How to Plant Tomatoes in a Backyard Garden

Planting tomatoes in a backyard garden is a summer ritual for many people. Tomatoes are a popular homegrown vegetable because of their ability to grow in many types of soil. Planting tomatoes in your backyard is simple and is a convenient way to provide a healthy food for your family.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose which type of tomatoes to plant depending on the season. The 2 types of tomato plants are determinate and indeterminate. Determinates bloom early in the season and are short bushes. Indeterminate varieties bloom later and have vines that must be supported with materials such as wire cages. Once you choose between determinate and indeterminate, decide on one of the many tomato plant varieties within those categories.

2. Find an area in your backyard garden that is in the full sun to plant your tomato plants. Tomatoes can grow in almost any soil, but a well-drained, slightly acid soil with a pH of between 6.2 to 6.8 is best.

3. Purchase tomato plants from a reputable nursery. Choose healthy tomato plants that don't have any speckling or yellowing leaves.

4. Plant your tomato plants approximately 2 to 3 feet apart. Add fertilizer such as manure to the soil to encourage plant growth.

5. Place a wire cage over each indeterminate plant to protect the vines as they grow upwards.

6. Water the tomato plants regularly to produce the best quality tomato.

7. Harvest tomatoes when they appear fully ripe and before they get soft. Store picked tomatoes in a dark place and not in a refrigerator.

8. Enjoy your homegrown tomatoes within 3 days of when you pick them from the plant.