growing tomato's?

Question

i got a tomato growing kit and it came with the pot soil seeds and fertalizer but no istructions i know what to do i am not stupid but i would love some real advice like how much water and where to keep them that sort of thing thanks

Answer 1

Just be sure to keep them moist, not wet. Put them in a pretty warm area where they Will get plenty of sun light during the day. If you are starting your seeds indoors and don't have sufficient natural light, get a heat lamp. They need at least a half of a day of light. Also, if you can put a clear container over the pots, this will simulate a green house and they should produce their own moisture after you water them the first time. But, you will still need to check the moisture from time to time. Once the seedlings start to emerge take the clear containers off of the top of them. If you are starting your seeds out side, make sure it is warm enough.

Answer 2

I always buy tomato seedlings from a nursery. WalMart should have one in their parking lot. Tomatoes love lots of sun. So plant them in a sunny place - no shade at all. Water your garden well - like every evening or every other evening or morning. Plants love the watering. 32 degrees will kill a tomato plant. I found out two years ago.

One very good way to start seeds is to lay a napkin on a plate, place the seeds on the napkin, fold it or cover it with another napkin. Then, wet the napkins, and put it in the window sill or some place in the kitchen. Give the plate a good soaking at first, and then keep going back and wetting it every couple of hours. They will sprout in a few days, and then you put them under a thin layer of dirt in your seeding kit.

I tried some seeds in a potting kit a couple of years ago without any luck. This year, I put two lights about 6-12 inches above it. I also have a clear lid/ dome to cover the potting kit. It heats it up real well, and a lot of condensation forms inside the lid - like a greenhouse. 7 of 12 tomato seeds came up. I should have planted 3 or 4 seeds per container (about 3" square) instead of 2 seeds. Only 7 of 24 watermelon seeds came up. These results are much better than I had a couple of years ago. Hardly none came up then. I credit the light that I rigged above the seed kit.

I also put some seeds on a plant just a day ago and am waiting on them.

When fertilizing young seedlings, use half strength or less. It doesn't take much at all. Too much will kill them.

I want you to check out this gardening bench made to start seedlings. It may give you some ideas.
http://www.ronhazelton.com/howto/gardening_bench.htm

Right in the middle of the opening page at Farmer's Almanac is a link to Seed Starting 101:
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/

Here's what it says:
1. Decide what you want to grow and buy quality seeds.

2. Get a good potting “soil”.

3. Find containers for growing seeds that have good drainage.

4. Fill the container with the potting mix and moisten it well.

5. Plant the seeds making sure not to overcrowd them.

6. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil (approximately twice the thickness of the seed).

7. Place a cover over the containers to create a “mini greenhouse”.

8. Place the containers in a warm place where the soil will stay between 65 and 75 degrees.

9. Check the seeds daily for moisture and signs of germination. Patience is important here.

10. Remove the cover from the containers when the seeds start germinating.

11. Move the containers to a spot where the seedlings will ideally receive between 12 and 16 hours of sunlight.

12. In approximately one week start to feed the seedlings with a fertilizer that is diluted to about ¼ strength.

13. Monitor the seedlings for water and signs of problems.

Answer 3

I agree with the first person to an extent.

Keep the soil moist but not wet. Plant 2-3 seeds slot. If more than one grows the slot, pull the extra one out not long after they sprout. Till they sprout keep them in a warm place like atop the back of your refrigerator, you don't want or need sunlight till they sprout. Keep them in a sunny place like in front of a south facing window after they have sprouted. If you don't have any sunny areas, don't use a heat lamp. A heat lamp will probably get too hot. Instead, use a flourescent shop light and hang over the tray. They need about 16 hours of light a day. Don't put any plastic hoods over them, it will keep the air too moist.

I normally like to just get the plants. Most all of the so called garden experts say to get the short stalky tomato plants, but I totally disagree. I always like to get the tall young plants. I prefer to get a younger plant (around 8" tall) instead of the more mature ones that are over a foot tall. The more mature ones don't seem to grow as well. The reason why I get a tall young plant is because I plant them differently than what the "expert" gardeners do. The experts will tell you to plant them in the ground up to the top of the potting soil. I on the other hand will create a trench or will dig the hole a little deeper for the tall young ones. For the trench I lay the plant on its side then angle the last part up so that the portion sticking out of the ground is about as tall as the short ones would be if planted to the top of the potting soil. If any of the leaves on the tall plant fall below the ground level, I just pluck them off.

The reason why I plant my tomatoes like this is because if you look on the tomato plant near the base of the stem you will see little nodules. Those little nodules, if planted in the dirt, will become roots. So by planting the tomatoes the way I do, I start with the same size of plant above the dirt, but my plants will have about twice the size of root system than the experts plants will. And the better that the root system is, the better your plant will grow.

Answer 4

First of all, wet your soil and put in the seeds. If you have cubes, about 2 to 3 seeds a cube. If you kit has a cover, after you plant the seeds and water, cover the container. Do not put in sunlight until seedlings have sprouted. Keep the container in a warm place (I use the top of my refrigerator) until the seeds sprout. Once the seeds have sprouted, remove the cover. If you leave the cover on, the plants will develop a dieases called "damping off" and will fall over and die. Thin the seedlings so that one plant remains per square inch or per cube. Not thinning makes seedlings compete with each other and inhibits growth. Once you have sprouts, now you put the container in sunlight. Indoor seedlings need as close to 16 hours of sunshine that you can get. You may need a supplemental grow light if you cant provide this much sunlight. Water seedlings but do not overwater. Tomatoes dont like wet feet so keep the seedlings watered but not to the point of damp. Happy growing. Tomatoes should be started about six weeks before the outside is amenable to planting. When your plants are near to the time of going into the garden, you will have to "harden off" the plants. You do this by taking them outside and putting in sunny, as windfree as possible, environment. Increase the amount of time each day that you leave them out. The plants need a gradual introduction to the outdoors. Hope you have great tomatoes.

Answer 5

We usually buy the plants already started from the nursery. We transplant them into a sunny location in the yard and put tomato rings around them. We water when the soil dries out, trying to keep the soil moist all the time. Then when the plants start bearing fruit we sucker them. (Pull off the little yellow flowers that will form. This will bear more fruit) Wel also put a teaspoon of epsom salt around each plant.

Answer 6

Check out www.dirtdoctor.com

There is in-depth tomato growing procedures.

Answer 7

they like lots of sun. Water too. just don't let them sit in water ..instead let the water almost dry out . then give a good soak.

Answer 8

Try put them in the sun, but not too much.

Answer 9

i use mother earth for planting procedures --- ill post the link below