The content of this article 'Five secrets to guarantee tomato plant success' was prepared by www.ecoinventos.com and has been revised and republished by FreshFruitPortal.com.

The dream of many is to grow bountiful crops of delicious tomatoes. Red, yellow, striped, green, purple ...

With endless varieties of tomatoes, from the smallest to the largest, it is difficult to stick to just one variety. After all, your garden can be much more diverse than your local grocery store.

So once you learn how to plant, water, prune, fertilize, and mulch, you're on your way to becoming an expert in growing the fruit.

Heat, humidity, rain or drought; there are many factors to consider on the road to a bountiful harvest.

But most of the hard work is done when the tomatoes are first planted. If a mistake is made during that step, you can most likely expect a bad harvest.

Always plant in a new space

Tomatoes have a drawback: they are susceptible to a number of problems and diseases. Fungi, bacteria and viruses. It is very likely that at some point you will have to face one of them.

Rotate your crop every season, not only to keep them healthy and strong, but to prevent many diseases.

It is also a good idea to move them around the garden to give them fresh nutrients, since they tend to feed a lot.

Plant the tomatoes in depth

It may seem counterintuitive to plant tomatoes deep, but keep in mind that we are talking about transplants, not tomato seeds.

Dig deep, about 6 inches, or as others suggest: about 2/3 of the tomato plant is underground, with only the top leaves sticking out.

The reason? It helps the tomato plant to develop deeper roots that will last longer. It also promotes plant stability so that it can quickly reach the size of a bush.

Provide support from the beginning

To prevent diseases, it is beneficial to guide tomato plants using tubes. This increases air circulation for both the fruits and leaves, and at the same time improves access to sunlight. Both factors contribute significantly to the ripening of the tomato.

Don't just use tomato cages or trellises as the only form of support structure. Wooden stakes with ties also work wonders.

Just be sure to add them early (during planting), so you don't damage the roots later in the life cycle.

Feed your tomatoes

At planting time, add some crushed eggshells (to get more calcium) to the bottom of the hole, add some mature compost, and a small handful of worms if you have them.

Mulch is a tomato's best friend

While roots love to be surrounded by a dark, moist space, leaves prefer light and lots of fresh air. However, it is that in-between zone that is often overlooked.

The base of the plant needs attention too, and if you have an un-excavated garden, you may already be providing the perfect mulch.

If not, make sure that of all the plants in your garden, the tomatoes get all the attention they need with the mulch.

Mulch at planting helps keep weeds out and moisture in. Finding the perfect amount and thickness is up to you, keeping in mind that tomatoes like hot earth.

Straw or grass clippings make an ideal organic mulch, but there are many other options.

How to care for tomato plants.

It would be a lie to say that you can sit back and relax now that you have successfully planted your tomato vines, but if you follow the steps above you will be on your way to some juicy tomatoes in the summer.