What Are the Main Elements That Help Tomato Plants Grow?
- Provide a tomato plant the essentials it needs to produce healthy fruit.Tomato plant image by Trombax from Fotolia.com
Tomatoes are the most popular homegrown crop in the United States, according to the University of Missouri Extension, and with good reason---these plants are easy to care for and maintain, produce profusely and rapidly and have numerous culinary uses. Many varieties of tomato seeds and seedlings exist in the market, allowing a gardener to choose one that meets her needs and specifications. - Tomato plants love warm temperatures. Planting tomato seeds or transplanting seedlings to their permanent outdoor spot when the temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the day or traces of frost still remain will impair their growth and development. Minimum daytime temperatures must remain consistently above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, with nighttime temperatures above 55 degrees for a healthy crop.
On the flip side, extreme summer temperatures above 95 degrees impede tomato plants from producing flowers, thus bringing production to a halt. Ideal summer temperatures for tomato plants to develop healthy stems and leaves and produce flowers and fruit range between 68 degrees and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. - Each tomato is comprised of 90 to 95 percent water, which explains the need to irrigate the plant extensively. Supplement rainfall with irrigated water to provide the plant between 1 to 2 inches of water every week. Infrequent but deep watering prevents weak roots that frequent light watering encourage. Always water the plant at soil level to avoid wetting the foliage, which increases the chances of fungal diseases. Spread an even layer of compost, straw, hay, grass clippings or paper mulch to retain moisture and keep roots cool.
- Plant supports such as trellises, stakes or tomato cages improve quality, reduce the chances of diseased crops and make the process of harvesting ripe tomatoes easier and less time-consuming. A simple 6-foot-long, 1-by-2-inch wooden stake is as functional as a cylindrical cage made from wire wide enough to allow a person's hand to fit through easily.
Insert the stake behind the tomato transplant, 4 inches away. Wind lengths of soft cord from the stem to the stake so the stem grows upright and supports the heavy fruit. - Space tomato seeds or seedlings sufficiently apart to provide each plant ample room to spread its branches and grow, regardless of whether it has a tomato cage or trellis for support, or is allowed to sprawl on the ground.
The spacing, according to the University of Missouri Extension, ranges between 24 to 36 inches for individual plants, with rows 4 to 5 feet apart. Growing tomato plants with this spacing in mind enables good air circulation, thus reducing the chance of fungal diseases that damage entire crops, and allows most parts to receive direct sunlight.
