Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum

Tomato plants should be grown in a warm areas and receive plenty of sunlight, so choose a sunny spot in your garden. Relocate your tomato plants in different parts of your garden each year to avoid diseases. Optimum temperatures for growing tomatoes are between 80 and 85 degrees F. Plant your seeds indoors 10 to 12 weeks before setting outside. Use Miracle Gro Seed Starting Material for best germination results. We have tested other Seed Starting Mix and experienced poor germination rates. You may have to special order the Miracle Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix from your nursery, as it is hard to find it at many of the large home and garden centers. Do not add any soil, fertilizers, and other chemicals to seed starting material! Do not use jiffy peat pots, plugs, or potting soil, or cover the pots, as the soil may become too dry or too wet, which can lead to disease and fungus. Do not bottom water the seeds as this causes the seed starting material to become too wet and you will experience poor germination! We have experienced disease and low germination when using these types of products and covering the pots with plastic or covers. When seedlings are 4" tall, transplant them in larger pots. Plants should be at least 10" tall before transplanting outdoors. Place plants outdoors in shady area several days before transplanting outdoors. Shelter the transplants to prevent sunburn, wilting, and rain damage. Spring planting should occur when soil is warm, at least 3 weeks after last frost, and when temperatures remain above 70 degrees F. You can plant early if you use water towers. To prevent branches from breaking from the weight of tomatoes, use 5 to 6 ft tall cages. To tie plants to stakes, use soft strips of cloth. Check indeterminate plants regularly, and pinch off suckers and side branches where leaves join the stems. Plants can grow 1 to 6 ft tall.