Tomato seedlings to Plants

You can't beat delicious home-grown tomatoes.

Here's a quickie on how to grow tomatoes via pictures. It starts with growing tomatoes from seed all the way to harvest. I use cell packs as it allows for numerous types of seeds in one cell pack, but you can use what you like. 
Keep plants well fed and well watered, especially during the summer and happy harvesting.
Cheers,
Amanda

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Start seedlings from mid February through March.

For stocky seeds, provide them with at least 8 hours of direct light a day, which means a grow light with a timer is required.

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Keep only the strongest seedlings.

Cell packs help save space but gives each tomato seedling their own space. Once they outgrow the cell packs, pot each one into a 2 inch pot.

Bury part of the stem once the leaves are removed as the stem will develop more roots.

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Once the tomato plants have outgrown the 2 inch pots, repot into a 4 inch pot.

Loosen the roots if they are rootbound.

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Once the plants outgrow the 4 inch pot plant them into a gallon pot.

Remove the leaves from the lower part of the stem so you can bury it to further increase their roots.

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Loosen the roots slightly and place the tomato plant into the pot so part of the stem is buried,

Firm the soil around the roots and provide support immediately by including a bamboo stake.

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Secure the stem to the bamboo stake using soft twine in a loose figure eight.

Already to be watered and placed in a bright location but away from full sun until it has revived from its ordeal.

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These tomatoes have just been planted and look a little sad.

Two days later and the tomatoes have perked up and can receive full sun.

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Before planting outside, harden them off by slowly acclimatizing them to the outdoors.

In May, once the danger of frost has passed, and the plants have been hardened off, they can be planted outside. I like to cage both my vine tomatoes (indeterminate) and bush (determinate) types.

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By June, the tomato plants should be growing to beat the band. I use a red tomato growing ring to hold moisture, compost tea and kelp fertilizer.

To tame plants remove suckers that form in the axils of stems and foliage.

By July fruit should be plentiful, with maybe a few ripe ones - depending on the variety and the weather.

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By August fruits are ripening. For tasty tomatoes and healthy plants, provide adequate food and regular moisture.

By September harvest is at it's peak. Harvest fruits regularly to prevent them from rotting and spreading diseases.

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In September ensure the remaining tomatoes ripen by cutting stem and flower ends.

Cut just above a leaf or ripening fruit.

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A Big Beef tomato.

The tasty meat of a Big Beef tomato.

Isis Candy tomatoes are delish!

Cherry tomatoes ripening.

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