Growing Container Tomatoes On Patios The Espalier Way

"There isn't enough room to grow tomatoes", you might reply, but if you want to grow tomatoes in a small courtyard or on a patio there is a way to do it. What I am referring to is the growing method, espalier. This system grows plants up a trellis or support system by spreading the branches up and along it. In a courtyard a trellis is placed against the wall and the container tomato plant grown up it.

But, planting too early results in plants growing taller than the grow-lights permit, and a sunny window generally does not provide enough light to prevent spindly growth.PREPARING YOUR GARDENPRUNING FOR EARLIER HARVESTINGSo while they're red, they're also lots of other colors and taste just as delicious!When growing tomatoes keep a sharp eye out for the first flowers to appear, you can then use a liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks and a little potash can be added at this stage. Do not make the mistake of thinking the more fertilizer the better; this will only result in excess foliage growth and reduced fruit production.For immediate usage, tomatoes are best harvested when they turn red (or what ever their ripening color may be) but are still firm on the shoulder of the fruit. Pick ripe fruit daily; do not over ripen.Be careful not to break the stem when placing it in the hole and bending it upward.Nematodes are tiny, worm-like creatures that attack the plants root system, weakening the plants immunity and stunting growth. Your best natural defense is to rotate your crops every year and buy worm-resistant seed varieties.This means to set them outside during the day-light hours and bringing them back indoors before sunset for one week. This helps them slowly absorb the climate change and prevents transplant shock.Tobacco is also of the nightshade family and even smoking around (or touching the plant after holding a cigarette) can spread tobacco mosaic to your tomato plants.Do it early in the season while the sprouts are still easy to pinch off. Both of these parts of the plant suck energy out of the plant rather than putting that energy into production.Tomato plants can vary in time it takes to mature from 65 -90 days. Where we live, there is about 75 good growing days so we choose varieties that have no more than 75 days.Daily, brush your hand gently over the tops of the tomatoes to simulate a slight breeze. This releases a hormone in the tomato plants that encourages thicker, bushier growth.

Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan

Author: Kaye Dennan