With the last frost drawing ever closer, now is really a great time to have your plants in pots ready for summer. One of the fruits I’m most frequently asked about when people want to start gardening is the tomato; versatile enough to suit dishes throughout the world and adaptable enough to grow anywhere. I’m going with cherry tomatoes this year because I absolutely adore them with sweet pepper in raw salads, but everything in this post is true for all forms.
The Germination Phase
For the initial stage, a great tip I have learned is to plant the seed right down at the bottom of the pot with very little soil. As long as it has enough room to stretch out and put down the initial roots, you’ll be fine, so I’d say about 2 inches will do.
From there, as the tomato grows upwards, keep adding soil to the level of the bottom of the lowest leaves. If you can have it so that the tip of the leaf is covered (to hold it down) and the rest is free, that’s fantastic. Essentially, what this does is provide a great root network for the plant, which will give it the best possible start for when it gets outside to put out some fruit.
Tomatoes are one of those wonderful plants that will put out roots from anything that touches the ground, so after you’ve filled it up 3 or 4 times, you’ll have a considerable amount more than if you’d grown it regularly.
The Growing Phase
Linked to the last tip, pick off the first wave of flowers and allow your plant to hit at least 1 foot in height before you leave it to develop fruit. Although this may seem a little counter-intuitive, what you’re doing here is forcing the plant to develop a rich root system before devoting its energy to putting out lots of fruit.
You should also snip the suckers (the shoots that grow near the base of the stem) off as close to the stem as possible, which will only do more to promote stronger growth and help harden it off.
