Now is the perfect time to get your tomatoes planted in Austin! Tomatoes need at least six to eight hours of sun a day to produce well and full sun is best. So find a good location for your red darlings!
They need well-drained soil with a pH around 6.0 to 6.8. Think about placing mulch to keep the ground moist and cool. It’s a also a good idea to fertilize with compost and nitrogen based fertilizers a few times after planting!
Summers get very hot here in Austin and tomato plants need a lot of care. I’ve had the best luck with Celebrity and Early girl varieties. I find it’s okay to start picking them when the begin turning red. If left too long on the vine, birds and insects can get them. A sunny window sill is a great place to keep them for a few days.
Tomato planting resources can be found here. The Urban Gardener also has a great blog with beautiful pictures!
Happy Gardening from your family at 12 Oaks Dental!
Written by Deborah Burroughs