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TRY OUT YOUR GREEN THUMB WITH THESE EASY-TO-GROW VEGETABLES

Written by Edna LaRue

Growing your own vegetables can be a fun, rewarding, and eco-friendly activity that can provide you with fresh and healthy produce right from your own garden.

Tomatoes

FIND A SUNNY SPOT: Tomatoes need a lot of sun, so choose a location that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. They also need well-draining and just slightly acidic soil.

START SEEDS INDOORS: Seeds like warmth. You can start tomato seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before you plan to plant them outside.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT VARIETY: Choose tomatoes best for our climate. There are tomato varieties that are best for the South, including those resistant to disease.

PLANT DEEP: Tomatoes will root along their stems, The Home Depot said. With “leggy transplants,” dig a trench, add a slow-release fertilizer, and lay the stem sideways, bending gently upward. Snip or pinch off the lower branches and cover with soil up to the first set of leaves.

PROVIDE SUPPORT: Most tomato plants will need support as they grow, so stake or cage them to keep them upright.

WATER REGULARLY: Tomatoes need a lot of water — about an inch a week is good. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.

PRUNE: Depending on the type of tomato you are growing, you may want to prune off some of the new growth that emerges from the main stem to promote stronger, healthier growth.

HANDLE GENTLY: Handle tomatoes as “gently as eggs,” The Home Depot said. Place a soft cloth in the bottom of your picking basket to cushion the fruits.

RIPE AND READY: Tomatoes are typically ready to harvest when they are fully ripe and have a deep, rich color.