If you want to grow your own luscious tomatoes this year be sure and do some research before you get started.  By taking a little extra time to do some research you will have a much better crop to enjoy.  There is more to planting tomatoes that buying a plant, sticking it in the ground, watering regularly, and weeding occasionally.

1.  Decide what kind of tomatoes you want to produce.  What size of tomatoes do you want to be able to harvest?  How quickly do you want to be able to enjoy them?  What plants do better in your growing season?  Do you want to be able to put some up other than just eating them fresh?  Etc.  One of your best resources is your local nursery.  Ask them what they recommend and compare what the different ones suggest then make your own decision.

2.  Once you have decided what to plan decide where you want to plant them.  You want to plant them in direct sunlight, tomatoes love the sun and heat.  A trick that I learned is a couple weeks before I want to plant I put a piece of black plastic over the ground right where I am going to plant. The reason I do this is it warms up the soil much quicker and my plants seem to produce much earlier in the year in the areas that I have warmed the soil.

3.  Don’t be afraid to plant your tomato plants deep in the soil.  While you don't want to bury them completely you don't leave more than the top leaves above ground.  Now if you buy larger plants you will want to bury them as deep as the first well formed lower branches.

4.  Mulching is great for tomatoes but unless you are using plastic mulch (that warms when the sun hits it) wait until the soil is very warm before you mulch.  You don't want the mulch to cool the soil.

5.  Make sure you don't plant your tomato plants anywhere near where you are growing potato plants.  There is a bacterial wilt that potato plants can carry that will affect your tomato plants.

6.  I oftentimes plant marigold around my tomato plants, this seems to help with nematodes.  (A wormy bug that can attach to the roots of your tomato plants).

7.  If you are going to plant basil anyway do it near your tomato plants to help reduce any insect problems that may arise.

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