by Kevin Bradley

Created on: April 30, 2010   Last Updated: October 25, 2010

As with most fruits there are plenty of things you need to know to ensure they grow successfully and produce a good harvest. Tomatoes are no exception. There are many things that experienced gardeners do and that novice gardeners fail to do. This normally results in a healthy and vibrant plant from the experienced gardener and an average or diseased plant from the novice gardener.

An important part of producing a high yielding plant is proper pruning. If you prune the tomato plant the right way, you will ensure it remains healthy as it will remain upright. Pruning also helps keep the plant within its designated growing zone and helps keep it manageable.

When pruning, you should always remove any non-blooming branches. This helps the plant focus on the productive branches and helps keep it more manageable. You need to sanitize your equipment as dirty equipment can spread disease - the last thing you want to do. After pruning dead branches, you should pinch off the tips of other branches.

You should also prune all low hanging branches. If the fruit hangs on the ground, it can limit plant growth and cause pests to get a foothold. Eventually, all leaves should point upwards. If this is not the case, you should continue pruning.

As well as pruning, you should ensure all plants have proper support. A well supported plant will remain healthy and produce a higher yield. The type of tomato you plant will determine the size of the expected yield. Larger varieties tend to produce lower yields while smaller varieties tend to produce the largest yields.

If your area has a lot of birds, you should also take steps to prevent bird damage to your plants. A simple method is to use sections of old nylon stockings. Simply tie a knot in one end and stretch the other end over the plant. The birds are not able to penetrate the nylon and your harvest continues to grow as normal. Without protection, the birds will pick off your fruit as it ripens.

The other basic elements required for growing tomatoes successfully include the location, the soil acidity level and the amount of water. Tomatoes require a lot of sun exposure and should be located where they can get at least 7 hours of sun daily. They also prefer slightly acidic soil of between 6.0 and 6.8 and require constant watering.

You should never let the soil for tomatoes dry out. Inconsistent watering habits will severely impact on the ability of the tomato plant to produce high quality fruit. If you water regularly and keep the soil moist, you vastly improve the chances of an abundant harvest.

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