Tomatoes are a favorite for most home gardeners.  The main thing to look for when buying a tomato seedling is a good strong stem, healthy green leaves, and make sure the roots have not out-grown the pot.  A tomato that has become root bound will never fully recover. 

Here’s a great article on taking care of your seedlings until they are ready to put out in the garden. 

Up in the North where we garden, you want to be prepared to protect that seedling once it has gone out in the garden until the weather has settled.  There are many ways to do this. 

Heat the soil by putting down a layer of clear plastic on the soil and make sure the edges are pressed down against the earth.  The sun shining through the plastic will create a greenhouse effect for the soil and heat the soil for the feet of your plants.  Soil temperature is just as important as air temperature.

There is a garden aid called a Wall-o-Water.  It is a circular piece of plastic made of tubes which when filled with water cause the plactic to form a tepee structure over the tomato plant.  Water is a good insulator, absorbing heat from the sun during the day and releasing it at night as the temperatures drop.  Another way is to plant in a hot bed that has a lid that when closed gives enough room for the tomato plant without the top leaves touching the lid.  Or you have a cloche which holds the earths heat in which it has absorbed during the day.

One more thing when you are choosing a tomato plant.  I know it is sooo tempting to choose the plant that already has tomatoes forming on the plant.  But just remember the roots.  If the roots are root bound then your plant may not set very many more tomatoes than that, and you have a whole season so set fruit.  Better to choose a healthy plant with a healthy root system, that will thrive and produce a bumper crop of tomatoes than to have a plant that will provide you with a handful of tomatoes and struggle all season.

Not only will you have  a struggling plant but it will be suseptible to pest and disease as well.

And if you smoke, don’t handle your tomato plants until you have thoroughly washed your hands.  Tobacco carries a virus which if you infect your tomatoes you might as well toss it on the compost heap. Don’t run your hands over, or even touch, your tomatoes or peppers if you have handled any tobacco.  Nasty infections of tobacco mosaic virus can result, and the only cure is complete eradication of plant and sterilizing of the soil. Nasty, ugly stuff.  If you have emptied an ashtray, handled a pipe, smoked a cigarette or even shaken the hand of one who has, wash your hands and dry them completely before even thinking about touching your plants.

As the season progresses we will revisit the topic of tomatoes and talk more about watering, pruning, feeding, harvesting, ripening and recipes.

One word on feeding your tomatoes.  When you transplant your plants, plan on putting crushed egg shells and worm castings in the soil.  Your tomatoes will love you for it. 

Take care of the Earth and she will take care of you.