Tomatoe Gardening Tips

Tomato Gardening Tips: Good Container Varieties

Cherry tomatoes such as ‘Sun Gold’, ‘Sweet Chelsea’, and Gardener’s Delight’ are great popular for container gardens. Also try compact varieties such as ‘Better Bush’, the full sized ‘Celebrity’, or ‘Better Boy’.

Tomato Gardening Tips: Protect the Tomatoes

Wrap Tomato cages with spun polyester row cover or clear plastic to protect tender transplants from wind and cold; leave covers on until plants are two or three feet tall. Hang red Christmas tree balls on tomato plants just before they begin to ripen their fruit to fool birds. They will peck at the hard balls, go away and leave the later ripening tomatoes alone.

Tomato Gardening Tips: Prevent Pollination Problems

With the exception of leafy greens and root crops, the majority of vegetables and fruits grow out of fertilized flowers. In a big garden, insects and wind distribute pollen to the appropriate places, but in a container garden you might have to assist the pollination process. With Tomatoes and peppers (who are normally pollinated with assistance from the wind), gently tap open flowers two times every 24 hours to shift pollen to flower anthers. Cucumbers squash, and small melons grow male and female flowers, but only the female flowers (who develop after the male flowers) can set fruit. You can identify female flowers by finding a tiny green fruit located just behind the base of the flower. To assist in pollination, take a small paintbrush or cotton swab and collect the pollen grains from the male flowers. Quickly rub the pollen onto the centers of the female flowers. To ensure the success of your task, move pollen from at least four male flowers to every female flower. Following these tips will make growing tomatoes in containers even easier.