Growing your own tomatoes ??

Here are a few maintenance tips to apply while tomatoes are in their growing stage:
1. Water routine
Tomatoes are not the most demanding fruit to grow, but they do like consistency. Tomato plants need to be watered thoroughly, with the moisture reaching deep into the soil. In between watering periods, the soil should be moist, but not soggy. Water directly onto the soil, keeping the leaves as dry as possible. Wet leaves can be susceptible to airborne spores and fungus. It is also helpful to set up a regular watering routine (usually once or twice a week depending on rain levels). When tomatoes aren’t watered sufficiently or regularly, it often leads to blossom-end rot. In particularly dry times, applying mulch to the base of the plant can help keep in moisture.
2. Sucker
If you want to get the most out of your tomato plants, then you need to help concentrate their energy on the stems that will bear fruit. To do this, you need to prune (pinch out) the suckers, or side shoots, that grow between the stem and a branch.
3. Leaf control
Tomatoes are particularly vulnerable to contracting disease and fungus. To keep your plants healthy, remove the bottom leaves – about 1-2 inches from the soil. These leaves are closest to the damp soil, and get the least amount of sun, therefore susceptible to fungus. If one area of fruit isn’t getting adequate sun, then conservative pruning may be helpful. If any leaves start to yellow or grow spots, then remove the infected leaves right away.
Recipes: 3 ways with tomatoes
Although your tomatoes aren’t ready for harvesting (yet!), the local markets have plenty, so be sure to pick some up. Here are three delicious tomato recipes:
Rouge’s grilled panzanella salad
Grilled eggplant salad
Gourmet BLT