Reasons to Grow Tomatoes

The most common vegetable in the gardens of the United States is the tomato. It is easily grown and provides an adequate supply from a relatively small space in your yard. The tomato can also be successfully grown in containers if you live in an apartment or condo. They can be grown in almost any well-drained soil with 6-8 hours of sunlight. The soil can be enriched organically by using a compost of leaves, ground bone and manure. This will help to allay any concerns about commercial fertilizers and pesticides contaminating your tomato plants. Tomatoes come in two types: determinate or non-determinate. Determinate means they grow to a specific height and non-determinate types have vines that keep on growing and need support or staking. Choose which type you want governed by your growing space. Determinate are well suited to container growing.

When your plants begin to bear fruit and there are more than you can consume they can be made into sauce, frozen, canned or dehydrated. This will allow you to have tomatoes in the mid-winter from your own garden. Homegrown tomatoes have better taste, are less expensive, provide you with exercise and knowledge that they are healthy for you. Tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamins C and A, fiber, potassium and lycopene. Lycopene is an anti-oxidant that helps absorb free radicals in your system that are linked to cancer. Tomatoes also have been shown to protect against sunburn and are helpful in promoting youthful-looking skin. They also protect specific parts of our cells that turn food into energy.

Growing tomatoes in containers provides flexibility, are portable, which helps if you need to follow the sun to get adequate exposure and are more manageable for water consumption. Whichever method you choose you will find that home growing tomatoes is an inexpensive, easy and rewarding way to improve your health.