The latest installment in the ongoing saga of the RickvanMan gardening challenge! www.container-gardening-for-food.com is my official gardening website. .

Growing tomato plants is FUN and easy! Anybody can do it, providing you follow a few simple guidelines. There is nothing more satisfying than growing and eating your own home grown produce.

DID YOU KNOW – tomatoes were not eaten for about a century after their introduction to the American continent? Europeans thought that the red fruit of the plant was poisonous. And, you may have noticed that I said fruit! That is because a tomato is actually a FRUIT, not a vegetable, as is commonly thought to be. Well, technically it is a berry, because it is the ovary of the flowering tomato plant. But whatever you choose to call it, this vegetable is one of the most commonly grown vegetables throughout the United States. For who can resist a freshly picked, bright red tomato, straight from the vine? I know I can’t.

During your tomato growing journey you will discover many varieties of tomatoes. Some are as small as marbles, known as cherry tomatoes, and some can grow as big as a softball, known as beefsteak tomatoes. Tomatoes also come in a host of different colors ranging from yellow, to orange, to purple, and to the all loved and well known red tomatoes.

You may be surprised to hear that tomato plants come in two different types: determinates and indeterminates.

Why the funny names, you may ask? Well, it is actually quite logical and makes sense, once you know the answer. Determinates grow to a specific height and then stop growing, as if their height was pre-determined before they started growing. Because of this, they are a great choice for people with small spaces, or perhaps those who want to plant their tomatoes indoors. The indeterminate tomato plants are the opposite of the latter, having no pre-determined growing height. These tomato plants are sometimes called vine tomatoes, as they behave like a vine. Because of this, indeterminate tomato plants usually require support, like stakes or fences, thus making for fantastic outdoor growing.

You can grow your tomatoes from seeds, which is not too difficult, or you can just buy small seedling plants from garden centers. Seeds can be purchased over the internet these days and many hard to find varieties are seen more commonly because of this reason. Tomatoes are hungry for water and sunshine, with well-drained soil. Follow those basic steps and you can’t really go wrong, the plants will grow themselves. But there are many techniques and growing tips around if you would like to grow your tomatoes super tasty and juicy. In fact, there is a whole ART to producing superior tomatoes.

There is nothing quite like plucking a ripe tomato from the garden and eating it right then and there. But, why would you want to grow your tomatoes upside down? Well, if you are a tomato lover and trying to produce the best growing tomatoes possible, you have undoubtedly heard about this increasingly popular method of growing your own tomatoes.

There are many reasons why growing your tomatoes upside down has become such a fad:

- unnecessary to use tomato cages, stakes, or ties

- decreased concerns with animals, slugs, or other soil related pests

- no tilling required and less weeding problems

- better air circulation, therefore, increased pollination and healthier plants

- can grow in almost any location – patio or balcony

- plants mature early, producing tomatoes 2 – 4 weeks earlier than if planted in the garden

- less soil diseases due to using fresh soil or a soilless mixture

- can grow larger plants than the patio varieties

- fewer spots on the tomatoes since the fruits do not touch the ground

- more space in the garden to grow other plants

- tomatoes can be picked off the plant without bending down or crawling around the plant

- watering is easy

If you have a small area in which to garden, growing your tomatoes upside down may provide the perfect solution. As long as the planter can be hung in a location that gets plenty of sun, you should have very few problems producing the best growing tomatoes imaginable. The small-fruited varieties such as cherry tomatoes are the choice recommended plants for growing upside down.

Deborah is an avid gardener with a special interest in growing tomato plants. Are you trying to grow the best juicy and tasty tomato possible, and avoid disease, pests, and soil problems? Best Growing Tomatoes. Check out this fantastic guide on how to grow fabulous tomatoes right now! http://www.bestgrowingtomatoes.info

I got an early start on planting some tomatoes on my roof top deck over looking the park. Low and behold the lived and produced a ton of tomatoes.

hand pollinating tomato