How To Make Tomato Plants Grow Faster

Bush and dwarf vining varieties don't need pruning because they naturally grow into short bushes, but the plants benefit from a supporting cage. Tomatoes need 1 inch of water or more per week in dry weather.

Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost, grass clippings or straw around the base of the plants to minimize weed growth and conserve moisture.Monitor tomato plants for disease and pest problems.

Remove only young leaves and shoots. Use either leaf mold, newspaper or straw for the best results. The presence of wilting leaves and very wet soil indicates the plants have been overwatered.Prune the plants—by pinching or with scissors—to increase...

To eliminate a rat infestation in your tomato garden, set up traps and lay down repellents that will keep the rats away.Remove any other food sources that may be tempting the rats to your tomatoes.

To minimize tomato plants' exposure to herbicides, never spray your plants with same sprayer that you use on your lawn. Leaf curl, also called leaf roll, usually does not affect the quantity or quality of the tomatoes, according to the University of Illinois...

This mingling of plants is called diversified planting, which the Alabama Cooperative Extension System suggests as a strategy to make it harder for insect pests to find and damage specific crops.

Once a fungus attacks a plant, eliminating it isn't easy. Plant tomatoes in a different spot every three years to prevent diseases from building up in the soil.After the first fruits set on the plant, the lower leaves of the plant can become infected...

Helping the plant create a deep root system starts at planting. It is also ideal to set the plants 18 to 24 inches apart so they have adequate room for healthy and deep root growth.

Of Epsom salt.Sprinkle the correct amount of Epsom salt around the base of your tomato plant.Mix the Epsom salt crystals with the soil, working them into the ground carefully to avoid damaging the roots.

Heirlooms are prized for their diversity of color, shape and flavor and come from plant seeds that are at least 50 years old.The consensus for heirloom status is that the cultivar (variety) must be at least 50 years old.

Laying mulch and setting up a regular watering schedule can help prevent splitting and cracking by keeping the soil moisture consistent despite irregular rain.A tomato plant can start to rot at its blossoms, causing the blossom end of the fruit to turn...

Additionally, colder temperatures expand the water on the inside of the tomato, changing its texture irrevocably. If you start your tomato plants indoors before transplanting them outside, keep them at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit...

Poke the stake into the soil about 2 inches from the plant so you don't injure the roots. Even if you don't have the space for a large garden, tomato plants are suited to container gardening.

You could also plant tomatoes in a container during this time. Tomatoes grow best in temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the University of Georgia Extension.

Even the healthiest tomatoes () attract tiny white insects intent stealing their nutritious sap. Use clean, sharp stem cutters disinfected between cuts in rubbing alcohol, and dispose of the leaves in sealed plastic bags.with a strong spray of hose water...

Allow the top 2 to 3 inches of soil to dry out before watering again. How much water a tomato plant needs depends on where it is in its life cycle. Your tomato plants can withstand both insects and fungal or bacterial disease better if they're watered...

If you're looking for a variety that has flavorful, all-purpose fruits, a tomato called "Better Boy" could be the perfect choice. They can attract pests such as large green hornworms and striped potato beetles, which can be hand-picked, and aphids, which...

In either case, tomato plants are usually ready to be transplanted to the garden when they are 6 to 8 inches tall.The date on the calendar is not as important as the weather conditions.

Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and lycopene. Half-eaten fruit was often carried and dropped miles away from the original plant.The ovary of a flower grows, ripens and develops one or more seeds.

Butter daisies are practically disease and insect free. Even though these students progressed to the seventh grade, I found a few of them sneaking back into the sixth grade area to check on their flowers.

Treat with liquid copper fungicide as with leaf spots. Fruits are unaffected. Tomato) looks and acts similarly. It moves up one side of the plant. Usually grown as annuals, tomato plants are susceptible to many diseases.

Plan to plant tomatoes in mid-February.Choose a planting site that has good air circulation and receives at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Rake and cultivate until you have a loose, fine, deep soil mix.Plant tomato seedlings 18 inches apart.

Also, if you have a plant that has been accidentally doused with pesticides, using the castor oil will bring it back to life, virtually overnight.Water your plants adequately. There are two ways to do this.

Tie the plant to the support at intervals, using soft ties.Feed the plant regularly to keep it setting fruit for the entire season. If you'd like to grow grape tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) but don't have space for a vegetable garden, don't be discouraged.

Make sure that the plants will get enough light by placing the container in an area that receives eight hours of full sun a day. Another reason to avoid overwatering is that too much water can hurt the flavor of the basil.

You can encourage them to grow straight by pushing a stake, or cane, into the soil next to each plant and loosely tying the stems to the canes with twine.Sowing tomato seeds at the right time, in good light and at cool temperatures prevents leggy seedlings.

Fruit infections form a target pattern on immature tomatoes, while stem infections appear as gray sores with dark borders. Shake well and start spraying your tomato plants.To prevent fungal diseases, apply baking soda sprays to tomato plants every seven...