Produced by
Patti Moreno
Contributor to:
Tomato Planting Tips
I am slightly obsessed with tomatoes. In fact, I grow about 25 different varieties of tomatoes each year. In this video, I am joined by my friend and fellow tomato enthusiast, Urban Gardener, William Moss. Check us out; we’re talking about the dos and don’ts of planting tomatoes. You don’t want to miss it.
The most important thing to know about tomatoes is that they must be planted deeply. – The roots grow out of the stems and the root balls bring water and nutrients to the plant and so it’s critical that they are planted deeply enough to access all of the nutrients from the soil. Make sure to remove all of the branches that are going to under the soil. All areas of the stem can produce new roots - so don't worry. It’s always important to add compost to your soil and make sure that the compost contains calcium.
In the video we also introduce trenching as a method of planting long spindly plants that seem too unwieldy to get into the ground. We show you how to create a long trench in the soil in which you can lay the plant on its side, which is a perfect way to give the plant what it needs to grow and flourish. Trenching the plant causes the plant to use the length of the stem as the base for a new root ball which will make an even hardier tomato.
The other key point that William and I discuss is companion planting. My personal favorite companion for tomatoes is Marigolds because of it’s natural insect repellent. Basil, Oregano, chives and even parsley are all excellent choices.
Needless to say, William and I could talk about tomatoes all day, but we had to wrap it up. So some of the other things that were not mentioned in the video but are important to know are:
Staking: Tomato's need staking. It’s best to stake them shortly after you plant them. You can tie the plant to the stake, make sure you do it loosely when the plant is young, or it may strangle and weaken the plant when it gets mature and fruit laden. There are many ways to support tomatoes: stakes, cages and trellising. And, I’m always experimenting with newer and better ways to plant them. After all, they are my favorites!
Propagate: It’s easy to share tomatoes! Just prune the plant regularly, stick the pruned branches into the soil and keep moist, and in no time roots will grow from the stem and you will have another tomato plant.
