Tomatoes are a favorite crop for many home gardeners, and even beginner gardeners can have success when growing their very first tomato plant. But if you really want to improve your tomato-growing skills and see bigger and better yields than ever before. Here are a few tips to secure a better crop.
Tomatoes love sun. At least 6 hours of full sun per day is ideal. But did you know they also need nutrient-dense soil with a particular focus on ample phosphorous? Of the big three plant macro-nutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K)], phosphorous is the one that encourages the development of sturdy roots and plenty of flowers and fruits. Gardeners who over-feed their tomatoes with high-nitrogen fertilizers have big, leafy green tomato plants with few flowers and fruits.
Another key practice for tomato disease suppression is to remove the bottom leaves of every tomato plant. Since the lowest leaves are closest to the soil, removing them means a reduced chance of fungal spore splash-up. I typically remove the leaves on the lowest 8 to 10 inches of plant stem, but some gardeners remove far more than that.
One of the biggest problems with tomatoes is blight and other molds. By giving enough space between your tomato plants when you plant your garden you will greatly reduce the mold and fungus problems in the garden.If you’re growing determinate (bush) tomatoes then you need to give them more space between the plants because they grow much bushier and you can’t prune them the same way as indeterminate tomatoes. For the best results plant determinate tomatoes 18 to 24 inches apart.
These are just a few tips we want to share in hoping you have a success in your own magnificent garden.
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