Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden

Do you love the taste and texture of homegrown tomatoes? Or do you like the ideas of nutritious, inexpensive tomatoes? Read on to find the best tomato plant for you and your garden.

Steps

 * 1) Look at your gardening area. Ask yourself these questions: Is it a small pot in the patio? A raised bed in the backyard? A garden in an extremely humid or cold place? Is it in the shade or the hot sun? These questions will benefit your choice.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2) Consider what you want out of a tomato. Do you want giant tomatoes to show off? Do you want a large or small harvest? Do you want to use them in sandwiches, salads, salsas, or sauces? Do you want an old-fashioned, classic taste?[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 3) Make sure your garden is ready for a tomato plant. One tomato plant needs at least one square foot of area, but depending on its type and growth rate, may stretch even further.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 3.jpg|center]]
 * 4) Go to the local gardening store with your list of questions in mind. (Try Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or even Wal-Mart.) You may even want to research online for the final decision.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 5)  Here is a list of classic well-loved tomatoes that do well in gardens:
 * 6) *For small areas (like a pot on the patio), try cherry tomatoes. You may be surprised at how well they do in your pot and how sweet they taste in salads and off the vine.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 5Bullet1.jpg|center]]
 * 7) *For an old-fashioned, classic taste, try heirlooms such as Brandywine, Black Krum, or more. These have a delicious taste and do well in almost anything, but can be more susceptible to disease than hybrids. These do best in a larger area.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 5Bullet2.jpg|center]]
 * 8) *For giant kinds, try Big Boy and/or Beefsteak. These kinds take up a lot of space and if you want them to be big, you should prune some of the tomatoes off it so it focuses on making them bigger, not making more. These kinds can attempt to overgrow your garden, so be aware! They taste best in sandwiches and sometimes salads.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 5Bullet3.jpg|center]]
 * 9) Head to your nearest gardening store. (Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, Home Depot) Then, pick out plants or a seed packet that fits your expectations. Finally, buy some pots, fertilizer and soil.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 6.jpg|center]]
 * 10) Drive to your house, and plant your plant in a gardening area. The area should get at least six hours of sunlight each day. Your transplants should fruit in one or two months, seeds in three or four months.[[Image:Pick the Right Tomato Plant for Your Garden Step 7.jpg|center]]

Tips

 * Make sure that your plant gets at least one inch of water each week. In the ground, a thorough, deep watering will encourage deep roots, enabling the plant(s) to do well in during the hot, dry summer. Potted tomato plants need more frequent, regular watering.
 * Look in seed catalogs for ideas. Some even give transplants.

Related wikiHows

 * Buy Tomatoes