary side shoots.
How to sow successfully
The timing and temperature are of fundamental importance for the successful cultivation of tomatoes. Other factors come into play here so that the sensitive tomato plants start the outdoor season well prepared. How to sow tomato seeds correctly:
- Soak seeds for a few hours in chamomile tea, garlic broth or warm water
- Fill seed pots with peat sand, potting soil or coconut fiber
- Spread tomato seeds 3 centimeters apart
- screen the light germs a maximum of 0.5 centimeters
- Press lightly and wet with a fine shower gel
- ideally cover with foil or a glass lid
An exemplary germination temperature of 20-24 degrees Celsius attracts the tender cotyledons within 10-14 days. Meanwhile, seeds and substrate must not dry out or become wet.
Seedlings don't feel like getting horny here
After germination, tomato plants grow rapidly. Within a few days, additional pairs of leaves will flourish, so the seedlings should now be urgently transplanted. The following lines reveal how to properly prick out and effectively prevent the young shoots from rotting:
- fill half of the emaciated vegetable soil or growing substrate into 9 cm pots
- Previously create a drainage made of pebbles or grit over the floor opening to prevent waterlogging
- press a depression in the middle of the substrate
- lift out a strong seedling with the pricking rod
- insert into the small hollow with a steady hand
- fill the remaining soil up to the cotyledons, press firmly and moisten
So that the young plants do not send out their shoots in fear in search of light, the location comes into focus. At cooler temperatures of 16-18 degrees Celsius, it should be really bright. In this way, the tomato plants develop the desired compact, stocky habit and show no interest in rotting growth.
Planting correctly in beds and pots
The outdoor season for heat-loving tomato plants starts in mid-May at the earliest. The only possible location is sunny locations, both in the bed, in the greenhouse and on the balcony. The soil is nutrient-rich, humic, permeable and fresh. Nutritious vegetable soil can be used as a substrate for the planter. Additionally enrich the soil with compost and horn shavings or another organic fertilizer.
Rain protection is essential because otherwise the risk of late blight increases. You can plant individual tomatoes under a special hood or you can simply build a small tomato house yourself. Don't forget to provide your tomato plants with a climbing aid. The innovative spiral rods (€29.00 on Amazon) are really practical, and some varieties don't even need to be attached to them. Do not plant more than three plants per square meter.
The be-all and end-all of tomato cultivation: professional care
If the excitement surrounding planting in the garden is well over, growing tomatoes now enters the constant care protocol. Everything revolves around the following works:
- water thoroughly during the first 3 days
- then keep the soil evenly moist
- Never water tomato plants over flowers and leaves
- the substrate surface should dry between waterings
- fertilize every 14 days outdoors from the second week onwards
- preferably incorporate compost or add nettle manure
- use special tomato liquid fertilizer in the pot
The targeted distribution of rich mulching material is of the greatest value for vital growth. Mulching properly also protects the tomato plants from the dreaded brown rot. Spread nettle leaves, dried tomato leaves or wilted grass clippings on the ground. There is a layer of straw on top to minimize splashing water during watering. The layer must not be higher than 3 centimeters.
Picture correctly - this is how the fruits become plump and large
If you want to harvest a lot of small cherry tomatoes, you can save yourself the hassle. All other hobby gardeners cannot avoid this maintenance work. The finding is based on the fact that tomato plants want to branch profusely. This costs them so much energy that they no longer have any reserves for producing magnificent fruits. To ensure that they are stingy with their energy, unnecessary side shoots are removed. Here's how to do it correctly:
- Pinch out small shoots in the leaf axils with your fingers
- ideally remove at a height of 3-5 centimeters
- prune tomato plants several times a week from May until harvest
Tips & Tricks
Growing your own tomatoes is the ideal way to slim down. The daily journey to the plants and the care work consumes a lot of calories. If the freshly harvested fruits are served on the table every day with a p altry 18 calories per 100 grams, the pounds will fall off by themselves.
