How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes

Part 2 – Where to Grow

Q. What is the ideal temperature for growing tomatoes?

A. Tomatoes are quite sensitive to temperature. They are particularly susceptible to frost at all growth stages, and can also suffer from scalding in hot conditions. The general rule of thumb is that minimum night temperatures should be below 27oC (80oF) and daily maximums above 18oC (64oF). Varieties differ in their sensitivity to temperature, which can affect pollination and growth of the tomato fruit. There are a number of varieties which do well in colder climates and some which have been specially bred for hot climates.

Q. Do tomatoes tolerate wind?

A. Yes, but with staked tomatoes you need to be careful, particularly when they are fruiting. There are ways to minimise damage to fruit in windy conditions.

Q. How do I prepare the soil?

A. Soil preparation is one of the most important activities you will need to do. Factors such as drainage, erosion, soil type, pH balance, moisture absorption, organic content and previous crop types all play a key role in getting the soil right. If your soil is not right for tomatoes, they will not grow very well and will be more prone to attracting disease. Preparing pots requires consideration of a different set of problems. If you intend using your garden soil you will need to add several ingredients to it and prepare the pot properly to ensure drainage is adequate and to minimise soil disease.

What is the best way to make clay soil suitable for growing tomatoes?	What are the six things you must do to your soil before planting?

Q. What is the ideal soil type for tomatoes?

A. Tomato roots are capable of penetrating several metres underground which means the soil should be prepared in advance to ensure this can happen. The bigger the root system, the healthier your tomatoes. There’s several things you can do to get your soil to the right consistency. Loamy, well drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5 is the ideal soil type. (See pages 16-19 of How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes for full details on how to prepare your soil properly so you grow the healthiest crop possible)

What do you need to add to garden or pot soil to make it ideal for growing healthy tomatoes?

Q. Will I need a greenhouse for germinating seeds?

A. No, however the temperature needs to be at least 10C (50F) for germination to have a chance. There are a number of excellent methods of raising seeds, and some important issues to consider with seedling mix and watering regimes.

There are many ways to plant seeds, however some are more successful than others

Q. How far apart should I plant seedlings?

A. This will depend on the variety chosen and how much room you have. Spacing is partly determined by plant support and pruning. Most people plant tomatoes too close together which generally reduces production. Unfortunately many gardeners lose plants as they don’t follow a few simple rules which means their young plants suffer transplant shock or older plants contract diseases which could have been avoided with better care at planting time.

Why is the seedling on the plant bigger and healthier than the one on the right?

Q. Where can you find detailed answers to these important Where To Grow questions?

A. In the most comprehensive book ever written about growing tomatoes called “How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes“. It was written by a Professional Horticultural Technical Advisor and provides fully illustrated pages of detailed information about where to grow tomatoes.

It contains comprehensive photos and information on:

• 6 important things you must do to your soil before planting tomatoes anywhere near it
• The secret ingredient that professionals dip the roots in to ensure tomatoes will thrive
• An innovative method of planting seedlings to ensure healthy root development
• How far apart to plant different types of tomatoes
• A step by step guide to maximising germination of seeds

But that’s only the beginning – there’s 80 pages of detailed information on

• What to Grow – you receive our database of 1300 varieties – so you have all the information you need to choose the right ones for your climate and needs
• How to Grow – including how to nourish and water correctly
• How to recognise and control the many diseases and pests
• When to pick and how to store
• How to collect seeds
• How to garden organically

And lots lots more . . . .

This “must have” compendium answers hundreds of questions that growers from all over the world ask every day.

It doesn’t matter if your getting ready to plant, or if your crop is at the fruiting stage – you will find the book extremely useful, as thousands of growers in 88 countries already have.