Growing Tomatoes: 5 Success Tips by ‘Uncle Mike’ Mahoney

Growing Tomatoes: 5 Success Tips by ‘Uncle Mike’ Mahoney

 Perhaps you noticed my earlier ‘Tomatomania’ blog that lists a few of my favorite varieties? Fact is there are hundreds of varieties – which you choose is totally personal. Fortunately how to grow them is pretty much the same regardless the variety. Here are a few tips I learned over the years that can make the difference between a so-so crop and a garden filled with juicy bee-uuu-tee-ful tomatoes:

 #1 Location. Location. Location.

 Tomatoes need a minimum of 5 hours of direct sunlight. If you don't got that, you're going to be disappointed. If you don't have such a spot, or if you don't even have a garden, one trick is to plant in a container on wheels, and roll the thing around to catch the sun. (Yeah, people actually do that). Either way, when you plant don't crowd – it reduces your yield and makes plants more prone to disease.

 #2 Good Dirt Produces Good Gardens.

Good soil is the foundation of your garden. To determine how good your soil is, dig a hole and get your hands in the dirt. If it's a rich dark loamy soil, then you're lucky and you don't need to do much. Make sure it is loose; ideally you should be able to work the soil easily with your tools or even your hands. If it's dense or heavy add some lobster compost to lighten it up. A little peat moss is good, too. Or if you're not so lucky and your soil is packed clay or a pile of sand, you'll still want to add compost and peat moss – you may just need a lot more. If it's really, really bad soil you may want to completely replace it with compost.

#3 Feed Your Garden.

Compost is great, but it doesn't have the nutrients your plants will need for the entire season. I like to add a good quality organic fertilizer such as Tomato-tone. Add some when you first plant, and twice a month throughout the growing season. You will notice a HUGE jump in productivity.

 #4 Mulch and Water Go Hand in Hand.

After you're done planting spread some mulch around each plant. I like to use hay but any mulch will help retain moisture in the soil and keep weeds down. Watering must be done when Mother Nature doesn't do it for you. Most veggies need about 1-2 inches of water a week. If they're not getting it they will usually tell you by wilting a bit. Don't let them go too dry as this slows production and quality of the yield.

 #5 An ounce of prevention…

While tomatoes aren't hard to grow they can be vulnerable to insects, fungus and disease. The best idea is to address the problem ahead of the curve – it's easier and more effective. My preference is a neat product called Tomato & Vegetable 3 in 1 by Bonide. It deals with all 3 issues. It's really easy to use; just spray it directly on the plant. It not only prevents and controls fungus and disease, it also kills insects and their eggs – so they don't pop up again later. Best of all it's a water-based organic solution so you can use it up to the day of harvest.

 Well there you go: 5 easy tips to tomato heaven. All that's left is to enjoy yourself – don't forget you're supposed to be having fun. Good luck and we're here to help you along the way if you need it.