Other than leaf problems, one of the most common issues gardeners have with tomato plants is a lack of tomatoes. Many of us who have grown lush bushy tomato plants have stared at them wondering, why won’t my tomato plants produce tomatoes?

So let’s talk about reasons why a tomato plant just won’t flower and fruit and what you can do to fix it.

Why Tomato Plants Make Flowers But Don’t Produce Fruit

First off, tomato gardeners have to have patience. After you plant your tomatoes in the ground, it will typically be a couple of months before you’ll be harvesting fruit. Every variety of tomato has a different time to fruiting which can be 90 days or more.

But how long before a tomato plant flowers? Tomato plants usually flower pretty quickly after planting, but those first flowers may not set a lot of fruit early in the season. This can be normal and should improve as the weather warms up. Can tomatoes flower too early? Only in the sense that low nighttime temperatures can affect their pollination.

Tomato flowers are complete flowers which means they have both a male part and a female part. This is what makes them self-pollinating, so you do not need pollinators to make tomatoes from flowers. But many environmental conditions, like relative humidity, can cause problems with the flower’s ability to self-pollinate.

A tomato will grow from the female part of the flower, and takes several weeks to ripen – depending on the variety. It’s really hard to be patient waiting for the fruit to ripen on your plant, but the first thing to do is to search your variety so you know the typical time to fruit for your particular tomato variety.

If your plant is giving lots of flowers but not producing tomatoes, then it’s time to consider one of these reasons for poor production of your tomato plants.

Extreme temperatures cause lack of fruit setting

A tomato plant will grow in a wide range of conditions, but temps on the extreme side can impact the number and quality of fruit your plant makes. If your nighttime temperatures are dropping into the 50s or daytime temperatures are in the 100s, then you’ll have issues with flowers being able to self-pollinate.

You may even see the flowers falling off the plant (aka blossom drop) without setting any fruit. Extremes in humidity will have a similar effect causing pollen to be too sticky or not sticky enough to fertilize the pistil. If temperature and humidity are affecting your tomato fruit set, you might just have to wait for the weather to become more cooperative. 

We usually plant tomatoes a week after our last frost date, but it’s still going to be too cold to expect a lot of fruit just yet. You may even want to place cold frames and frost protection over your plants in the first couple of weeks. If you know your area gets hot spells in the summer, plant your tomatoes where they will receive some afternoon shade or try growing under a shade cloth. In areas where there are no frost dates, you may have better luck planting your tomatoes in the fall as the hot weather is too much for tomato plants.

Other environmental causes for lack of flowers on your tomato plant include storms and strong winds that displace small blooms, fungal diseases present in the soil, and pest stress.

Water stress can cause blossom drop

One thing my husband used to say about gardening is to make sure I kept my watering in the Goldilocks zone…not too much and not too little but just right.

If your plants are having periods of drought and flooding, they’ll often respond by dropping their flowers. It’s best to water tomato plants evenly and regularly. Drastic changes in their watering schedule can lead to tomato fruit problems.

When possible, install drip irrigation at the base of your plants and soak the soil only when necessary. Depending on your environment, you may need to water every day or only once a week. Knowing how much to water your tomato plants is really a practice in observing your garden and getting to know the specific conditions that affect your plants.

Signs that your plant needs to be watered include dry soil (obviously), curling of leaves, sagging stems, and suckers that flop or fall over.

Pruning will help improve flowering and fruit set

Note that pruning is not recommended for determinate plants. Learn more.

Left to their own devices, indeterminate tomato plants can become enormous sprawling vines. Some gardeners prefer to grow their plants this way and have great results. But in my experience, letting them bush out leads to fewer and smaller fruit. Think about it as if you are a tomato plant, what is your purpose in life? It’s to reproduce by making tomatoes.

So when life is good and there’s plenty of space and nutrients to grow, then the tomato has no motivation to make fruit. It can continue to vine out and take up as much space as it needs. But if there’s any indication to the plant that it won’t be able to grow, then it will shift gears and start making more fruit. So I like to prune my indeterminate plants down to one or two vines.

This not only encourages it to put more effort into fruiting, but it removes some of the bulk of the plant and allows me to watch for issues like pests or disease.

Check your fertilizer for excess nitrogen

If you’re unfamiliar with the basic nutrition needs of plants, here is a great explanation and guide to using fertilizer. But in short, nitrogen encourages leaves to grow and phosphorous encourages fruit set. So if you’re using a fertilizer that has too high nitrogen concentration or lacks a full spectrum of nutrients, then your plants may not be setting as much fruit as you’d like.

I always prefer to use organic fertilizer because it’s much easier to get the dosing right. Synthetic fertilizers are often high in nitrogen which can lead to burning leaves and blossom end rot. But even if used appropriately, they can cause a low fruit set because there is too much nitrogen in relation to potassium.

Look for an organic fertilizer that has equal amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous (5-5-5) or has less nitrogen and more phosphorous (2-6-4). For a more detailed explanation of what those numbers mean, read this article.

Monitor for signs of pests and/or disease

There are many fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases that can affect tomato plants. Most often these are present in the soil in your area, and they are very hard to eradicate. The best thing to do is to inspect your tomato garden several times a week if not daily. Signs of infection that can stifle tomato production include wilting, stunted growth, spotted, yellow, or misshapen leaves.

It’s frustrating to find disease in your plants, but there are only two options once a plant is infected. Let it grow or pull it out. By the time you see infection, there’s not much you can do about it. Except in the case of lack of water, always pull out wilted tomato plants and get rid of them asap. Some forms of wilt will spread quickly if not removed, and sometimes even then it’s not enough.

For most diseases/infections, your plants will either tolerate the disease and grow through it or they’ll succumb to the stress and die. Any treatment you apply is really to prevent spread of the disease to other plants, although this is often an effort in futility. Tomato varieties often list what we call a disease-resistance package, and it’s recommended to choose plant varieties with resistance to diseases common in your area.

Heavy infestations of pests like aphids or spider mites can put additional stress on a tomato plant that can have an impact on fruit set. How you decide to implement pest control on your plants is a personal decision. On our farm, we like to use organic treatments like diatomaceous earth, spinosad, and Bt. If it gets really bad, we will use Pyganic but this is a very broad spectrum organic pesticide that we use only sparingly.

Should I remove flowers from tomato plants?

Generally, no you do not want to remove flowers unless you are trying to decrease the number of tomatoes you’ll get.

I’m sure there are some people who do this in certain circumstances, like early in the growing season. Why let the plant waste energy on flowers when it’s too cold to set fruit? I don’t know how much difference it would make in future fruit set, but I could understand the reasoning. Likewise, I know some people limit the number of fruit on a plant to encourage the fruit that does set to be larger/healthier. However, this is not something we do or recommend doing for tomatoes.

That’s why a tomato plant flowers but no fruit

With the exception of weather and disease, it is possible you can redirect your plant’s growth to encourage more fruit set with the above tips. If you’re new to gardening, then running through this list will help you learn to observe and respond to your plant as needed. Experience is really the biggest route to success with growing tomatoes, so even if you didn’t get a great crop this year, try again next year and the year after that. You’ll get better and better at it and enjoy it the whole time. Happy Gardening!

The post Reasons Your Tomato Plant Flowers But Has No Tomatoes appeared first on You Should Grow.

Dragon fruit is a cactus that has many names: pitaya/pitahaya, strawberry pear, belle of the night, cactus fruit, and night-blooming cereus. You’ve probably seen this strange looking fruit in the grocery store. The bright pink or yellow skin with alien-like spines is hard to miss. 

It might look intimidating, but the skin of this fruit is actually quite soft and the spines on the outside won’t stab you when you hold the fruit. And you’d never know from the look of it, but this is a fruit you can grow at home – if you’re willing to put in the work.

What zones does dragon fruit grow in?

Dragon fruit is an exotic fruit, and in most of the southern US, you can grow a dragon fruit plant in pots on your patio if you’re careful to protect it from cold weather. If you live in US Hardiness Zones 10-11, you’ll be able to grow dragon fruit outdoors year round.

But no matter where you live if you want to grow dragon fruit cactus, I say go for it! Just bring it indoors or keep it in a greenhouse during the cold months of the winter, and expect that the plant may not grow as fast, large, or be as productive as it would be in a more natural environment.

How To Grow Dragon Fruit

A dragon fruit plant needs a lot of sunlight. If you’re aiming for fruit, make sure it’s getting 8 or more hours of bright to direct sunlight during the fruiting season. In some climates or if grown indoors, you may need to supplement with artificial lighting. If you’re not aiming for fruit, your plant will grow in less light but it won’t grow as fast or make flowers.

As a plant native to South America, the dragon fruit plant likes a warm environment and is sensitive to extremes. The ideal growing temperatures for dragon fruit are between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything below 32F will kill your plant. Anything over 100F will damage the fruit and cause it to wilt.

Dragon fruit cacti are climbers, so you’ll need to provide support for your plant to grow on. As it climbs, it will root into the support you provide, and it can be invasive if grown in the wrong location. Watering the pole when you water the plant will greatly improve results.

Overwatering is the quickest way to kill your dragon fruit. So only water when the top 1/3-1/2 of the soil is dry, but the plant is not wilting. Unlike other cactus, you don’t want to wait until the whole pot is dry – if your plant is withering or wilting, you’ve waited too long. Letting the plant wilt causes stress and will decrease flower/fruit production.

A drip line or mister from above works well for plants climbing on poles. To accomplish this, install a drip line and attach it to the center support in your container. Place the drip nozzle at the top of the support line and let it run down the pole. This is the most effective way to water your dragon fruit and will keep it very happy.

Fertilizing dragon fruit

Cacti are low maintenance plants. They are not heavy feeders and do not require a lot of fertilizer. In fact, over fertilization will harm your plant. Choose an organic, low nitrogen fertilizer and apply at planting and then every other month…even less in the winter.

Learn how to tell if your fertilizer is low in nitrogen with these fertilizer tips.

Growing dragon fruit in a container

This plant is best grown in a container in most environments. The container allows you to control the content and the moisture level of the soil more efficiently. When mature, these plants will need a container that is at least 10 inches deep and 24 inches wide. This equates to about a 10-gallon pot. Younger plants and stem cuttings, can be started in smaller pots and up-potted when they are more mature.

Dragon fruit, also known as Pitaya, is a vining cactus, so you will need to provide a sturdy support in your container. Otherwise, the cactus will grow over the edges of your container and sprawl along the ground until it finds something to climb.

Make sure to use a sandy, well-draining soil made for cactus plants. Any soil that holds too much moisture can lead to root rot. If your container does not have several drainage holes, then you will need to add them so the roots of the plant never become soggy.

If outdoors, pick a sunny location for your dragon fruit plant that provides at least 6-8 hours of sun. The plant will tolerate some shade, and may even require it in very warm environments – remember, anything over 100 degrees Fahrenheit will damage your fruit. When grown indoors, you’ll want give it the sunniest location you have (and/or supplement with artificial light).

Growing dragon fruit as a houseplant

Only recently have I seen plant shops offering small clusters of dragon fruit stems for sale as houseplants. They actually do make really cute little plants for your home or office. And if your expectation is that it will just be a houseplant, I don’t see why you shouldn’t add one to your collection.

These houseplant sized dragon fruit are not going to produce fruit for many years, but that is many years of growing pleasure you can still enjoy. These baby sized plants require the same care that adults do – minimum 6 hours of sunlight (more sunlight will make them grow faster, less will slow them down) and only water as needed. This may be once every week to once per month depending on the conditions in your home (brighter light needs water more often, low light less often) and the time of year (water needs decrease in the winter).

If you’re growing it as a houseplant, you can wait until the plant wilts before watering as you are not concerned about flowering/fruit. As long as you step in before it’s too dried out, it will perk up after you give it a drink. This does cause some stress to the plant, but it’s less stress than root rot. 

Dragon fruit flowers and fruit

One of the coolest things about the dragon fruit is its flowers. They are stunning ruffled white blooms, and what’s more, they are night blooming. That’s right, the blooms open after dark and only for one night! 

Dragon fruit plants that flower but don’t produce fruit are a common complaint of growers. This happens because most dragon fruit flowers are incomplete and require pollination. Some plants even require cross-pollination by unrelated varieties (just like blueberry plants) and still some others are self-pollinating. 

If you choose a variety that is not self-pollinating, then you will need to attract pollinators like bees, moths, or bats to pollinate them for you. If grown indoors, you’ll have to stay up at night or get up really early to pollinate the plants yourself. For home growers, the simplest course is to choose a self-pollinating plant.

When to prune dragon fruit

If you’re giving your dragon fruit optimal conditions for growth, then you will quickly find that your plant has grown so thick and so fast that it needs to be pruned. Pruning dragon fruit is usually done in the fall or as necessary to contain the plant within your desired space.

Letting the plant get too crowded will lead to problems with pests, fungus, and disease. Not only do crowded plants need more maintenance (watering and fertilizer), but they also do not produce as much fruit. Pruning the plant actually stimulates flowering and new growth, so it is a task you are encouraged to do.

Propagating dragon fruit from cuttings

The good news is that pruning your plant provides a bunch of new plants to grow or share. Sure, you can start dragon fruit seedlings from the seeds inside the fruit, but it is slow and has a frustratingly low success rate. Because of this, it is recommended that you grow dragon fruit from cuttings. 

To grow dragon fruit from a cutting, take a piece of a stem at least 12 inches long. Place the cutting into some well-draining soil mix burying 2 inches of stem under the soil. Water it only when the soil is dry and roots will form within 2-4 weeks. Once you see new growth, you know your cutting has established a healthy root system and it can be left or transplanted as needed.

When you’re ready to transplant, be gentle with the roots of your cutting and try not to disturb them too much. Gentle loosening of the small roots on the surface of the rootball is adequate. Plant your dragon fruit in fertile, sandy soil level with the rootball.

Types and varieties of dragon fruit

There are many varieties of dragon fruit that range in color, flavor, and production. Some dragon fruit need to be hand pollinated, some rarely set fruit even when pollinated. Some take longer to ripen, and some take a very short period to ripen.

It’s best to research which variety will work best for the conditions you intend to provide. Then you’ll want to make sure you are dealing with a reputable nursery or good friend. Make sure you trust that they are being honest about the type/variety of cutting you’ll receive.

• Hylocereus undatus (Pitaya blanca) is the most commonly grown in commercial fruit production settings. It produces the bright pink fruit with white flesh.
• Hylocereus costaricensis is a variety known for bright pink to red fruit and matching flesh. 
• Hylocereus megalanthus produces yellow fruit with white flesh.
• Hylocereus guatemalensis has a deep pink fruit with pink spines and a bright purple flesh.
• Hylocereus polyrhizus has a beet red flesh and skin
• Hylocereus stenopterus is an uncommon variety that produces green fruit with white flesh
  

How to tell when dragon fruit is ripe

Once your dragon fruit plant sets fruit, wait to harvest it until it turns color. Most dragon fruit will turn a gorgeous bright pink magenta color, but some are bright yellow.

In general, the longer it stays on the plant, the sweeter it gets. In most cases, a dragon fruit takes about 30 days to ripen.

Dragon fruit pests and problems

When grown indoors, dragon fruit plants can get in trouble with mealybugs, mites, aphids, and sometimes ants. If given the opportunity, ants will attempt to eat your fruit before you can harvest it, so watch out for those nasty pests! Treat pests with an appropriate pesticide as soon as you see them to prevent a major infestation. Here are some natural methods of ant control to consider.

Another common problem of dragon fruit grown at home is root rot caused by overwatering. This is one of the reasons why it’s recommended to grow pitaya in containers vs in the ground. Watch the soil to make sure it’s draining well, and only water when the top 1/3-1/2 of the container is completely dry but before the plant is wilted. 

Dragon fruit recipes

This white flesh of this exotic fruit is really unique and yummy! It is super hydrating and especially satisfying when chilled, and the tiny black seeds add a nice crunch to the soft and creamy texture of the flesh. Aside from the deliciously delicate flavor, the fruit of a dragon fruit tree is has many health benefits. It’s full of antioxidants, easy-to-digest carbohydrates, and omega fatty acids in the seeds.

There are many ways to use dragon fruit including sauces, salads, and smoothies, but it’s also quite good sliced in half and eaten out of its skin with a spoon. Truly, eating your dragon fruit is the best part of growing it. A chilled fruit tastes much better, in my opinion. Slice your fruit in half and eat it out of its shell like a bowl of ice cream. So amazingly delicious!

Dragon fruit tastes great in all sorts of recipes. Try one of these.

The post How To Grow Dragon Fruit At Home appeared first on You Should Grow.

These denser tomatoes make your work easier as you’ll need fewer tomatoes and less time to make your sauces. Among tomato nerds like us, we call canning tomatoes with these qualities plum tomatoes or paste tomatoes.

What type of tomato is best for salsa?

Paste tomatoes have characteristics that are desirable for making sauces and salsas. These tomatoes have less juice, gel, and seeds which cuts down on processing time.

They’re also often grown on determinate, bushy plants that have high yields in a short period of time. This is desirable since you want to be able to preserve the crop in batches.

Some say paste tomatoes are mild in flavor, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. The flavor will be somewhat intensified as you condense the tomato into a sauce, and a mild tomato makes sauces that don’t overpower the flavor of the rest of your ingredients.

One variety of paste tomatoes that many people are familiar with is the Roma tomato. Romas are a great salsa tomato, and you’ll see lots of similar varieties of tomatoes referred to as Roma type.

Another commonly recommended paste tomato is the San Marzano. San Marzanos are praised for their flavor and texture which are ideal for homemade tomato paste, sauce, or salsa.

The problem with paste tomatoes

The thing you don’t really hear talked about is that home gardeners often find that these tomatoes are hard to grow.

That’s because they’re very prone to diseases that can wipe out an entire crop which is terrible when you’re trying to grow food for your family. Paste tomatoes are also notorious for struggling with blossom end rot which makes the tomatoes unusable.

We’ve grown dozens of varieties of paste tomatoes, and we know that some plants will get blossom end rot (BER) on every single fruit. It’s incredibly frustrating!

Blossom end rot is a complex disease process that has a lot to do with how you grow your tomatoes, but some types of tomatoes are more prone to the disorder than others.

For example, elongated tomatoes with pointy ends (like San Marzano) are very prone to BER whereas cherry and heart-shaped tomatoes are very resistant.

Growing tomatoes for canning sauces and salsas

For best results growing paste tomatoes, make sure you’re burying your tomato stems as deep as possible leaving only 2-3 sets of leaves above ground. Mulch the base of your plants heavily to help block weeds and prevent moisture loss.

The way you fertilize them will affect their growth. To make healthy plants that bear lots of fruit, fertilize at planting with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer and then switch to potassium-rich fertilizer when they start making tomatoes and repeat as needed every 4-8 weeks.

It’s incredibly frustrating as a family that eats A LOT of tomatoes, that we haven’t found a really good producer in the paste tomato category.

So I went on the hunt for some paste varieties of tomatoes that are resistant to disease AND least likely to get BER. These suggestions are from seed companies and fellow tomato nerds who grow and trial many types of tomatoes to find what works the best.

Some are hybrids and some are heirloom tomatoes. If you’re not sure what that means, check out this video:

Best hybrid tomatoes for canning

Big Mama – A beast of a tomato made for dicing, this is a very popular variety for home canners. Known to be a great producer of meaty gargantuan fruits some say this is the best tomato for salsa.

Little Mama – Grow an impressive cluster of small roma-type tomatoes on indeterminate plants with this variety. It’s said to be easy to grow and a heavy producer.

Granadero f1 – an indeterminate variety, this hybrid has a killer disease package. It’s a heavy producer of extremely uniform medium-sized tomatoes with great flavor.

Pozanno F1 – another indeterminate that has incredible resistance to diseases and is not prone to blossom end rot. Has the classic San Marzano shape but doesn’t give in to long, hot summers.

Gladiator hybrid – if you’re looking for a larger paste tomato, consider growing this indeterminate variety by Burpee. This is a Roma type, but quite a bit larger and, despite its large size, is supposed to be good for patios and smaller gardens.

What heirloom tomato is best for salsa?

Heirloom tomatoes are great because they provide tried and true harvest for your salsa canning. Here are some great heirloom, or open-pollinated, varieties that you can choose from.

Amish Paste Tomato – praised for its sweet flavor and heavy fruit set, this classic heirloom tomato is an excellent choice for your favorite salsa recipe.

Marzano fire – A striking yellow-striped red tomato that has shown great disease resistance. This variety, bred in southern California by Fred Hempel, is loved by many who grow it.

Rio Grande – bred to be tolerant of both hot and cold temperatures, this determinate plant sets lots of red, 6-8 oz tomatoes. The thick meaty tomatoes have a mild flavor but are great for canning into paste, salsa, and sauces.

Saucey tomato – An early producer of heavy yields of small red meaty tomatoes with great flavor. The fruit keeps well on the vine so you can harvest all at once.

Goldman’s Italian American tomato – a very large thick-walled pear-shaped tomato that is great for canning. A unique heirloom variety that has an excellent flavor for saucing.

Santa Maria – a somewhat rare indeterminate Italian heirloom paste tomato that has an excellent sweet flavor. It’s meaty and has few seeds to make canning easier.

Heidi – Excellent flavor and resistance to blossom end rot are the winning features of this tomato. Although the tomatoes are on the small side, the plant is very productive.

Oroma – A very dense, not too juicy, long-holding tomato originally released by OSU. Has excellent resistance to BER despite its oblong nippled shape. I’ve heard great things about this nearly seedless paste tomato.

San Marzano Redorta – large Italian heirloom paste tomato with a great taste and impressive disease resistance.

Can you use any type of tomatoes for salsa?

Sure! Feel free to mix the types of tomatoes in your sauce or homemade salsa. If you don’t have enough Roma-type tomatoes, don’t hesitate to chop up a hefty beefsteak tomato.

One of the best things about growing your own tomatoes for canning is that you can mix in several different varieties to make your salsa. This can improve the flavor and texture of your home canned goods.

Are green tomatoes good for salsa? If you’re talking about green-when-ripe, then sure! They make a beautiful salsa, though their flavor tends to be more tart but I encourage you to try it. However, green tomatoes as in unripe tomatoes are not recommended for fresh eating.

Are grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes good for salsa? They’ll taste good, but it will take a lot of tomatoes and chopping to get enough sauce or salsa to preserve.

So if you’re looking for the best types of tomatoes to mix together for salsa, I recommend trying a few different varieties and seeing which ones you like the best. Experimenting with mixing different types of tomatoes to add sweetness, acidity, and texture to your favorite recipes, is just one of the pleasures of making it at home.

You could also try adding some of your favorite flavored slicing tomatoes or roast some cherry tomatoes to add flavor to your sauce. You can always freeze some tomatoes as the harvest is coming in and use them later on when you’re ready. There’s no right or wrong combination of tomatoes for making sauce, just use what you like to eat.

What is the difference between Roma tomatoes and regular tomatoes?

Paste and Roma-type tomatoes are best for salsa because they have a denser fruit with less juice and fewer seeds. When you dice other tomatoes, you end up with a big mess of seeds, juice, and gel. All of that part gets removed if you’re making fresh tomato salsa. With less of that wasted portion and a thicker, firmer flesh, these types of tomatoes provide more meat for your recipes.

Are Roma tomatoes good for slicing?

Although they’re not categorized as a slicing tomato, they are great for this purpose. For the same reasons mentioned above (less seeds, juice, and gel), you will enjoy adding fresh slices of Roma tomatoes to your salad or sandwich.

Got another paste tomato to recommend?

Share it in the comments!

The post 14 Best Tomatoes For Salsa, Canning, And Sauces appeared first on You Should Grow.

If indulging in homegrown tomatoes is the goal, then starting tomatoes from seed is the best way to get there. Starting tomato seeds indoors allows you to control the earliest moments of your tomato plant’s life.

Healthy, happy seedlings do better at transplanting and yield a better crop. Store bought plants may have been mislabeled, treated with chemicals, or stressed and this can really affect the results you get at home.

Growing Tomatoes From Seeds

Tomatoes are actually not hard to start from seed, but there are a few tricks of the trade that can help you get better results.

So in this article, we’ll go over:

● The ideal conditions for germinating tomato seeds
● How to take care of tomato seedlings in their first weeks of life
● Answers to common questions about starting tomato seeds

Before you get ready to start your tomato seeds, you first must choose some tomato varieties for your garden. Not all tomatoes are created equal, so it’s good to do your research before your pick among the thousands of choices.

When To Start Tomato Seeds

You’re shooting for 4-6 weeks before your last frost. You can start them earlier, but any less than 4 weeks and you might not have enough season to get fruit off your plants.

If you’re new to gardening, using seed starting calculators is super helpful. But if you’ve been gardening a while and know your approximate frost dates, start your plants 1-2 months prior to your last spring frost.

For example, in our area of Georgia, we start planting in April. So I know we need to have our tomatoes going by March. My sister lives in New Jersey where the last frost can come as late as mid May. So all of her tomato seeds should be planted starting in April.

What You Need To Grow Tomatoes From Seed

First things first, make sure you have all your supplies. You don’t need any special equipment here, but investing in some basic seed starting supplies definitely helps improve your results.

Recommended supplies:
● Seeds
● Germinating mix
● Containers + dome lid or plastic bag
● Labels
● Heat mat w/ thermometer (recommended, but not necessary)
● Shop light or grow light

How To Sprout Tomato Seeds

Step 1: Fill your container with premoistened germinating mix all the way to the top.

Especially if you’re using a soilless germinating mixture, wetting it down before you fill your containers makes sure that you get even moisture throughout.

Prevent air pockets (where roots can’t grow) by tapping your container to make sure soil settles into all the spaces. Top off with more germ mix if needed.

Step 2: Put seeds in the container

There’s not a real science to this, but you can do a few things to ensure the best results.

➤ Don’t set your seeds too deep. If you push your seeds too deep, they may have trouble popping out of the soil. I use my pointer finger to do this: up to the nail bed but not past the first knuckle.

➤ Don’t crowd them. It’s okay to put multiple seeds into your container, but if they’re too close the roots will get all tangled. You can always cut some out, but if you want to keep all your seedlings, make sure there’s enough space to separate them later.

➤ Do cover them lightly with germ mix or vermiculite.

Step 3: Label container

I recommend putting the variety name, number planted, and date planted.

Step 4: Soak them with water, then cover the container

Give your freshly planted seeds a healthy watering. You don’t want them swimming in soggy soil, but you do want to make sure they maintain some moisture.

Placing a dome lid over your tray or putting your tray in a bag will help keep the moisture in and slow drying.

Step 5: Set them on a heat mat

Here’s where the supplies you choose can make or break your results. To maintain temperature an ideal soil temperature of 80-85 degrees, you really need a heat mat.

If you do use a heat mat, make sure you get one with a thermometer so you can accurately control the soil temperature and not burn them up.

Just setting your seeds inside your house is probably warm enough but you can give them a boost by placing your seed tray on top of your refrigerator.

FYI: Don’t try to use a heating pad, they get way too hot and it’s really easy to cook your seeds and seedlings.

At cooler temperatures (75-80F), you can expect germination to be slower and less consistent-meaning some of your seeds may not sprout. Give them up to 10-14 days to sprout if you’re not using a heat source.

Step 6: Put up a light

Tomatoes don’t need light to germinate but hanging it on day one means it’s there as soon as that first seeding appears. Waiting to hang the light can lead to problems…namely long leggy stems.

You can use a regular shop light with a bright white bulb or buy a seedling specific grow light. Hang the shop light just a couple of inches above your seedling trays. If you’re using, bright LED grow lights you don’t want them quite as close.

Growing tomatoes from seed FAQs

How many tomato seeds per container?

This is up to you, but here’s my recommendation. If they are brand new seeds and you have a heat mat set up, you’ll probably get close to 100% germination. So plant exactly what you need plus maybe one or two more.

If the seeds are old, were saved at home not using fermentation, or if you don’t have a heat mat set up, plant a few extra just in case they don’t all come up.

If you plant extra seeds and they all pop, cut out the weakest sprouts and leave only what you need.

How long does it take for tomato seeds to sprout?

It will take as few as 2 and up to 10 days for your seeds to sprout.

Do I need to fertilize tomato seedlings?

Seedlings will need fertilizer once they are about 2 weeks old. We usually don’t fertilize until after we’ve transplanted them from the small cell seed starting trays.

Caring for tomato seedlings after they sprout

Once they sprout, continue to check on your seedlings daily. Sprouted tomato seedlings simply need water and light for the next week or two.

Keep them covered and on heat to facilitate sprouting and water when the top of the soil appears dry. After 10 or more days have passed (or when all the seeds sprout), you can remove the lid and pull them off the heat mat.

After your seeds have sprouted and are about two weeks old, you’re ready to move on to part two of growing tomatoes from seed: how to transplant your seedlings.

Questions about starting tomato seeds?

Cool. I’m on it! Leave me a comment or join my Facebook group to get help.

The post Growing Tomatoes From Seeds: The Complete Guide appeared first on You Should Grow.

Ready to grow your own hairy tomatoes from seed? Start here.

Tomato plant hairs are actually trichomes.

Your tomato plants are covered in trichomes. Some are long and look like white fuzz on your tomato stem. In the photo below, you can see the glossy strands of the long trichomes poking out all around the stem.  But there are also super tiny ones that look more like little bubbles covering the surface of the tomato plant. Those bubbles are actually perched right on top of super tiny trichomes.

Why do tomatoes have trichomes?

Tomatoes have trichomes to help protect them from pests and disease. The tiny trichomes on tomato plants are like glands that secrete essential oils which give tomato plants their wonderful scent. It is precisely that scent that aims to repel some pests. The tomato plant can react to times of stress by altering the compounds within its trichomes to attempt to deter critters that may want to chomp on it. It is presumed that the pests find the taste, scent, or texture of the essential oils unappealing. If you’ve grown tomatoes before, you know this is not a fail-proof method by any means. But who knows how many more pests would be present without the distasteful oils.

The leaves and fruit of tomato plants are also covered in trichomes. As with the stem, there are trichomes on tomato fruit and leaves that keep them coated with essential oils. Trichomes and their oils form a barrier to prevent bacterial, fungal, and viral infection in addition to trapping water and reducing evaporation.

That’s pretty cool, huh?

Why do tomato plant trichomes matter to gardeners?

It is important to understand the role of the trichomes so that you can be cautious not to damage this protective layer. When pruning your tomatoes, be careful not to squeeze or scrape your plants. Your tomato plant can repair itself, but the wound is an invitation for infection to enter. The damaged area is without the protection of trichomes until the plant can form a scar over the wound.

You may also notice that oils will also begin to accumulate on your hands and fingers during pruning. It starts out as yellow, and as it becomes caked on your skin, it turns black.

Trichomes are to blame for tomato fingers.

If you’ve worked with your tomatoes, you know what I’m talking about! A dirty black film builds up on our hands when you’ve been handling your tomato plants. It happens when you plant, prune, tie up, or harvest. The more time you spend with your tomatoes, the more it gets caked on your fingertips. Some people call it tomato tar.

I call it Tomato Fingers!

These fingers are somewhere in between the green and black stage. Probably with some red clay mixed in. But you get the idea.

It is the build-up of the compounds on the trichomes that make that nasty film.

Remember that the trichomes secrete essential oils? Those oils are what become stuck to your finger and nails. They’re very sticky, and they don’t wipe off easily.

If you are familiar with this stuff, you also know that hand soap seems to just slide around on top of it. That is because the oils are not water-soluble. And don’t try to wipe it off with your hand towels because it will stain them!

I use rubbing alcohol or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and paper towels to scrub off as much as I can. With the crust wiped off, you can more easily get your hands clean. The alcohol dissolves the oils and makes it easier to wash your hands clean with soap and water.

Trichomes are a tomato’s best self-defense

Isn’t that cool that tomatoes can defend themselves with hair?! I am in awe of all the beautiful ways mother nature solves problems. The tomatoes needed a way to defend themselves. They don’t have arms or legs or brains, but they have hair. And they made that work. That’s neat.

If you like finding out cool things like this, please grow a garden. There’s lots of cool stuff to be found out there!

Need some help getting started? Check out these posts

Beginner Gardening Tips

Seed Starting For Beginners

Five Tomatoes You Should Grow

More Info

Visit these additional sites for some seriously awesome tomato hair pics and more info about trichomes.

What type of trichome is on tomato plants?

There are two types of trichomes – glandular and non-glandular. Tomatoes have both glandular and non-glandular types of trichomes. Wondering what trichomes look like? Here’s a microscopic view of tomato trichomes and how they interact with a thrip.

Here’s some more nerdy stuff if you like to know the technical details.

Biomechanics of trichome defense

The development of type VI glandular trichomes in the cultivated tomato

Overview of secretory and glandular trichomes.

The post What You Need To Know About The Hair On Your Tomato Plant appeared first on You Should Grow.

Transplanting Tomato Seedlings

There are several reasons why we make the extra effort to start our seedlings in very small containers and repot them at least once before they go out into the garden.

Small celled seed starting trays

It’s easier to get ideal temperature and moisture conditions for starting tomato seeds in the small cell trays. When we start in a 128 cell tray, we can fit more plants in less space which is convenient for placing them on heat mats and under lights.

There’s no fertilizer in germinating mix.

We start seeds in a soilless mixture that contains no nutrients. We don’t want them to stay in that until planting, so we transition them from the soilless mix to potting soil to garden soil.

The transitioning in soil type and container size encourages root growth. So transplanting helps the seedlings build a stronger root system which makes for healthier plants in the garden.

When to transplant tomato seedlings

Tomato seedlings are ready to be transplanted when they have their first set of true leaves or at least 2 sets of leaves. Depending on the variety, they can be 2-4 inches tall at this stage.

Waiting too long to transplant seedlings can lead to yellowing of the leaves and roots that grow around the edges of the container and even out the holes.

If you realize you’ve waited too long, don’t worry. You can still save them by transplanting, but the longer they stay in their starting container the more they’ll struggle.

How to transplant tomato seedlings

① Get a container at least twice as large as the original container. Your seedling should have a good inch of space all around it when it’s in its new home.

② Fill a bowl or bucket with a 50:50 blend of seed starting mix and potting soil. Wet it until it is evenly moist and holds its shape when squeezed in your hand.

③ Fill the new container with your soil mixture and make a hole in the center nearly down to the bottom.

④ Loosen your seedling from its container. If there’s a hole on the bottom poke a pencil up there or gently squeeze around the container to help it slip out. It’s easier to remove seedlings from seed starting trays when they’re dry, so don’t water just before you transplant.

⑤ Pinch two of the true leaves together and pull to lift your seedling out of its container. Pinching the stem can damage the vascular supply in it or even kill your seedling. Trust me, it’s okay. Pull them out by the leaves.

⑥ Set your seedling into the hole in the soil in the new container.

⑦ Tomatoes like to have their stem buried, so put your seedling in as deep as you can with at least 1 set of true leaves above the soil surface. Pinch off any leaves that will be buried.

⑧ Fill in around the seedling with soil mix and press firmly. You want to remove any air pockets in the soil.

⑨ Water it well and set it back under the lights.

When you’re transplanting tomato seedlings into bigger pots, you will sometimes notice that they wilt after you move them. It can be a little stressful on the plants especially if you missed some waterings.

If they wilt after you transplant them, make sure you water them well and move them away from the light for a day. Once they perk back up, you can move them back under the lights.

Caring for transplanted tomato seedlings

After transplanting, continue to care for your seedlings as you did before transplanting. They’ll need at least 2 weeks to adjust to their new containers before you put them out in the garden.

If you want really lush strong plants, give them a half dose of organic liquid fertilizer (this one is the bomb!) every 5-7 days while they’re still indoors.

Next steps

Your tomato plants need to hang out in their new containers for at least 2 weeks before you plant them out in the garden. During the last week or two before your last frost, you’ll need to start hardening them off.

Ready for the next step? Let’s talk about how to harden off tomato seedlings!

Do you go to the effort of transplanting tomato seedlings?

Let me know in the comments!

The post Pro Tips For Transplanting Tomato Seedlings appeared first on You Should Grow.

While staking tomato plants isn’t absolutely necessary, in my experience, it helps keep your tomatoes healthier and more productive by minimizing pests and disease as well as giving you easier access to pick your fruit.

If you choose not to tie up your tomatoes, they will happily sprawl across the ground taking up as much space as you let them. But the drawback is that your plants and fruit are resting on the soil which means you’ll have a harder time identifying and treating pest and disease issues.

Staking Tomatoes

When we talk about tying up tomato plants, it’s important to distinguish between determinate and indeterminate tomato plants.

Determinate tomatoes tend not to get as big as indeterminates, but they usually still need to be staked or caged in some way. Indeterminate tomatoes will grow and grow until they die from frost or disease.

In fact, the record for the tallest tomatoes is 65 feet! (source) And it’s not uncommon for indeterminate tomato plants to grow to 7-9 feet tall.

Isn’t that tomato arch amazing?! That’s what an indeterminate tomato plant will do if kept alive under ideal conditions.

Do tomato plants need to be staked?

Staking or tying up tomato plants is important to support the plant as it grows and provides easy access for you to collect tomatoes, prune the plants, and monitor for pest and disease issues.

I’ve grown tomatoes using the sprawling method (i.e. do nothing and let them grow) and using various methods for staking. I found that the sprawling tomatoes appeared healthy and grew well, but we did not get a great tomato harvest from it.

The tomatoes were smaller, and we lost a lot of fruit to hornworms that we couldn’t see in the viney mess. That experience convinced me that tying up tomatoes is best for tomato plant health and fruit production.

If you’re also convinced you need to be staking tomato plants, then you have a few options for accomplishing the task.

Easiest method for staking tomatoes: the cage

If you have just a handful of tomato plants, you might choose to use tomato cages. The typical tomato cages that you find at the garden center do come with some limitations, though.

For most indeterminate tomato plants, they are far too small to support a plant for more than a few weeks. They also make it hard to prune your tomato plant. If you’re going for the bushy look, then don’t worry about that.

But if you like to remove suckers and dead leaves, then the standard tomato cage can make that job more difficult. That said, there are a lot of homemade versions that aren’t as restrictive.

Types of tomato cages

If you’re looking to purchase a tomato cage, there are lots of options. The most common type of tomato cage looks like the ones in the photo above.

Make sure when you are purchasing a tomato cage you get one that is appropriate for the type of tomato you are growing. Check your seed pack or plant tag to see how tall and wide your tomato plant will grow.

You can also build your own tomato cages using wood, strings tied around stakes, or just a big circle of hog wire.

Using a stake or trellis to support tomato plants

Another fairly simple solution is to tie your tomato plants to a stake or trellis. For smaller plants like dwarf and micro sized tomatoes, you can get away with a single post driven into the ground. Then use string, velcro strips, or whatever you have to tie the main stem to the stake.

For larger plants, a metal t-post pounded 12+ inches into the ground is better. Attaching a section of hog wire or cattle panels to your stake will give you more space to tie up your plants.

You can use strips of old pantyhose, t-shirts, or store bought plant ties to attach the plant to your support method.

Tying tomato plants with the Florida weave

The Florida weave works great for our long rows of plants, but it’s one of the most labor-intensive ways to tie up tomatoes.

The idea of the Florida weave is to pull your twine from post to post alternating sides of your tomato plants. As you walk the twine from post to post, weave it between the tomato plants so that the twine lays against opposite sides of neighboring tomato plants.

At the end of the row of plants, turn around and weave in the opposite direction. When you’re done, you have tomato stems sandwiched between two lines of twine.

You’ll have to repeat the process every week or so while your plants are growing moving the string 6-12″ higher on the t-posts as the plants grow.

Because it takes so much time, it’s easy to get behind with this method, and later in the season, we often just pull the string and clip or tie the tomato plants to hold them in place.

Staking tomatoes is worth the effort

We get better results when we prune and tie up our tomato plants. It does require some work, time, and planning, but if it means more tomatoes, it’s totally worth it.

The method of tying up really doesn’t matter as much as long as it gets done. In my opinion, decreasing contact with the soil and allowing better airflow through your plants improves the overall harvest you get.

How about you? Do you stake your tomatoes or do you let them sprawl?

Share your experience in the comments!

The post Staking Tomatoes For Healthier Plants (And More Fruit) appeared first on You Should Grow.

What is clay soil?

All soil is composed of varying proportions of sand particles, silt particles, and clay particles. Of the three particles, clay is the smallest, and it is very sticky. Because of that, it’s a great medium for nutrient and water retention, but it also tends to get very dense and compacted.

Here’s a video explaining the mason jar test to determine how much clay is in your soil.

If your soil is composed of 50% clay or greater, you have clay soil.

A lot of people think that clay soil is hard to grow in, but it’s actually a good soil for gardening because it retains nutrients and water quite well. On the other hand, the same qualities that cause it to retain moisture and nutrients cause it to be very dense, and too much density can smother plant roots.

Why is some clay soil red?

It’s the iron oxide (aka rust) component of our clay soil is what causes it to be so red. Red clay soil tends to be acidic and low in calcium which is why we often add lime to raise the pH and add some of the missing minerals. Although I call it Georgia red clay, red clay soil can be found in many areas of the southeast and other parts of the country. Here is a map showing areas of the US where red clay is commonly found.

How Not To Work With Clay Soil 

The most important advice you can get for working with clay soil is how NOT to handle it. Here are the 3 most important things not to do with clay because they can cause disastrous and permanent results for your garden.

1) Never ever work it when it’s wet

If you start digging around clay soil when it’s wet, you’ll create areas of super compacted soil that basically turn into rocks. This is a great reason to get your spring garden ready in the fall or winter because having to wait for your soil to dry in the spring can put you days to weeks off track.

2) Never ever leave it bare

Clay soil will form a thick impermeable crust when it’s bare, so naked clay soil will lead to a major runoff problem when it rains. Wheat straw and wood chips are good choices for mulching on clay soil. In addition to mulch, using cover crops is a great method for improving clay soil in garden beds that are resting. Winter rye and red clover are two of my favorites for increasing organic matter and blocking weeds in your garden bed.

3) Be super careful adding sand

It seems like an intuitive decision – add sand to make clay soil more permeable. But in reality that is a dangerous move. You’ll have to add enough sand to your soil that sand comprises about 50% of your garden soil. And if your proportions are off, mixing sand with clay will turn it into a substance like concrete.

And there’s no going back to undo it.

What should you do with clay soil?

First and foremost, do not be afraid to plant directly into your clay soil. We have super dense Georgia red clay soil, and we can easily grow most veggies in it just fine. If you want to improve heavy clay soil for planting, there is one easy thing you can do. Plus I have some tips for growing vegetables in clay soil.

Ready? Ok.

Amending clay soil

The best thing you can do to improve clay soil is to keep adding organic matter at every opportunity. Organic material improves aeration and drainage, adds nutrients, and encourages insects and a healthy microbial environment. Best of all, it’s super simple to do. If you’re keeping a cover crop or mulch on your soil, these can be worked in for organic matter. Compost is an excellent way to improve the nutrient content as well as the health of your soil.

Reiterating point number 2 above, the most important thing when gardening in clay soil is to always mulch around the base of your plants. Especially in clay soil which forms a crust that actually repels water. For mulch, we like a combination of a barrier like paper or plastic mulch topped with straw or wood chips. This helps retain moisture in the soil, block weeds, and control the temperature at the base of the plants.

Water as needed, but don’t overwater

Just because we say that clay soil retains water doesn’t mean a garden in clay soil needs to be watered less. But you do have to watch out not to over water.

●  Are your plants green and lush? Do they have flowers? These are happy plants. Keep doing what you’re doing.

● Are the leaves yellow and limp? It could be too much or too little water. Stick your finger in the soil to find out.

If it’s not too wet or too dry, it could be a nutrient issue or one of these other reasons for leaf problems. We also still have to fertilize clay soil gardens. Dosing your plants with an organic liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks is recommended.

Amendments not recommended for clay soils

Sand – you would have to add an entire beach to get desirable soil. Too little sand can create more dense soil and form solid, brick-like clumps.

Peat moss – the super absorptive qualities of peat moss are not desirable in clay soils that already drain slowly. You could create something more like a bog by adding peat to clay garden soil.

Gypsum – not all clay soil is created equal. Some types of clay are more alkaline, and gypsum is a fine additive in those soils. However, if your clay soil is acidic (like our Georgia red clay), gypsum is not recommended.

Silty soil is similar to clay soil

Silt particles are close to clay in size, only a little bigger. But they’re still much smaller than sand. Silty soils are heavier soils that retain moisture and nutrients, but they drain better than clay soils. Treat silty soil like clay soil. Add organic matter to improve aeration and drainage, and avoid materials that retain moisture like peat moss and vermiculite as you could end up with a soggy mess.

The post Gardening In Red Clay Soil? You’re Better Off Than You Think appeared first on You Should Grow.

Growing a lush and productive garden isn’t complicated, and the secret is all in the soil and nutrients you’re providing to your plants.

Undoubtedly, plants that get healthy soil and nutrients grow bigger, prettier, and make more fruit. But it’s easy to forget that, just like humans, plants need to be fed from time to time to help them grow.

If the thought of using commercially produced synthetic fertilizer makes you cringe, here’s some good news. You can make your own, very healthy and nutritious plant fertilizer right at home with things you already have.

Homemade Plant Food Recipes

You can easily make your own organic plant food at home, and these recipes will lay it all out for you to make it easy and quick to get a greener garden.

The ingredients for your DIY natural fertilizer are similar to things you would be putting into your compost pile. If you’re not composting, that’s okay.

You don’t need a compost pile to put these ingredients together to make a healthy homemade fertilizer.

If you’re not familiar with the basic nutrient needs of plants, I strongly recommend you read through this article on fertilizer and nutrients for plants.

It’s not necessary to understand this to make your fertilizer, but growing vegetables makes a lot more sense when you understand their basic nutrient needs.

Cooking Water As Plant Food

You can use the water from cooking vegetables like potatoes and corn as well as water from boiled eggs and cooking pasta as fertilizer for your plants.

Just let the water cool before pouring it at the base of your plants.

Grass and Weed “Tea” Liquid Fertilizer

After you mow your lawn, you can save the grass clippings to make high nitrogen fertilizer. But if your lawn is like ours, then it’s full of crabgrass, dandelions, and all sorts of weeds.

You don’t want to place cut weeds directly in your garden in case there are any seeds present, but you can ferment all the clippings for a few weeks then use the filtered water to fertilize your plants.

Simply put your clippings in a bucket, fill to top with water, cover and let them sit for 3-4 weeks. Pour off the liquid to use in your garden and toss the remains in the trash or an unused area of your property.

DIY Food Scraps Fertilizer

It’s super easy to throw together food scraps to make a very effective fertilizer. Store scraps in your fridge or freezer until you have enough to use – a gallon freezer bag is plenty. The more you use, the larger batch of fertilizer you’ll have.

When you have enough scraps, all you do is blend them with enough water to make a puree. To make liquid fertilizer, soak the puree in water for 1-3 nights. Pour off the water and use that for watering your plants once a week.

Throw the solid leftover bits into your compost bin or bury them right in your garden. When you bury the ground up veggies, you’re basically composting right in your garden soil.

Here are some safe items to include in your food scraps fertilizer:

* Vegetable scraps
* Banana peels and other fruit scraps
* Used coffee grounds
* Eggshells
* Used tea leaves
* Powdered milk
* Fish and shellfish pieces
* Gelatin

How often should you fertilize?

For a super happy and productive veggie garden, make a little batch of homemade fertilizer every week. Because this solution is very weak, it’s safe and effective to use it more often.

Diluting down your fertilizer and feeding your plants more often gives a more even supply of nutrients and can improve your overall results.

Using these fertilizers in conjunction with additives that condition your soil will gradually build healthier soil for long term results and easier gardening success.

Do you have a homemade fertilizer recipe?

Share your experience in the comments below!

The post Boost Your Harvest With Homemade Fertilizers appeared first on You Should Grow.

Did you know beets are one of the healthiest veggies you can eat? Despite that, beets are one of the most polarizing veggies out there—you either love them or despise them.

If you’re a beet-lover like myself, you’ll be glad to know that learning how to grow beets yourself is very doable! Whether you prefer them juiced or roasted in a salad, a home-grown harvest of beets will taste better than anything else out there.

How To Grow Beets

Beets are a beneficial root vegetable that will give you a whole host of nutrients, without all the calories. So why wouldn’t you want to add them to your diet and garden?

The best part is that they are surprisingly easy to grow too. So even if you are a beginning gardener, you should be successful with these tips.

Varieties Of Beets

Before we get into how to grow beets, you have to choose your variety. There are numerous varieties of beets to choose from white to yellow to red.

Each has a slightly different look and taste, so if you have had a particularly delicious beet dish somewhere, make sure to ask what kind of beet they are using. Each varietal takes around 50-70 days before they can be harvested – unless you’re growing them for microgreens.

Here are a few of the most popular options to select from:

• Big Red – Takes approximately 55 days before they are ready for harvest.
• Sangria – On average, you are looking at 56 days before you can pick them.
• Golden – These yellow beets can be picked after 55 days.
• Detroit Dark Red – These are the beets you are accustomed to seeing. They can be harvested around 58 days.
• Pacemaker – Just like in the name, these are fast-growing beets and can be picked in 50 days.

Get the best price on organic beet seeds here.

Growing Beets Trick #1: Choose loose healthy soil

Like other veggies, beets like a lot of sunlight. So choose a location that gets at least 6 hours of sun daily. You will also want to amend your soil if it’s too rocky, dense, or doesn’t drain well (as some clay soil). Beets are also ideal candidates for growing in containers and raised beds.

Because beets are root crops, they need to have space for their roots to grow out and then swell. Hard or rocky soil makes this more difficult for them to do. If you make sure your soil is easy to dig in, then your beets should grow just right.

Beets prefer a pH between 6.0 – 7.0 and don’t need a lot of nitrogen. When we think of nitrogen and plants, we think about growing big leafy greens. But if you want a healthy root crop, make sure your soil has plenty of phosphorous.

You’ll need a soil test to determine the nutrient content. The best way to learn this is by sending a soil sample off to your county extension agent, but there are also some home kits (we’ve used this one) that can give you a quick answer. When needed, a fertilizer with a higher middle NPK number (like bone meal) is more appropriate for growing beets.

Trick #2: Plant them at the right time

Beets can be planted in the spring or the fall, and, like broccoli, can tolerate a little bit of cold weather. In the spring, set seeds in the ground 2-3 weeks before the last frost.

In southern climates, they may actually do better when planted in September and October. This is because the hot weather will make your beets bitter and pithy.

Whether in spring or fall, here are some quick planting tips for beets:

• Drag a line into the soil about 1/2 inch deep.
• Plant one seed every 1-2 inches in a row.
• Keep the rows spaced out at least 1 foot apart.
• After you plant the seeds in the soil carefully cover them up with dirt.
• Tap or press the ground, so it is more compact–I usually use my hand for this, and it will keep the soil nice and firm around the seed.

Label your garden (it’s far too easy to forget what you planted where!) and give water it in well. You should try to keep the soil moist as the beets are growing, particularly as they are getting started in those first few weeks.

Trick #3 For Perfect Beets: Protect the roots

While growing beets is reasonably low-maintenance, there are a few things you will need to do to ensure they grow properly. In the first couple of weeks as your beets sprout, you will need to thin out the seedlings so that the adult plants aren’t too crowded.

To thin your beets, use scissors to cut the excess seedlings at the soil level. You don’t want to pull them up as you may disturb the root system of the plants you want to keep. If you leave them and they’re crowded, your beets can be smaller and less tasty.

Don’t overdo it when thinning though. Leave enough growing beets so that the plants are 3-4 inches apart, then add some mulch to help protect the plant and keep it moist. Letting your beet plants dry out is a sure-fire way to get an unsatisfying crop.

Shallow beet roots can be disturbed easily so make sure to treat your soil gently while beets are growing. Another important tip is to make sure weeds don’t encroach into the space where the beets are planted.

Weeds are never a great addition to your garden, but this is particularly true with beets. Gently remove them without disturbing your plants because left alone, they will crowd root space and steal the nutrients you want the beets to get.

Growing Beets: Harvest Time!

As your beets grow, you can harvest some of the leaves (no more than 50%) for eating. Beet greens are some of my favorite greens. They’re quite tasty sauteed like spinach or turnip greens.

When they’re about 2 months old or the leaves are over 6 inches, it’s time to harvest the roots! Gently grasp your beet plant at the base and pull it out of the ground. You should have a perfect round beet!

Never cut the leaves off of them or it will cause the juice to seep out. Simply twist the leaves gently until they come off. Remember, you can eat the greens off of the beets, so don’t throw them away.

Storing Beets

Keep the beets cold in the refrigerator, and they will last anywhere from 1-3 weeks. If you remove the top off of the beets, they will last a little bit longer. You can also store your harvest in the basement or another cool, moist, and dark place.

Beets can be canned, pickled, and dehydrated for use at a later date. Another simple option is to freeze them. You can keep beets in the freezer for up to a year—they’ll always be ready for you to enjoy.

Have fun growing your own beets!

Now you know how to grow beets, so you are all ready to start your latest crop! Enjoy your hard work with every juicy, earthy bite you take.

The post Three Tricks To Growing Perfect Beets appeared first on You Should Grow.