Tips to ensure great tomato harvest

Tomatoes are popular around the world and we all like to grow our own organic tomatoes if we can. Everyone wants to grow perfect tomatoes: firm, juicy, sweet and little spicy at the same time, with great aroma and free of cracks. Unfortunately, tomatoes are susceptible to all kinds of problems – more than any other vegetables. The trick to have a great harvest is to choose the right variety that will allow your plants to develop properly. You should also be ready to prevent various problems – before they actually develop.
Below we will give you some proven tips to make sure that you can enjoy a great tomato harvest.

Seeds need space!

If you are growing plants from seeds, then give them plenty of space. One plant per pot or small container. Pull out weaker and smaller seedlings to preserve the strong ones. Overcrowded pots will reduce growth and will create problems later. When you see the first set of true leaves, replant seedlings in large pots, flower pots (or other containers) with a diameter of at least 10 cm.

Sufficient light is important!

Tomato seedlings require plenty of direct light. Because you usually start growing seedlings on the windowsill in the spring, there should be enough direct sunlight for the first growing part.

Strong stems

In order for your tomatoes to develop resistance to light and form the strongest possible stems, you need to expose them to air flow.Well, if you grow tomatoes outside, the weather should take care of this, but if not, you need to provide some kind of air circulation. You can create a gentle breeze by turning on a fan for five minutes about twice a day.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Bury seedlings deep enough

If you bury the seedlings a little deeper than they were buried in pots (up to the top few leaves), plants will develop roots all the way up to the top of the soil and more roots make a stronger plant. To do so, you have two options: either dig a deep enough hole or dig a shallow hole and lay the plant on its side.The seedlings will quickly straighten up and grow towards the sun.

Use mulch to warm up the soil

Tomatoes love high temperature. Mulching is a great way to keep heat in the soil. Use mulch only if the soil is sufficiently warm (putting mulch on cold soil will make it hard to warm it up again). When temperatures are warm enough (both day and night) you can use mulch.Mulch also keeps the moisture in the soil and suppresses growth of weeds.

Preview photo: Pixabay