Tomato seeds are a little different from many other seeds in that they are encased in a gel covering that inhibits the seed from sprouting inside of the tomato. We could let nature take its course and let the tomato rot and ferment until it is completely dried out and grab the seeds that way but that just takes way too long. We are going to speed the process up immensely.

Before you even begin, if you are extracting seeds from multiple varieties at the same time, make sure you separate the tomatoes and the containers and label everything ahead of time. There’s nothing worse in this process than successfully drying all your seeds and then determining that you have no idea which seeds are which.

Obviously you want to choose your finest fruit to save for next year so you pass along the strongest genes. With a sharp knife, cut the tomato in half so that you have the blossom end on one side and the stem end on the other. Scoop the seeds into a clean bowl. Some varieties will display the seeds quite freely while others may require digging into the flesh a little more to get all the seeds.

You will now want to separate the seeds from the pulp. Pour some water into the bowl and make sure all the seeds and water are mixed together well. You only want to add enough water so that it is a gel like consistency and not mostly water. Now you can relax for awhile to let the fermentation process take place. To speed this up, find a warm place in your home. I use my sunroom and place the bowl on the windowsill to get the most heat. Cover the bowl with a paper towel, napkin or some other porous material to keep fruit flies and other pests away. One word of warning though is that with many fermenting processes, this is going to produce quite an odor so choose a place that is out of the way.

The fermentation process with vary in length of time depending on the amount of heat it receives. Begin checking it after day 2. You will want to see a layer of mold across the top of the liquid. When you see bubbles forming or when the entire bowl is covered in mold, you are ready to move on to the next step. Do not let the mixture sit longer than this as the gel has now been removed from the seeds and they may begin to germinate in these warm conditions.

Lift or scrape off the layer of mold and throw it away. Pour the remaining mixture into a mason jar and add some water. Put a lid on the jar and tighten it completely and shake the mixture for about 15 – 20 seconds. The good seeds will begin settling to the bottom while all the junk will rise to the top. Pour off as much of the junk as you can without the seeds coming out. If a lot of pulp remains, repeat this process again. Finally strain the seeds and rinse thoroughly under running water. Remove as much of the pulp as possible.

Next, spread the seeds out onto a ceramic or glass plate for final drying. I’ve also heard of people using coffee filters but have never tried that myself. Do not spread onto newspaper, paper towels or napkins as the remaining hints of pulp will dry and stick to this tender surface. Set the plate in a warm, dry location to dry out completely. Move the seeds around daily to help break down any clumps of seeds into singles. Drying usually takes up to 1 week.

When the seeds are completely dried out, collect them and pour then into an air tight container for storage. You can use zip lock bags or small air tight mason jars for storage. Store the containers in a cool, dry location. If properly dried, you can reasonably expect germination rates of around 50% for up to 7 or 8 years.

This is not the only way to extract and save tomato seeds but it is the way I was taught and I have had good success with it.

Developing the proper soil is at the very heart of organic gardening. Without the proper soil, your plants will never receive the nutrients they need and you will never attract the good insects and earthworms to help to continually break down your soil to create nutrients. You have everything you need all around you. When you mow the grass, save the grass clippings. When you rake the leaves in the fall, save them to be tilled in to your garden. When you eat fruits and vegetables, save the scraps to be composted. You can also resort to making a trip to the local compost facility and picking up a load of free compost to add to your base. Adding compost will help give your soil the kick start it needs.

Not all soils are equal though. You may have a heavy clay base or a very sandy soil. Simply adding compost to these soils may help but it won’t be the cure. Have your soil tested. You can do this yourself using a kit from a local garden center or you can contact a local cooperative that will do this for you. This will test to see what nutrients may be lacking and what the pH level of the soil is.

To keep weeds at bay, never use weed killers. Simply surround your plants with a heavy dose of organic material to keep the light from getting to the weeds which will either keep them from growing or really slow them down. My favorite method is to blanket the ground with wet newspaper and then cover the newspaper with a few inches of compost or mulch. This has a two-fold purpose of blocking weeds along with retaining moisture to keep the plant roots moist. Then when the growing season has ended, the paper will breakdown and can be tilled into the soil for next years crop.

Now what do we do with all those pests? Many gardeners tend to panic when they see an infestation of any kind of insect and their first reaction is to get to the local garden center for a pesticide and kill off all the insects immediately. Instead, closely observe the insects and see what they are doing. Are they eating away all the leaves and completely destroying it or are they just taking a few small bites from the leaves. Most plants can survive minor damage like this. Insects often target sickly plants so your first priority would be to keep your plants strong and healthy. Next, create a water source near your garden to entice the natural insect predators. Try to entice birds, frogs, lady bugs and the like to take up residence near your garden so they can feast on the pests. You can also flank your garden with flowers that have smaller blossoms that will attract other predatory insects to come and feast on your pests.

Other methods of keeping pests at bay would be incorporating sticky traps, netting or other coverings or plant collars to keep the pests away from your plants. If the pest invasion is swift and calls for quick, invasive action, then you can resort to other natural products that will not harm pets, wildlife or even humans. You can use hot pepper sprays to irritate the pests and garlic and some horticultural oils work well and sending the pests on their merry way.

So now that we know what to do with pests, how do we handle diseases? The best way is to not let the disease start. That’s a pretty lame answer but you can minimize disease by selecting varieties of tomatoes that resist disease. Look at the tag on the plant to find a disease resistant variety. Plant them in a sunny location and give them plenty of room for the air to circulate. Many diseases begin because the plants remain too moist after a rain and do not dry out quickly enough so fungus creeps in and begins to rear its ugly head. At the first sign of disease, remove the afflicted leaf or stem or even an entire plant, if needed, to try to keep the disease from spreading.

One of the goals of organic gardening is to build up nutrient rich soils so the plants are fed slowly through the natural decomposing that takes place. There may be times when an additional boost is needed and you can supplement feeding with natural liquid fertilizers which are derived from fish processing waste combined with other natural and organic matter.

Work hard to build up your nutrient rich soil which is the foundation for growing your completely organic tomato plants. Doing this will give you a great sense of accomplishment and pride knowing you are doing your part to preserve the environment.

We must be patient and wait on the perfect time to plant. Each area has what is called a frost free date which is the date that it is estimated that your area will no longer have a frost. As a general rule of thumb, the ideal time to move your tomato plants out to the garden is about three to four weeks after your areas frost free date. Be careful not to cheat this date. If you plant too early and you get a surprise frost, it will kill your entire tomato crop and you will have to tear them all out and start over again. On the other hand, if you wait too late, you will cut the tomato plants growing season short and it may not have enough time to produce an optimal crop for you. You will want to make sure that your ground temperature is at least 55 to 60 degrees before you plant.

When you are just about ready to plant, visit your local compost facility and get enough compost to cover your garden about three inches thick. Next, visit your local farm or garden center and get some calcium, which helps the roots absorb nutrients, and some blood and bone meal, which helps the tomato plants to get off to a quick and strong growth cycle. Get a rototiller and till the compost into your soil. Now you are ready to plant.

Take care to space your tomato plants out according to the instructions for your specific variety but if you are unsure, space them at least 2.5 feet apart so each plant will receive the proper sunlight and proper air circulation. Once your seedlings are at least six inches high and have produced at least four to five leaves they are ready to be transplanted to your garden. Harden the plants off for a period of one week by exposing them to a little more sunlight each day up to eight hours of direct sunlight. At this point they are ready for the harshness of the outdoors. Plant your tomato plants deep. Find the halfway point of your plant and bury the seedling to this point. You should only leave two or three of the top leaves of the plant exposed. This may sound odd, but the tomato plant has the ability to grow roots all along its main stem. This will produce a stronger root system providing better support for the heavy tomatoes later on. Water your seedlings thoroughly and fertilize them at this time to get them off on the right foot.

As soon as you get your seedlings planted, install your supports. You can use strings, trellises, stakes, cages or whatever else you can come up with to support the weight of the plant later when it is loaded with tomatoes. Do this now so that you eliminate any chance of puncturing the roots after they have had a chance to develop for awhile.

The next step is to install some weed control. Weeds are such a pain to deal with so why not take early measures to keep the weeds in check. The easiest and probably cheapest method is to use newspaper. Save up your newspapers and when you are ready, toss them in a large, outdoor garbage can or other large container and fill it with water. Leave the newspaper soak until completely saturated. Then pull them out and put them in your wheelbarrow or other cart and take them to the garden. Lay a nice, thick, generous layer of newspaper around your plants and cover them with a more conventional mulch or with more compost to keep them moist and in place. By doing this, you will be helping to keep the weeds at bay and keep the soil moist with a completely biodegradable, readily available product that will decompose and get mixed into the soil for next year.

Now the hard part is complete. Visit your tomato plants regularly, watching for any signs of pest or disease damage and checking the soil moisture often. Keep the soil moist but not wet. If you water too little, they will be starved for water. If you water too much, the ground will become saturated and the plants will be starved for air. Maintain a delicate balance. If you are the adventurous type you can also put this task on autopilot by installing a drip irrigation system. The key is consistency. Water a little each day just to keep the soil moist.

Remember to fertilize every three to four weeks to provide some added nutrients for proper growth.

Now sit back and relax and enjoy your relatively weed-free garden and watch the fruits of your labor take shape before your very eyes.

Pruning is the process gardeners use to rid the plant of leaves and branches that are no longer beneficial to the growing process. Pruning your tomato plants should always be done for a reason. Many novices get themselves into trouble because they tend to overdo it and trim away too much of the plant.

In the early stages of growth, the plant will vigorously produce branches and leaves which become crucial in a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is how the plant absorbs the energy from the sun through its leaves and converts it into sugars that make your tomatoes as sweet as can be. At this early stage we have no idea which branches will end up producing tomatoes. So early on the only pruning we need to do is to remove any “suckers” and any branches that contain leaves that have become damaged or have developed some other kind of condition that we want to keep from spreading to the rest of the plant. Suckers are the vertical growing branches that form in the joint of another branch and the main stem. They serve no purpose whatsoever and can be removed.

As the plant develops, it can produce very heavy foliage which can end up being detrimental to the plant itself. Tomato plants need lots of sunlight for optimum tomato growth. The plants can become so dense with foliage that the sun gets blocked from the inner leaves and branches. Another problem this creates is that after a rainfall, the leaves remain moist for a long period setting up prime conditions for fungus growth and disease. It is very important that the entire plant receives enough sunlight and that there is good air circulation to dry out the leaves quickly. That is why pruning is important during this intermediate growth phase.

Unfortunately this is the stage where many people tend to go overboard with their pruning. I do this second pruning when the tomatoes just begin to form. Just remember that we are not pruning to make the plant look good. We are pruning it to make it grow better. As hard as it is sometimes, do not get hung up on looks. If the branch has blossoms on it, leave it alone. These blossoms will turn into tomatoes eventually. You can prune away any stem that does not have blossoms but not too many. You do not want to cut away more than one third of the foliage because the leaves are still crucial to growth at this point.

Ok, so you have gone through your second pruning and now your tomatoes are all developing very nicely and you finally have your first red, ripe tomato. As soon as this happens, I like to prune one last time.

We do not need the plant using as much energy on producing leaves anymore but now focusing on the tomatoes themselves.

At this point you want to look at all the branches one by one. If you see any branches that have yellow blossoms on them, once again we want to leave those alone. Find all of the branches that do not have any blossoms on them. You can cut back one or two non-producing branches from each of the main branches growing out of the main stem. This will force the tomato plant to channel more of its energy into the tomatoes themselves.

Always make sure you use sharp cutters so as to minimize any damage to the tomato plant and make sure to make a good, clean cut right up against the main stem. Check your tomato plants regularly for any signs of stress, damage or disease so that these problem stems can be removed quickly to avoid any additional problems to the rest of the tomato plant.

Hydroponic gardening varies in its meaning. Some use liquid-only systems while others use aggregate systems which utilize an artificial medium such as vermiculite, rockwool, peat or others. When most people speak of hydroponic systems, they are referring to the liquid-only systems but ironically the most popular method for the home grower is the aggregate system. Most hydroponic systems are developed in the more moderate climates and are usually housed in greenhouses or other similar structures to control all of the necessary environmental factors and to reduce pests and diseases. Hydroponic systems are for the ambitious, curious and serious gardener.

Why would anyone want to consider going to all of this trouble to grow tomatoes hydroponically? Well, it certainly does have its benefits. As I already mentioned, this is not for the faint of heart. These serious growers realize the benefit of being able to grow tomatoes in an ideal environment. By doing this they can almost completely eliminate any and all disease or pest problems. There are no more problems with poor soil or drainage. The plants are kept at an ideal moisture level providing them with the ideal conditions which in turn will provide a maximum yield. Yes, it seems a little extreme to the average home grower but it certainly has its place.

Now along with all of these advantages come the obvious disadvantages. I am quite sure you have already figured out that this has to be much more expensive to implement and you are absolutely correct. Some academic establishments use hydroponics for testing, experimentation and research but generally speaking, commercial growers that implement these systems only produce high yield and economically profitable crops, like our beloved tomatoes.

Hydroponics is not new. Some reports I have read have traced greenhouse-type growing back to the 1600 – 1700’s while it would appear that hydroponics never got its real start until the early 1900’s. Hydroponic use has been intermittent all through the 1900’s but interest appears to be on the rise again.

If you haven’t been scared off yet and are still interested in trying hydroponics, we can now dig into how the home gardener can get started growing tomatoes hydroponically.

Believe it or not, there have actually been a few tomato varieties specifically developed for hydroponics. These varieties include Perfecto, Dombito, Apollo, Belmondo and Caruso to name a few. They are all classified as indeterminate but are more expensive than their earthbound cousins. If cost is an issue you can also try cherry, cocktail or trust varieties as well. You will want to choose a variety that is bred for indoor or greenhouse growing.

For the novice grower a liquid or drip system with automatic pump is recommended. You can use either an open or closed system. An open (or non-recovery) system delivers the nutrient solution to the roots but is not reused. A closed (or recovery) system delivers the nutrient solution to the roots and the excess is collected, recycled and reused again. A closed system is recommended to minimize waste but you will need to monitor the pH level closely to maintain a level between 6 and 6.5.

There are several choices of hydroponic growing medium but I would recommend using rockwool as it is a favorite of many serious hydroponic tomato growers. To hone your hydroponic skills, start your plants from seeds using a rockwool cube system. These cubes come in various sizes and are designed so that a starter cube can be placed into a larger cube thereby eliminating transplant shock. Sow your seeds about 1/4” deep and sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite over top of the seeds to conserve moisture at the surface. If you don’t have vermiculite you can also cover with a thin sheet of clear plastic but only do this if the seeds are not exposed to direct sunlight. Otherwise the heat would be too great for good germination. If you use plastic, remove it as soon as you see any signs of life. Germination should occur within one week. Once true leaves appear, they are ready to be transferred to a larger growing block. You will need to transplant to your final growing medium before any flowering occurs. Make sure to completely moisten the growing medium before you transplant and then irrigate the plants with your nutrient solution immediately.

Space your plants in a minimum two square foot area with four square feet being recommended. As your plants continue to grow, you will need to begin training them up support strings. These vertical strings will be hung from horizontal support wires that are attached to the greenhouse or other strong framing system. These wires must be capable of holding the weight of all the plants you intend to support with it. Depending on the variety you are growing, each plant could weight as much as 20 to 30 pounds with fruit. Attach the string to the base of the stem about an inch above the growing medium and twist the string around the tomato plant a few times to begin training.

Some things to remember as you go are: 1) Ideal humidity should be between 65 and 75% at night and 80 to 90% during the day; 2) Good circulation is necessary to remove any gas buildup and for proper heating and cooling; and 3) Generally speaking, day time temperatures should be 70° – 80° F and night time temperatures should be 61° to 65° F but check with your seed company as some newer varieties can grow with little difference in temperature.

Growing hydroponic tomatoes definitely takes more effort than the traditional methods. You need to monitor the complete environmental scope on a daily basis making sure that the nutrients are properly reaching the plants roots and pH levels are admirable. You must maintain proper air temperatures, air circulation and humidity at all times. This sounds like a lot of work and it is but the biggest benefit that many hydroponic growers give is the fact that you are growing the most natural, organic and fresh tomatoes available anywhere and the yield and taste will be like nothing you have ever experienced before.

I first saw this method used many years ago during an annual trip to my grandmother’s house in Florida.  She had used an old 5 gallon paint bucket that was given to her by a neighbor.  She had simply drilled a hole in the bottom and planted the tomato plant upside down.  When I asked her why she did this her reply was simple.  She was all alone so she didn’t need any more tomatoes than one plant could provide her and she grew the plant upside down so it would have plenty of space to grow instead of growing into the ceiling above the bucket.  It made perfect sense but it wasn’t until many years later that I ever attempted this myself.

Some people have said that by growing tomatoes upside down that they have been able to yield more tomatoes than by the traditional method of outdoor gardening. The reasoning is that by doing this, the plant’s stems undergo less stress because they are allowed to grow wherever they want to allowing gravity to play a major role, thus eliminating the need for stakes and cages.  I have never been able to prove this claim myself but I guess it doesn’t really matter anyway.  If it works for them then proving this claim is really irrelevant, right?

If you don’t like the look of the 5 gallon bucket then by all means, choose another pot of similar size that is more pleasing to your eye.  Some things to consider when selecting your pot are to make sure that the pot is large enough to support the size of the tomato plant you are growing.  You also want to make doubly sure that the hanging support system of the pot will support the weight of the pot considering the weight of the soil, the water and the plant itself when it is fully loaded with tomatoes.  The last thing we typically concern ourselves with when talking about pots is to make sure it has proper drainage.  Since we are growing the tomato plants upside in this case and have already cut a hole in the bottom of the container for the plant to grow through, then this is not a concern this time. 

So now that you have your container selected, drill a two inch hole centered in the bottom of the container. You can do this easily by purchasing a two inch hole saw cutter for your drill at any local home improvement or hardware store.

Now find two outdoor patio chairs or two saw horses and put them together and set the bucket right side up on top of them so that the bottom is exposed.  Mix up your potting soil mixture with some vermiculite and sphagnum peat moss to make the mix, light and airy and begin to pour it into around the sides leaving the center hole exposed for the plant.  Take your seedling out of its container, leaving the dirt around the roots, turn it upside down and gently position it through the hole in the bottom of the container until about half of the plant is sticking out the bottom.  Wrap a couple of paper towels gently around the main stem to help seal the hole so dirt remains in the bucket where it belongs.  Then pack some peat moss firmly around the paper towels as well.  Continue holding the seedling so that only half the plant is exposed and begin moving the soil in around the roots, securing the plant into its final position.  Pack the soil in gently to make sure the roots will make good contact with the soil.  Fill the bottom of the container with about four inches of soil, then water it slowly until the water begins running out the bottom. This way you are assured your roots get a good first watering.  You can place another bucket underneath to catch the runoff if you are in a location that you do not want to get wet. Once you are sure that the plant is firmly situated, begin pouring in the rest of your soil mixture until it reaches about 3 inches to the top of the bucket.  Again, water slowly until water begins running out of the hole in the bottom.

You are now ready to hang the container in a location that will receive at least 8 hours of sunlight daily and can also support the weight of the container.  If you wish, you can also cover the top of your container to keep the sun from hitting it which will help retain the moisture in the bucket. This will also protect your planter from any heavy rains that may blow through.  You may need to add some potting soil once the soil compacts a little from the watering.

Continue to check the soil often and water and fertilize as necessary.  It won’t be long until you see your plant blossoming and then producing fruit.  You will be enjoying your very own, fresh tasting tomatoes in no time.

Well I’m here to tell you that growing a tomato garden is very simple. All you need is the right information.  Please do not let yourself be scared off with all of the technical information that says you have to have a soil pH of precisely 7.5 or that you have to fertilize your seedlings exactly 15 days after planting them. Look at it this way…millions of people each year successfully grow tomatoes each year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown by home gardeners each year.  If it were difficult, this certainly would not be the case. Let’s break it down.

So, why do gardeners grow so many tomatoes?  Well, if you asked ten different gardeners you could quite possibly get ten different answers.  Some of the answers would undoubtedly be, 1) Good taste. Home-grown tomatoes taste so much better than the store bought varieties; 2) They are very good for your health. A single cup of tomatoes provides 50% of the U.S. RDA of vitamin C and about 25% of vitamin A. More than likely you have heard that tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant, lycopene, which according to the American Cancer Society, is helpful in fighting cancer of the prostate, lungs, stomach, skin and other organs, but most notably the prostate; 3) They are easy to grow.

If you can provide a location either indoors or out that can provide your tomato garden at least 7 to 8 hours of sunlight each day, then you have enough to get started growing your tomato plants. Everything else is simple.  Grow your tomatoes in a mixture of organic potting soil, vermiculite, sphagnum peat moss and perlite which can all be obtained at any home and garden center.  Whether you grow your plants from seeds or purchase seedlings at a nursery, plant them after all danger of frost is past.  Tomato plants will not tolerate frost at all.  Stake or cage the plants to support the main stem and the tomatoes themselves.  Water your plants regularly, keeping the soil moist at all times. Those are the basics.  Honestly. That’s all there is to it.  If you can provide these things, then you can grow tomatoes.  All of the other technical details, such as attaining the perfect pH levels or the proper time to fertilize or properly pruning your plants or fighting disease and pests will all help you in growing bigger and more plentiful tomatoes but you can easily get started with just the basics.

So what’s stopping you from getting started right now?  Is it the time of year? In most locations you can plant outdoors in April, May, June or July.  Really you can plant in all of them to stagger your crops so you are harvesting for a longer period of time and not all at once.  If you live in southern climates, you can even plant later than that to achieve an almost year-round outdoor harvest.  Even if you live in the most northern climates, that’s ok. You can easily grow your tomatoes indoors in containers with either natural sunlight or by using artificial grow lights.

I’m hoping that by now you are starting to get the picture.  No matter what the excuses have been to this point, there really is no reason why you cannot grow your own tomatoes. Even if you live in a one room apartment you can make room for a single pot and provide light for it.

Once you have tried growing your own tomatoes one time and compare the taste to the store bought varieties, you will be hooked for life.

Wouldn’t you love to enjoy the fresh taste of your own home-grown tomatoes all year long?  Actually you can do this and it is quite simple to set up. You just need to know how.  Let’s walk through it.

Choose the right variety.  You will need to do some research and put some thought behind which variety you plan on growing indoors. Choose a variety that likes being grown in containers and one that suits your style or taste.  Some smaller recommended varieties are Tiny Tim, Toy Boy, Patio or Small Fry. There are others as well but these varieties will produce small plants, but they still may need to be staked, especially when they begin to bear fruit.

Tomato plants in smaller pots grown on a window sill will be smaller than their outdoor counterparts but the taste will be every bit as good, provided you use the correct soil mix and care for them properly.  If you choose larger pots, such as a 5 gallon paint bucket, then the roots will be allowed to grow a larger, stronger plant that will be able to yield larger tomatoes. The choice is entirely up to you.  If you decide to use a smaller 6 inch pot, you will only want to plant a single seedling in this pot to give it ample room to grow.  If you choose to go with a larger pot, you could plant 2 seedlings in it if space or number or pots is limited.

To get you through the winter, stagger your sowing about 2 weeks apart. You will need to use the proper soil. You can use most soils found at your local home and garden center marked for vegetable growing but the ideal growing medium is a mixture of potting soil, vermiculite, perlite and sphagnum peat moss.  To start your seeds, get yourself a flat tray with a clear lid.  Mix up your potting soil mixture and line the tray about one inch thick. Sow your seeds about one to two inches apart covering them with your soil mixture between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.  Water the seedlings and continue to keep them moist. You can use a sprayer or a small aerated watering can will do just as well. Place the clear cover over the tray and place the tray in a warm, sunny location like a windowsill. Your seedlings should begin appearing in about one week.

Transplant your seedlings into their winter pots when seedlings are about 5 to 6 inches high. Fertilize your seedlings occasionally with the first application two weeks after transplanting. Water your plants enough to keep them moist but not too wet.

When the tomato plants begin to bloom, you can help them with pollination. Simply tap the plant gently being careful not to break any of the smaller branches.  By doing this, you’ll dislodge the pollen from the blossoms and send it airborne. This pollen cloud will hopefully move to other blossoms aiding in the pollination process.

If you are not using grow lights and you have your plants on windowsills or other sunny location, turn your plants once in awhile which will keep the plant growing straight up. Once the plant no longer yields fruit, you can remove it from the pot leaving the potting soil behind for the next plant.

Since you have staggered your seeding process, you will be enjoying your own organically grown, fresh and tasty tomatoes all winter long.

Choosing the correct variety of tomato plant is essential in growing tomatoes indoors. So I always do this as a first step. You want to select a species that doesn’t grow too large or you’ll need much larger pots to plant these in. If you are going to grow your tomatoes from seeds, check the description on the seed package and it will sometimes mention being able to be grown indoors or in a container or sunroom, etc.  If you will grow them from seedlings, check with the nursery about which can be grown indoors.  I try to stay away from giving recommendations here as I feel doing this research is very important for the grower to find the variety that exactly matches their needs.

Your geographic location and the time of year could play a large part into where you select as your growing location for your tomato plants.  For instance, if you live in a more southern climate in the United States, then you have access to ample sunlight all year round to possibly grow your plants in a sunroom or other area with access to the sun.  If you live in a more northern climate, such as Alaska, and you are growing your plants through the winter, then you won’t have access to enough sun light to successfully grow your plants using this natural light source.  Some people have success growing tomatoes indoors using the sun’s natural light but others do not.  For this reason, you may need to find an unfinished section of your basement or other area in your house to set up specifically for your indoor garden using artificial lighting.

The big three you need to remember when growing tomato plants is moisture, heat and light. Tomato plants require moist soil. This is not difficult to do.  On average you will need to water your tomato plants about an inch of water per week once they have been transplanted into their larger pots. Make sure the pot has a hole in the bottom for proper drainage and to eliminate the chance for water to accumulate on the bottom which leads to root rot.  Use the proper soil. The ideal growing soil is an equal mixture of sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and perlite.  I use compacted peat moss for my starter seeds which helps to germinate the seeds in less than half the time as normal potting soil.  Next is heat. Seeds germinate best around 80 degrees.  After that, you can scale back to day time temperatures of around 75 degrees and a night time temperature of 65 degrees. The last of the big three is lighting. You will read and hear varying reports on this but I like to simulate the outdoors as much as possible so I typically provide 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness which works well for me. Naturally you can experiment with this to find what is right for you.  If you choose to alternate light and dark, incorporate a timer to automate this process.

Growing tomatoes indoors can be very beneficial. If you live in an apartment, condominium, townhouse or other living situation that does not afford you the necessary outdoor space, you now have another option.  Another benefit is that when you grow tomato plants indoors, weeds and pests are less likely to invade your space so you can focus your energy on caring for your plants. Probably the biggest benefit of all is the peace of mind you will get from growing your own organic tomatoes that will taste so much better than anything you could buy at a store.

Did you know that there are over 7000 varieties of tomatoes?  While that may seem a little overwhelming, it is actually good news because with all of the different varieties to choose from, there is no doubt that your needs can be met.  You may want to try the big, juicy Beefsteak tomatoes if you’re looking to make sauces or salsas.  On the other hand, if you’re looking for more of the bite-sized variety for a salad or vegetable tray then you will want to try one of the many cherry tomato varieties. Whatever your pleasure, there is no doubt that you can soon be harvesting plenty of tomatoes during the next harvesting season.

Tomato plants are a bit sensitive in that they cannot tolerate frost. In fact, tomato plants should not be planted until nighttime temperatures are consistently over 55 – 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  They will thrive when daytime temperatures are between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  Because of this planting limitation, many people target Memorial Day in the United States as the latest that they will transplant tomato plants to their outdoor garden.

When planting your tomato plants, take great care not to plant them too closely together. The spacing should be about 18 to 36 inches apart but this will vary greatly since there are so many different varieties and sizes so there is no hard and fast rule here.  By spacing the plants out you will maximize the sun intake to all parts of all the plants.  You will also help to ensure that if one plant has the misfortune of becoming diseased or pest infested that it will not share this misfortune with other plants.  If you are growing tomatoes of the climbing kind then you will need to space them out even further so that you can incorporate cages or a trellis system which will help to support your plants and keep the tomatoes from reaching the ground and rotting.

Obviously watering the tomato plants is a crucial component to developing strong, healthy tomatoes.  Care should be taken to water the plants regularly when no rain is present. The soil around the tomato plants should be a mixture of potting compost and sphagnum peat moss and needs to be kept moist.  You will also want to stay current on the pruning by removing the suckers and other non-fruit bearing branches.  Suckers develop in the joint of two branches. They don’t bear any fruit and they basically just “suck” the energy away from the rest of the plant and the tomatoes themselves.  Be careful not to remove too many leaves though as these leaves handle the photosynthesis process and produces sugar for the tomatoes.

Growing tomato plants is a very rewarding hobby and should be included in any outdoor vegetable garden.  The satisfaction you will get from growing your own tomato plants will be second to none.  You will save money buy growing your own tomatoes and will receive much better tasting tomatoes than if you were to buy them in a store.