Test kits are available at garden centers or through local horticultural organizations. To raise soil’s pH, work agriculture lime into soil. Use sulfur to lower pH of alkaline soil. Using fertilizers and compost amendments will also change soil’s pH over time. Adding decomposed organic compost will improve any soil structure. You can purchase or make your own compost. Once you have cultivated your garden area and prepared soil, it is ready for plantings.

Planting The Tomatoes

Inspect all of transplants, looking for insects, wilting or blight. Plant only healthy plants. Tomatoes prefer full sun, so choose an area with at least six to eight hours of sun per day. Practice crop rotation in your vegetable gardening by planting tomatoes and other vegetables in a different spot every year. Tomatoes prefer to be planted by chives, parsley, marigolds, nasturtiums, garlic bulbs, and carrots. Avoid planting tomatoes by potatoes or members of cabbage family.

For large healthy tomatoes, give them plenty of room to grow. Space plants twenty-four inches between rows and leave twenty-four inches between plants. With your shovel or spade, make holes slightly larger than plants. Tap gently on bottom of individual container, loosening soil and gently removing from pot. Tomatoes are susceptible to cutworms, but placing a 3-4 inch nail next to each stem before planting or wrapping strips of newspaper around bottom of stems will help prevent these pests. A paper cup surrounding stem also works well.

Place tomato plant in hole and back fill with soil until it is well compacted. Place a rack or cage around each individual plant to help support future growth. Water around base of plant, avoiding foliage. Do not over water or soak seedlings as this can promote disease and rot. Water early in day to discourage blight.

Using a rake, spread organic mulch, such as weed-free straw, over plants at least two inches deep. These is an effective way to prevent weeds, preserve water and keep soil warm, thus reducing maintenance required for vegetable gardening. Fertilize plants throughout growing season with compost or organic matter. Water when needed and inspect leaves periodically for signs of tomato blight and insects. If blight is discovered, remove any infected leaves and destroy them. Treat plant with a fungicide. Be sure to remove all debris from your garden in fall, as blight can survive on dried tomatoes over winter.

Most tomatoes take 100-days to bear fruit, so follow these easy directions and get ready to harvest fruits of your labors and enjoy that first BLT of season.

Items Needed For Growing Tomatoes:

- Tomato seeds or plants - Containers or flats - A small greenhouse kit or plastic bags - Starter soil or mixture - Marking pen - Popsicle sticks or labels - Rake - Spade and shovel - Water, sun, adequate soil and patience

Organic Fertilizers

Of course you want your plants to grow quickly and produce large yields. However, chemical fertilizers are potentially harmful to those who eat plants and to environment, especially if applied too heavily and allowed to run off into water supplies and habitat areas. Using organic fertilizers can decrease problems associated with chemicals.

Manure is a natural, effective fertilizer if used properly. Not only does it improve soil structure, it provides nutrients plants need to develop. Manure that is allowed to age and decompose before use is most effective. Pasteurized manure is less likely to include active weed seed or harmful bacteria. Do not apply too heavily.

Create and maintain a compost pile to use as fertilizer. Not only does it incorporate use of natural organic material such as leaves, lawn clippings and household waste such as potato peels and carrot stems, it also provides a free source of fertilizer and reduces amount of waste that is hauled to landfills.

If you choose to use chemical fertilizers, use sparingly and choose a slow release variety that is less likely to leech into vulnerable areas.

Companion planting, which is practice of putting together two plants that seem to benefit each other, has been offered as a means of enhancing organic gardening practices. It is thought that plants such as nicotina and marigolds are natural pest deterrents. However, there is no firm research to support this as yet. Still, many gardeners have reported success with this method.

Additionally, planting vegetables with prickly vines, such as watermelon or squashes around perimeter of vulnerable plants may help keep out rabbits and other animals that don’t like scratchy vines.

These days, many gardeners are looking for ways to reduce use of chemicals and rely on more natural and inexpensive means of providing food for their tale and backyard growing enjoyment. Organic gardening techniques provide fun and healthy options.