Imagine if every time you wanted fresh tomatoes for your salad or taco, or wanted a healthy tomato snack, they were one walk to your backyard away! Last year, my family planted a couple tomato plants along our back fence and they turned out great! And if you have extra tomatoes, give then away to your neighbors- because who doesn't appreciate garden-grown food! Alright, let's get to it!
Step 1: Get your seeds!
Almost every gardening store sells tomato seeds, and you can get them on Amazon as well. Choose your favorite type of tomato- or plant a variety! Or, if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, dig some seeds out of those cherry tomatoes sitting in the fridge.
Step 2: Plant them!
The next step is to plant your seeds. The best way to do that is to plant the seeds in a pot, then transfer them outside once they are bigger. Fill the pot with soil, and place your seeds 1/4 inch below the soil. The more seeds you plant, the better of a chance you have to get a tomato plant, but don't crowd the pot. You can also use an egg carton to put the seeds in, which I posted about last spring. Then, water the seed lightly.
Step 3: Wait.
Your seeds will start sprouting after about one week. Remember to always keep the soil moist to the touch. Once your little green shoots spring up, wait until one is bigger and stronger than the rest, and remove all others from the pot. Continue watering.
Step 4: Transfer the plant.
Once your plant is 4-5 inches tall, and the average temperature outside at night is 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit, it is safe to move your plants outside! This will allow them better access to sun. Find a spot in direct sunlight, and dig a hole. Carefully remove your tomato plant from the pot. It is fine if all the dirt comes with it, as long as your hole is big enough! Place the plant in the hole and fill it back in with soil. Pat down the dirt and give your plant a little water.
Step 5: Wait- again.
Continue checking on your plant. If there has been no rain in a while, or you think your plant is drooping, water it. Pretty soon you'll start to see yellow flowers start to appear! These are the tomato blossoms. If you look close enough, you might even start to see tiny green balls! Those are the baby tomatoes!
Step 6: Harvest!
When the green tomatoes turn soft and red, or yellow based on what kind you planted, it's time to eat them! Make sure the whole tomato is red, then gently pull it off the stem. If you took care of your plant correctly, you should have plenty of ripe tomatoes in no time! Yum!
