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Tomato is a popular vegetable that is great, for example, in salads. Of course it’s always better to grow your own tomatoes, which then taste better; however, the more demanding care can discourage gardeners. Yet it’s enough to avoid a few basic mistakes and we can look forward to a rich harvest. Whether you decide to grow tomatoes in the garden, on the balcony or on the windowsill, with these tricks you have almost a one-hundred-percent certainty that you will harvest tasty and healthy fruits.
Advice from a professional grower
Garden expert Helena Mattson has many years of experience with growing tomatoes. On her farm she cultivates everything year-round from flowers to fruit and vegetables. In addition, she writes about everything on her personal blog and Instagram account, and her growing successes have earned admiration from many other growers.
Tomatoes require a sunny spot protected from the wind. They like soil mixed with cow manure. Helena herself makes her own fertilizing mixture with water, comfrey leaves and nettle. She puts everything together into a large barrel with a lid so the mixture doesn’t smell throughout the garden. When fertilizing she uses one part nutrient to nine parts water.
Plants must have enough energy to produce fruit
Tomatoes must be fertilized all summer so that the fruits can ripen. It is also advisable to remove several lower leaves of the plant so that all the energy can be concentrated into the fruits. If the plant is too tall, shorten it just above the flowers so that the tomatoes that remain on the plant have time to ripen. Even so, you can expect a plentiful harvest.
Support tomato seedlings with a wooden stake so they don’t break. They should be fertilized once every fourteen days. Don’t forget prevention against pests and diseases. Among the most common diseases, tomatoes are attacked by late blight, which appears as irregular gray-green spots that gradually dry out. There are special products for treatment. Also watch out for overwatering, as the roots could rot.
