How To Grow Tomato Plants In Spring

If your want to grow tomato plants! in your garden, then spring is one of the best times to get stared. Why? Because tomatoes need a lengthy growing season to produce a good crop.

Now you may be thinking the weather is too cold to grow tomato plants in the ground. That may be true if you live in the Northern United States. Nevertheless you should start as early in spring as you can so your tomato plants have time to mature.

So what do you do if it’s still freezing outside?

You start your tomato plants in pots within the warmth and protection of your home. You can begin your plants in late January or early February. By them at starting at his time of year you’ll get a head start on spring and a longer growing period, which means a larger tomato crop.

Choosing the best tomato seeds

As you properly know many varieties of tomato plants are available. So you want to begin by choosing a seed from a variety you enjoy eating. The type you choose will decide when and where you plant the seeds.

There are two main groups of tomatoes you can choose from. You have indoor and outdoor varieties. Another point to consider is whether you prefer small, medium or large tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes are a small variety known to weigh down its vines with many tomatoes.

The beefsteak variety is a large sized tomato often sliced and used on sandwiches.So what is the best way to grow tomato plants?

A preferred method is to start them in flats. (A flat is just another name for a seed tray) A peat-based compost is often best for sowing seeds.

Fill your pots with compost and press down lightly. But don’t over compact it, the roots will develop better is the soil is left loose. Once you completed this step spread the seeds on top of the compost.

Then what you want to do is cover them up with a light layer of vermiculite. This material adds a layer of protection while holding in moister to assist in the germination of seeds. What you want to do next is place the flat somewhere warm. A bright windowsill or sunroom will work well.

You may also want to place a plastic cover over the flat to give it a greenhouse - like climate. A heat pad place under the flat can speed up and increase the number of seeds that germinate.

After the first signs of germination, remove them from the heat and allow them to grow until they no longer fit in their original pot.

At this point transplant them into a larger growing container. Or you can plant them in the ground outside if the weather and soil permits you to do so.

If you’d like to grow tomato plants that produce a larger tomato crop, these guidelines can help. Simply put, more growing time means a larger crop of tomatoes. So go ahead and give it shot now, before spring has passed on by.

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