How to grow tomatoes successfully is something almost every gardener has wanted to know! This is one of those crops that absolutely love full sunlight and the land, so if you live in a relatively tropical region, it can be a fairly easy crop to grow. There are literally hundreds of varieties of tomato, grown from different parts of the globe, so all you really need is a suitable climate. Of course, the more specific your requirements, the easier it will be for you to grow.
The most difficult part about growing tomatoes is that they usually do not reach their full size until after the fifth year of cultivation. How to grow tomatoes successfully is mainly about patience. They are very stubborn plants, and they often need a certain amount of room, and if they have the space they need, they may even be able to double their production. To grow tomatoes well, you should have rich, fertile, well drained soil or extremely wet peat-free soil, and a nice sheltered spot with a lot of sun. Water regularly and feed once a week with a high-yielding, high-potato fertilizer, but make sure that the plant gets plenty of, not too much, sunlight.
Bush tomatoes, by far, are the best for those of you who enjoy eating them fresh on the vine. They are very tough, but once they ripen, they taste as great as they look. They will grow almost anywhere on the vine, so if you live in an apartment building, or a relatively small parcel of land, they are ideal. They don’t require a trellis system, but they will do better in an area with partial shade than in full sun. Bush tomatoes are very resilient and can tolerate drought and heat equally well.
The most important part of planting tomatoes outdoors or in a shaded area is finding the right place. A well drained, large piece of property with plenty of both direct and indirect light and plenty of drainage is ideal. Another good idea is to line the area with a sturdy screen or a sturdy fence that will provide protection from both sun and weeds.
For those of you interested in growing cherry tomatoes, a raised bed is the perfect solution. Cherry tomatoes love a healthy environment of warm sunlight, shade and lots of nutrients in the soil, so they can thrive both indoors and out. A raised bed garden allows you to position your crops where they will get the most sun and water without becoming stressed. This is a much less stressful growing environment, allowing your plants to develop at their maximum productivity.
These are just some of the many ways to grow tomatoes without soil. You can place them in containers of your own design, raise them in beds with trusses or on stakes and use trellises and other structures to keep predators out. There are all kinds of growing tomato varieties and all of them are easier than most people think when you follow a system for developing them inside and out with proper planning, research and the right location.