Avant Gardening with Sturtz & Copeland

These  tips are also great for peppers and eggplants.

Plant when the weather warms up the soil: usually the last two weeks in May.

Remove the bottom sets of leaves and plant tomatoes deeper. This increases the root mass and means more tomatoes.

Harden off your seedlings by exposing them to increasing amounts of sunlight before planting. A few hours in the shade the frist day, then increase their exposure. Plant them on a cloudy day or in the evening.

For each plant, dig a hole at least 12″ in diameter and 10″ deep. Even bigger is better. Backfill with a misture of 50% top soil, 40% compost, 10% manure.

Pinch off the first few sets of blossoms to encourage better rooting, growth, and, ultimately, yields.

Fertilize every two weeks with a relatively low-nitrogen, high-phosphorous fertilizer. Water with 1 tablespoon Epsom salts/1 gallon water every two weeks. Liquid iron and Super Thrive are also good ideas.

The more often you pick, the better your plants will yield.

Always water at the base of your plants in the morning. Soaking the entire plant increases potential for disease later on.