Growing Tomatoes Indoors

Tomatoes are an indispensable ingredient in so many cuisines. I can't even imagine a single food item in which I don't use a tomato paste, or a tomato puree, or pieces of tomatoes themselves. They render that tang to the food, which I absolutely love! But I always wanted to know how to grow tomatoes indoors, so that I don't spend lot of money on them, since I use them in almost everything I make. And guess what?!? It's actually very easy! I'm not kidding! You can grow your own tomatoes indoors too, whether you live in an apartment (like I do) or even in an individual home. Just read ahead to know more about container gardening tomatoes and how to care for them! You'll have a basket full of fresh and juicy tomatoes, waiting to be eaten!

Tips for Growing Tomatoes Indoors

Some of the most frequently asked questions, when it comes to growing tomatoes indoors, are how long does it take to grow tomatoes, and when to plant tomatoes. What I'm going to give you, in this article, are some tips for growing tomatoes in pots and containers, so that you can go about growing tomatoes upside down, or in pots on a shelf, or in a small patch of soil, forming an indoor vegetable garden. So, read on, and you'll know exactly what to do.

Before Planting
As with any other plant, there are some steps that you need to follow, even before you actually plant it, so that your tomato plant grows into a healthy one. Here they are.

• Get clay or plastic containers or pots, an approximate size for them being, 5 - 6 gallons.
• Pick a spot in your home, where you're sure to receive moderate sunlight.
• Get potting soil for the plants. The soil should have equal amounts of sphagnum peat, vermiculite, and perlite.
• The soil for the tomato plant needs to be moist and well drained all the time. So, place the pots in an area which can be cleaned easily.

Planting
Now let us see, how you must go about the actual process of plating the tomato plant, and how to care for it. They are very simple steps, which are further helped by the plant itself, which is an extremely easy plant to grow.

• For planting the tomato plant, you need to pick from the different tomato varieties available in the market. Choose one which has a small and close-packed growth, so that it does not invade any other plant's territory. This could be harmful for both the plants.
• Once you've decided the type, get the seeds home, and pot them, about ½ an inch into the soil, that you've filled the pots with.
• The number of seeds planted in an inch of the soil, should not exceed 8 or 10. This will make it easy for the plants to grow.

After Planting
Just planting the seeds does not end your job. You have to make sure that favorable conditions are maintained, so that the plant can begin its growth process properly. Here are the necessary steps that you need to take, to help the plant grow quicker and healthier!

• Water the soil regularly, ensuring that the soil remains moist.
• Maintain a constant temperature of about 75º to 80º around the pot, and cover them for better and faster germination.
• Another thing that you need to arrange for, is light. The tomato plant thrives on light, so giving it adequate light, is a vital step in caring for tomato plants.
• If you do not receive too much sunlight, then you can provide grow lighting by using LED lights. They are a favorable alternative to natural sunlight, which can sometimes, in excess, damage the plant.
• You also need to feed them with a 10-52-70 fertilizer initially. Then, you can move on to the regular 16-16-16 fertilizer. You need to feed the plant every time you water it.
• Now comes the tricky part of growing tomatoes indoors. Because they are indoors, the bees cannot pollinate their flowers. So, when you see flowers blooming, you need to give the plant a touch that is similar to the resonance of the bees. You can either give it a gentle touch by hand, or use a soft electric toothbrush. In this way, you will carry out the pollination of the flowers, thus paving the way for the tomatoes to grow.
• Pruning tomato plants is essential when you begin to see suckers growing on the stems.

Take these simple, and effective steps for growing tomatoes indoors, and you'll have for yourself a batch of luscious tomatoes for the next salsa sauce with spaghetti!