During the warmer summer months it's really easy to grow beautifully tasty tomatoes to eat whenever you want. But once summer is over (and all too quick it seems), its back to your old ways and tasteless grocery store tomatoes. You've been spoilt and wish the time would pass quickly so you can get back to growing again. But wait, who says you have to grow them outside? Growing tomatoes indoors is just as easy as long as you follow a few simple rules.
The benefits of growing your tomatoes indoors include being less open to pests and diseases. But one of the major benefits is that you can enjoy having tomatoes all year round! You need to first decide where you are going to grow the plants. Ideally it should be situated somewhere where there is a certain amount of natural sunlight and fairly constant temperature.
4 Basic Rules To Indoor Tomato Growing Success
1 - Sufficient Light
As with the outdoor variety of your plants, the indoor variety will need around 12 hours of sunlight each day. If this is not possible (for instance during the colder, darker winter months) you can trick your plant by using artificial light. I like to try and simulate the natural outdoor conditions as much as I can, so I would typically go for 12 hours light and then 12 hours of darkness. You should perhaps test to see what works best for you, but this is the way I rotate the light and it gives me constantly good results.
2 - Ideal Temperature
As with the light, we are trying to simulate the natural outdoors conditions. Think about how warm it was during the summer months that created an ideal growing environment for your tomatoes. This is what you need to reproduce inside. So you should strive to maintain a constant temperature of about 70 degrees to give your plants the best chance of strong healthy growth.
3 - Proper Nutrients
Indoor tomato plants don't really require any special care because they are not so vulnerable to pest problems, so some gardeners suggest that normal potting soil will suffice. But I feel that in order to help promote sturdy plants that will produce an abundant crop of succulent fruit, the nutrients within your soil are still a very important part of the indoor growing process. A good mixture of growth promoting "soil ingredients" that I find ideal are equal amounts of sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Remember once your plant begins to fruit it will need extra nutrients.
4 - Regular Watering
Tomatoes need regular watering but be careful not to over water! Make sure that the container you are using has a hole in the bottom to provide adequate drainage. If water is allowed to gather in the bottom it can lead to root rot. You should look at watering your plants about twice per week and should aim for the soil to be moist but also slightly on the dry side. I would say on average, you should look at no more than approximately 1 inch per week of water in total.
If you don't have the luxury of growing your tomatoes in a garden, if for instance you live in an apartment or a flat or a townhouse then growing tomatoes indoors will enable you to do this. The pleasure you will get from the incredible taste of your own organically grown fruits compared to anything you've ever had from a supermarket is something to be desired. This article is just a starting point. If you stick to these 4 fundamental rules of tomato gardening, you should be heading in the right direction to growing your own superb indoor tomatoes.
Stephen Martinson has been growing tomatoes for over 10 years. His aim is to show everyone how grow their own beautiful succulent great tasting tomatoes the easy way. For more great tips on growing tomatoes indoors, visit http://www.easytomatogrowingtips.com.
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