How To Buy Tomato Plants

Buying tomato plants is much easier than starting them from seeds. While seeds need to be started indoors and carefully cultivated, you can avoid the first few steps in growing them buy purchasing plants ready to be transplanted into your garden. Before making your purchase, here are a few things to consider:

1. Tomatoes come in many different varieties. Decide whether you want large tomatoes, small ones like cherry or grape tomatoes, or even plum tomatoes that work great when you make tomato sauce. There are also different colors, aside from the usual red varieties. Yellow tomatoes are delicious and add a nice touch to both the appearance of your garden and the presentation of your salads and other dishes.

2. Try a few different types of tomato in your garden if you can. Some will grow and flourish better than others. The terms 'determinate' and 'indeterminate' may appear in the tomato plant descriptions. Determinate refers to a plant with a thick stalk that doesn't need a trellis to contain its vines. Indeterminate tomato varieties have long vines and the fruit will continue to grow and mature throughout the season.
3. Measure your garden space and decide how much of it you want to allot to tomato plants. They will need to be planted in rows, and the space between rows and plants will vary between varieties. Check the tags that accompany the plants to see how much room you will need, and buy enough plants to fill the space.
4. Only purchase dark green, leafy plants that stand straight up. Yellowed or wilted plants likely already have some type of plant disease or at the very least have been weakened by not getting enough water or sunlight. If the plant has a lot of damaged leaves or any damaged stalks, take a pass and look for a heartier plant.
5. When you purchase your tomato plants, you should also invest in tomato cages and bamboo stakes. The purpose of these cages and stakes is protect the plants as they grow. Since the fruit is so heavy, tomato plants can tend to fall over near harvest. To stake the plants in your garden, push the stakes into the soil and gently tie the main stalk of the plant to the stake with garden tape or string.
6. Check the tag on the tomato plants to see how long they take to mature. Depending on where you live, the growing season may be long or short because of the changes in weather. For short seasons, you'll need to find plants that have a shorter maturity duration.
7. Also on the tag, you'll find the diseases and insects your plants are susceptible to. The fewer items on this list, the better!
8. Tomato plants can be transplanted into your garden as soon as there is no risk of morning frost. For best results, wait until the soil has had a chance to warm up and stay warm. Consider picking up some black plastic mulch for your garden bed to keep the soil warm and in perfect condition for your tomatoes if it's still early in the season. Also be sure to purchase some fertilizer and tomato "food" to nourish your plants throughout the season.

Tomatoes continue to be one of the most popular plants found in vegetable gardens in North America. With a little attention and care, you can successfully grow these wonderful plants in your own backyard, and enjoy the fruits of your labors!constitutes
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