Seeing tomato leaves turning yellow with brown spots can be worrying, especially when the plant was healthy a few days earlier. Yellow leaves with brown or dark patches can come from several problems, including fungal diseases, watering mistakes, nutrient deficiencies, pests, or environmental stress. The good news is that you can often identify the cause…
To grow tomatoes in pots, plant one seedling per container of at least 5 gallons (19 liters) for compact varieties, or 10 gallons (38 liters) or more for vining types. Use a quality potting mix, bury the stem deeply, place the pot in 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, water when the top 2…
Pruning tomatoes confuses a lot of gardeners. Some swear by removing every sucker. Others never touch their plants and still get buckets of fruit. Both approaches can work, but the results depend on the type of tomato you’re growing, your climate and what you want from the plant. This guide covers what pruning does, when…
Tomatoes grow best in soil that is loose, fertile, well-draining, and rich in organic matter. The right soil helps tomato roots spread easily while providing enough moisture and nutrients for steady growth. A good tomato soil mix should not stay soggy after watering, but it should also hold enough moisture to prevent the roots from…
Tomato grow bags look too simple to be effective. They are fabric containers filled with soil, often with handles sewn on. But the way they are made changes how roots grow, how water moves and how much fruit a plant can produce. This guide explains the mechanics, then shows how to set up, feed and…
Cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes are both small, productive, and easy to enjoy fresh from the garden. At first glance, they can look almost identical. Both are popular for salads, snacks, pasta, roasting, and container gardening. But they are not exactly the same. The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking at shape,…
Yes, you can grow tomatoes successfully in Texas. In fact, tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables for Texas home gardens. The main challenge is not growing the plants. It is choosing the right planting time and protecting them from extreme heat. Texas has a long growing season, but summer temperatures can become too…
Growing tomatoes in Texas is a little different from growing them in a mild northern garden. Spring can be excellent, but summer heat arrives quickly. Once temperatures stay very high, tomato plants may stop setting new fruit even when they look healthy. That makes variety selection especially important for Texas gardeners. The best tomatoes are…
Overwatering kills more house plants and garden crops than drought ever will. When soil looks bone-dry on the surface, the root ball deep down in the pot or bed might still be soaked. Guessing based on topsoil appearance leads directly to root rot, yellowing leaves, and stunted growth. A soil moisture probe takes the guessing…
A soil moisture meter tells you how wet or dry your soil is without digging in with your finger or guessing based on the surface. Most people know how to use one, but fewer understand what’s actually happening inside the device when you push that probe into the dirt. Once you understand the mechanism, the…