Tomatoes is one of the common ingredients if you want to add palate to your dishes. Tomatoes are great when ripe or even not. Tomatoes can be eaten raw or pureed. Either way, tomatoes are one of the fruit vegetables worth cultivating.
During the growing season, most gardeners are itching to pick their very first tomato produce. The satisfaction of picking a large ripe organic tomato is rewarding. On a different note, tomatoes can be hard to grow especially living in areas with low temperatures. Tomatoes love the heat. They thrive better if there is an abundance of sunlight and a warm temperature. If you want your tomatoes to grow faster, here are some gardening tips:
Growing Tomatoes Faster Tips
Pick a Fast-Growing Tomato
Start with choosing a variety that significantly grows faster than others. The 4th of July tomato variety is one of the fastest-growing kinds. It can produce just after 49 days of cultivation while some take 80 to 90 days to mature. Thus, if you want to pick your own homegrown tomatoes, pick a variety that will bear produce faster. Check the labels and descriptions before buying.
Keep The Soil Warm
As was mentioned, tomatoes love warmth. Cold soil slows down their growth. You need to pull back your garden beds during early spring if it’s covered in the mulch so your tomatoes will have access to warmth from sunlight. Covering your garden bed with a clear plastic sheet will also help in adding warmth.
Harden Off Plants to Acclimate
Regardless of how you grew your tomatoes, you will need the process of hardening off to acclimate your tomatoes to the outdoor conditions. So, before you plant your tomatoes, set your seeds in the garden and put them in an area that is partly shaded without wind for few hours and take them in during the night. Do it repeatedly for ten days and gradually increase sun exposure as you progress.
Protect Your Young Plants from Cold and Wind
Young tomatoes are still very vulnerable to external factors that aren’t good for them. A temperature, around 50 degrees and cooler will diminish your plan’s growth and leave it fragile. Thus, most gardeners place their tomatoes on the side of the house where there is ample sun but not too harsh and some protection from wind and cold. It is essential to keep your young tomatoes in good condition so they will thrive better when they mature.
Wait For The Best Time To Mulch
When mulching, leave the soil bare with new transplants during your first month of cultivation. Then, it is important for you to allow the sun to penetrate or warm the soil. Then, upon the arrival of the summer season, apply a layer of straw, about 2 inches to help maintain the moisture.
Support Your Tomatoes
Tomato stems aren’t as robust as other foliages. When flopping stems and foliages shade a fruit, it significantly slows down its maturing period, hence, waiting for it to ripen will be much longer. To help your tomatoes, install a sturdy stick or cage to support your tomatoes to keep upright.
