Easy Steps on How to Grow Tomatoes at Home in India

November 12, 2019

A bite into the juicy, fresh tomato of the vine is a treat. Once you have tasted the tomato from your garden, the simulated tomatoes available in your local hyper stores will not return to production. Having a homegrown tomato supply will make your meals all the difference. And you’ll grow ripe, juicy and perfectly firm tomatoes in no time with just a few tips.

Because of their nutritional profile, the sweet-smelling homegrown tomatoes are an integral part of a balanced and healthy diet. And, luckily, tomatoes from seeds at home in India are incredibly easy to grow. You can grow delicious and juicy tomatoes in containers without much effort, even if you are limited in space and have no garden. Just select your favorite variety to grow and follow our guide to enjoy a sun-kissed tomato harvest bounty.

How to Select Tomato Seeds?

Tomatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables (or fruit, choose your clan) varieties used almost regularly in most of the world’s cuisines, including salads, sandwiches, juices, sauces, and salsas and ketchup, and authentic Indian recipes. The tomatoes you intend to grow at home will depend largely on how the crop is being used.

San Marzano, Paste Tomato or Plum Tomato, Cherry Tomato, Amish Paste, Yellow Pear, Rose, Black Krim, Cherokee Red, Cherokee Purple, and Nepal are some of the common varieties of open-pollinated tomatoes.

All of these varieties can be broadly classified into common and indeterminate tomato types. The unique varieties will develop shoots until the flowers bloomflowers bloomflowers bloomflowers bloom on the vine while the indeterminate varieties will form flowers along with the shoots and continue to grow until the climate is no longer favorable.

Due to the fact that there is more flesh than seed compartments, the thick-walled plum tomatoes are particularly popular. For their chewy flesh and low water content, the sweet tanginess of tomatoes is favored by cooks. On the other side, cherry tomatoes are an exceptionally tasty variety, frequently consumed raw in salads, pasta, and pizzas. If you’re looking for a juicy tomato variety to grow, these bright red cherry tomatoesred cherry tomatoesred cherry tomatoesred cherry tomatoes are your go-to seed variety to pick. All tomato varieties are high in vitamin A, C, iron, and lycopene, making them an ideal ingredient in a healthy diet that improves immunity to cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

For all your home gardening needs, you can now buy a heirloom open-pollinated variety of tomato seeds online.

Choose the container you want based on your variety of tomatoes, the minimum size is 24 cm.
Fill the container with organic compost mixed with wet potting soilwet potting soilwet potting soilwet potting soil.
In the middle of the containers, dig 3 inches of the hole and plant the seeds.
If needed, cover them with loose soil and water.
Now position them in a warm place where the temperature will range from 21 to 27 c until the seeds germinate.
Seedling sprouts for 8 to 12 days. When they start feeding them with fertilizers for 2 to 3 pairs of leaves.
Place the containers in the open air and the sunlight should be sufficient
You can choose to transplant tomato plants from the nursery to the desired containers.
Mix the potting soil with organic fertilizers prior to planting during transplantation.

Watering for Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Daily watering of tomato plants is the main success of tomato growing in containers
Constantly keeping moisture in the soil does not dry it out or make it wet.
Water the plants by dipping the figure to test the levels of moisture
Twice a day, plants should be watered in the summer
Just water the plants at the foundation, stop watering overhead.

How to grow tomatoes at home in pots?

Tomatoes are a warm-season crop and are usually grown as annual summer crops. Between March to June, tomato seeds must be started indoors.

To begin with, plant indoor tomato seeds in small pots of 3 to 4 inches deep or seed starting trays around 1⁄4 inches deep in moderately fertile soil.
Tomatoes have the best soil pH ranging from 6.0 to 6.8. Except for heavy clay soil, tomatoes will grow in almost any type of garden soil.
The ideal temperature needed for tomato seed germination ranges from 21 ° C to 27 ° C (70 ° F to 80 ° F). Keep the pots in a dry and dark place for the best germination results. The seedlings are expected to appear in 10 to 14 days.
In the soil, there is the secret to growing good tomatoes at home. It is essential to maintain optimum soil moisture for the productive growth of tomatoes.
Up to germination, seeds need very little watering. To keep the top of the soil moist, use a spray bottle to mist the seedlings. Simply place the potted plant in an area with improved ventilation if you think the soil has become too moist.

How to grow cherry Tomatoes at home?

Cherry tomatoesCherry tomatoesCherry tomatoesCherry tomatoes can do more than just add colors to your meals with their sweet-tasting flesh and juicy texture. Low in calories, high nutritional content, and limited space requirements make it a great choice for home gardens to choose from. It is recommended to grow a cherry tomato in containers as you can transfer and position your tomato growing container with sunlight for at least 5 to 6 hours. For a tasty harvest of Cherry tomatoes grown in containers, here are a few points to note:

Choose a container with a diameter of at least 20 inches and a depth of 18 to 24 inches. To avoid diseases such as early blight, adhere to one plant per container rule.
Place your container in a place where there is plenty of sunshine. Tomatoes are a cold-sensitive plant, so only place the container outside when the temperature is between 24 and 26 ° C
In mid-summer heat, soil moisture will dry out quickly and make the cherry tomato plant slender.
Apply to the soil at least once a day to keep the soil’s top layer uniformly moist. At the same time, good container drainage is also very important in order to prevent root rot.
Organic liquid marine fertilizer can be fed to the yield improvement plan.

Once they are almost completely red, select cherry tomatoes and you can also encourage them to mature after plucking. Slice them and eat them once they’re fluffy and colorful. Growing cherry tomatoes is easy and fun, and it’s worth waiting for the gain from the tomato harvest from your own garden.

Training and cages for Growing Tomatoes in Containers

When tomato plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, You need to insert some support to your plant.
For determinate tomato varieties use tomato cage or stakes
For indeterminate types use string trellis, tall stake, or sturdy cage.
Wrapping a nylon net over the plants can protect the plants from insects and pests.

Also, See The 10 Best Fertilizer for Vegetable Garden

The best place for Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Place the container where the sunlight and constant water supply
Place containers in terrace gardens and balconies, don’t place all the containers at the same place
Maintaining a small container garden, don’t place a group of containers it spread diseases from one plant to plant.
Maintain some space between one container to another container

Transplanting Tomatoes and Plant Care

The seeds must be sown for at least 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting them outdoors. For example, if you intend to transplant the seedlings by early June, in mid-April the seeds will have to be planted indoors. When your tomato seedlings have a length of five to six inches, it’s time to take them out of their small indoor pot to deeper and spacious pots or your outdoor home garden which gets 6 to 8 hours of good sunshine. This is also called the plant’s hardening. Follow these steps to transplant outdoor seedlings of young tomatoes quickly.

A good tip to consider is to wait until the seedlings are three times the size of the container to settle on transplantation.
Start with large pots that are dry. Mix together a soil and compost well-draining form (if available). For transplant outdoors, choose the healthiest plants. To encourage healthier tomato plants with a healthier stem with a few branches in the middle, pinch off the lowest branches of the plant.
Begin by gently loosening the young plants ‘ root area and raising them at the roots with some soil. Do not cut off the stems from the crops.
Place the tomato seedling in the new container filled with potting soil and cover it with soil leaving out some of the flowers. In order to grow stronger tomato plants and larger tomatoes, during transplantation bury two-thirds of the crop inside the soil.
Immediately after transplantation, water the seedlings to allow them to settle well.
When you repot the plants in the greenhouse, watch the dry soil as the water can quickly evaporate and kill the plants.

Also, See The 10 Best Grow Bags for Outdoor Gardening

Common Tomato Plant Problems

A variety of garden insects, including Aphids, Cutworms, Flea Beetles, Whiteflies and Hornworms, are vulnerable to tomato plants. Holding a regular check on the plant and pinching off the affected foliage where there is a high concentration of pests will stop garden pests.

A few common diseases that can affect your tomato plant in addition to these are:
Late / Early Blight: It is a widespread tomato plant fungal disease that can affect the whole crop. Blight can spread to onions, peppers, and eggplants as well.
Blossom end rot: a dark blotch appears at the bottom as the tomatoes mature. This means that there is no calcium in plants. Therefore, before transplanting, organic compost rich in calcium can be added to the soil to avoid this problem.
Leaf Roll: Fully grown plants may start curling their leaves close to the bottom due to very high temperatures, over-humid soil, and pruning.
Drop Blossom: Tomato plant is going to bloom but drop off without any berries. This is due to temperature variations, lack of moisture, and lack of pollination.
Ripe tomatoes produce cracks due to moisture or bites of insects.

Organic insecticides such as neem fertilizer are another choice if you want to avoid the tomato plant’s growing pests and diseases. Certain ways to save the plant from some common problems are also regular plant tests. In addition, organic fertilizers of seaweed are a great way to promote more fruit in the crop. Depending on your plant needs, you can also dilute the concentration of liquid seaweed.

Also, See The Best 12 Soil Amendments – Buying Guide

Usage and Harvesting Tomatoes

With their flavor and tastes, tomatoes are best enjoyed right off the vine. You will begin to see the fruit grow within 65 to 70 days after transplantation. A fully ripe tomato is going to be softer than the unripe ones. The maturity also varies with each tomato type, but by late summer most tomatoes will be ready for harvest in early spring planting.

Use your hand to grab the fruit and pull gently from the end. Store tomatoes at 13 ° C to 21 ° C (55 to 69 ° F) or cooler if you want the tomatoes to last longer and test for ripeness on a regular basis.

Besides using fresh tomatoes in salads, pizza, and pasta, you can also use them for chutneys, pickles, etc. in a number of Indian cuisines.

Growing tomatoes is an easy way to get into your home planting and get your soups, salads, sandwiches, and more fresh ingredients. Start with a variety to grow and enjoy your home garden’s wonderful harvest.

Also, See Why is Agriculture Important and its Role in Everyday Life