Planting Tomato Plants

It's about time to plant tomatoes. I start my tomatoes from seed, usually in December of the previous year in a green house and transplant the seedling in April when they are 8 to 12 inches tall (the taller the better). First, prepare the ground before planting tomato seedlings. I mix in earthworm castings, alfalfa pellets and a handful of ground oyster shells to each hole before inserting the tomato plants. The calcium in the oyster shells prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes and other vegetables. Ground up oyster shells only come in 50 pound bags; thus, oyster shells may not be a practical way to add calcium to the soil if you are only going to raise a few tomato plants. Egg shells also are a practical way to add calcium to the soil, but they take several months to break down and release the mineral into the soil. Other sources of calcium are bat guano, soft rock phosphate and Dolomite lime. Plant the tallest plants available for the best end result. To plant relatively tall plants, you have two choices. Either dig an appropriately deep hole or, better yet, dig a 4 to 6 inch trench and lay the plants on their sides. Pull off the lower leaves. Roots will form where the leaves were attached to the plants resulting in healthy strong plants. Make sure that only the top cluster of leaves are above the ground after the seedlings are planted. I plant only "indifferent" tomato plants which should be grown upward on a cage or trellis ("different" tomato plants are grown as bushes with their branches and leaves close to the ground). I prefer indifferent plants because they produce all season long whereas different plants primarily produce a one time crop. To encourage upward growth, and help prevent tomato viral diseases, after the plants have reached a height of about eight inches start removing the lower leaves from the plants. The lower leaves of a tomato plant should not be allowed to touch the ground to discourage viruses in the ground from reaching the upper branches of the tomato plant. At this stage of growth you also should begin removing the suckers from your tomato plants. Suckers form at the junction of a tomato plant's main stock, or stocks, and a leaf. If the suckers are not removed the plants will tend to grow sideways rather than upwards. When the plants are 1.5 to 2 feet tall selected suckers may be retained and attached to the wire cage or trellis in which you are growing them to achieve the desired form of the adult plant. If you are unsure about the appearance of a tomato sucker, go to the internet and watch a video on tomato suckers. I should also mention that the removed suckers may be placed in the ground to produce additional tomato plants. One final tip on growing delicious tomatoes. The tomato flower contains both female and male sex organs. To encourage tomato plants to produce fruit, shake the tomato blossom with your hand or the brush of a battery driven electric tooth brush, around noon each day. This method of fertilization does not work as well if performed earlier in the morning or later in the day. Shaking the blossoms not only increases the yield of a tomato plant but also increases the number of seeds in the tomato, which enhances their flavor. Happy gardening!