What's the secret to growing tomatoes?

[Lamb]

I'm trying to plan my garden in my head and I'd like to take a swing at growing tomatoes again. I've never had much luck with them and my plants only give off a few fruits so it's not worth the purchase of the plant.

What are some tips to help them thrive? I have no problems growing zucchini and other squashes.

 

[tango]

 

[Jazzy]

I have sandy soil where I live and plenty of wildlife that loves to eat plants (found that out the hard way). I now grow vegetables in pots on my back deck. Here's how I grow tomatoes:

 

[Stravinsk]

Oh, I haven't grown tomatoes for a while. But when I did:

- Grow them at the right time of year (unless you have a greenhouse)
- Magnesium salts help

Fruiting tomato plants need plenty of water of course. For fertilizer, you can buy it, if you want to spend the money. Or you can use urine, instead of flushing it down the toilet and wasting it. Just make sure to apply it to the soil, not the foliage, else it can burn and destroy the plants. I once grew an indoor plant to full size (it wasn't a tomato plant, but that doesn't matter) using no nutrients at all except my pee. Tomatoes, however, do need magnesium if your soil is lacking in it.

If you get a good harvest learn to make tomato sauce to keep in bottles, you'll need to heat treat them, but it lasts a good long while.

 

[Lamb]

I have sandy soil where I live and plenty of wildlife that loves to eat plants (found that out the hard way). I now grow vegetables in pots on my back deck. Here's how I grow tomatoes:

I tried that once too and we didn't get many. My neighbors get tons of them, so I know it's not the soil.

Oh, I haven't grown tomatoes for a while. But when I did:

- Grow them at the right time of year (unless you have a greenhouse)
- Magnesium salts help

Fruiting tomato plants need plenty of water of course. For fertilizer, you can buy it, if you want to spend the money. Or you can use urine, instead of flushing it down the toilet and wasting it. Just make sure to apply it to the soil, not the foliage, else it can burn and destroy the plants. I once grew an indoor plant to full size (it wasn't a tomato plant, but that doesn't matter) using no nutrients at all except my pee. Tomatoes, however, do need magnesium if your soil is lacking in it.

If you get a good harvest learn to make tomato sauce to keep in bottles, you'll need to heat treat them, but it lasts a good long while.

I make a great real Italian style tomato sauce!! It only took me 30 years to learn it properly It freezes really well.

 

[Jazzy]

@Lamb: Maybe you can ask your neighbor what their secret is.

 

[Lamb]

@Lamb: Maybe you can ask your neighbor what their secret is.

She doesn't know LOL

 

[Jazzy]

She doesn't know LOL

Buy a couple of tomato plants and have her grow tomatoes for you......problem solved. LOL

 

[Lamb]

Buy a couple of tomato plants and have her grow tomatoes for you......problem solved. LOL

I think that's an excellent idea!! She loves gardening and I do not. I just get amazing growth from my zucchini and yellow crooked squash without even trying.

 

[tango]

I think that's an excellent idea!! She loves gardening and I do not. I just get amazing growth from my zucchini and yellow crooked squash without even trying.

So get her to grow tomatoes and trade her surplus tomatoes for your surplus squash. Solve two problems at once.

 

[Lamb]

So get her to grow tomatoes and trade her surplus tomatoes for your surplus squash. Solve two problems at once.

That's probably the best plan for us!! I don't even have to try with my zucchini! I mean, I lay down the landscape fabric, put up a temporary fence with gate around the area, then cut out small circles where I want to grow the zucchini (3 - 5 feet apart), add Miracle Gro in a mound on top of the hole and stick in 5 seeds, cover and lay out the watering hose and I'm done. I water it daily and wait. The fabric stops the weeds so I don't have to worry about that!

 

[Lucian Hodoboc]

Why tomatoes of all things? Grow something you can't find at the store. Order some seeds of exotic trees from the internet and plant them. Grow some soursop and persimmon trees.

 

[Messy]

Why tomatoes of all things? Grow something you can't find at the store. Order some seeds of exotic trees from the internet and plant them. Grow some soursop and persimmon trees.

I have thought about buying a tomato plant, but I eat insane much tomatoes and I can barely keep a cactus alive. I tried growing dandelions for my rabbits, but even dandelions died.

 

[tango]

I have thought about buying a tomato plant, but I eat insane much tomatoes and I can barely keep a cactus alive. I tried growing dandelions for my rabbits, but even dandelions died.

If you managed to kill dandelions you should sell some tips. You could make a lot of money....

 

[Lamb]

Why tomatoes of all things? Grow something you can't find at the store. Order some seeds of exotic trees from the internet and plant them. Grow some soursop and persimmon trees.

I love to make homemade pasta sauce and it's easy to freeze so having all those tomatoes would be nice rather than paying for them at the store.

 

[prism]

Show them a bottle of Ketchup (a cheap brand is preferable) and remind them of their fate if they don’t behave.