Tomatoes are colourful, delicious and aromatic! All these aspects make it an essential crop for vegetable gardeners worldwide. Tomatoes produce a high yield even when space is small. The plant might be low on maintenance, but you must consider several factors before growing tomatoes in your home garden.

Additionally, your tomatoes will need good quality and nutrient-laced soil that should be free from pest infestation. Regular irrigation is a must because plants will wither and die without adequate moisture content. You have to be careful about over-watering since it might lead to root rot disease in the plant. You can use the GrowBox tomato planter for all your tomato-growing requirements.

Let's consider the factors you need to consider before planting your tomatoes!

The local climate

The length of your growing season and the climate factor in the growth of your tomato plants. Tomatoes aren't usually heat resistant and need cooler weather to grow. However, there are specific temperature-tolerant varieties of tomatoes available. These "heat-set" varieties can tolerate temperatures higher than the traditional varieties. You can go for the "heat-set" variety if your local climate has long summers.

These varieties mature quickly and produce in abundance. The growing season is also around two months. Contrastingly, more excellent climate tomatoes are perfect when winters are long.

Disease resistance varieties

Another essential aspect to consider before growing any plant in your garden is the disease resistance of the plant strain. Since the water content of tomatoes is high, they are susceptible to several diseases and pest infestations. In temperate areas, at the onset of the summer months, tomato plants are affected by "late blight disease." This plant disease is brought on by a fungus (Phytophthora infestans), and it can damage your whole produce within a week. The fungal spores can be carried over miles by the wind. So a general rule of thumb for any tomato planter is to grow the plants under cover or select one of the wide disease-resistant varieties available in the market.

Type of tomato

The varieties of tomatoes are numerous, and you can choose depending on the type you want to grow. The classic round combination is ideal for making pastes and preparing delicious dishes. There are beefsteak varieties, heart-shaped oxheart varieties and hollow cavity tomatoes for various salads and decorative food items. The kids adore cherry tomatoes with their sweet taste and small size.

Growing habit

Tomatoes are either "determinate", which means they will grow up to a pre-determined height, or the "indeterminate" variety, where the main stem keeps growing. Determinate tomatoes grow well in containers and mature within a few weeks, making them ideal for the home garden. You can cut and re-pot the extra stem length for a new plant.

Indeterminate tomatoes, however, are "vining" tomatoes which produce fruits along the length of the stem. Although the production gets staggered during the summer months, it allows for steady growth and production of tomatoes. These often require bamboo support because of their extra height.

There are plenty of options and decisions to make for growing tomatoes in your vegetable patch. Researching well and seeking guidance from a professional gardener is always great. Start today!