First things first: selecting your grow area and lighting

     The first thing that you're going to want to do is decide where you are going to grow and what type of lighting that will be used in growing your tomato garden. The tomato, which well may be our nation’s favorite, has proven to be one of the most versatile when it comes to being coaxed into growing under conditions other than what nature meant for it. With the right lighting, temperature, and variety of tomato you will be on your way to a flourishing and beautiful indoor garden. 

The Spectrum:

         

     Natural sunlight is a range of wavelengths of light which is also known as the spectrum. It is a very wide range, some which can't be seen at all. What we can see are the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, and violet. During different times of the year, the angle of the Sun is more intense than other times. The influence of the blue-green spectrum in spring is what boosts vigorous, new growth in plants. During the seasons of Spring and Summer, the angle of the sun changes the spectrum to a prevalence of red-orange. This is what promotes blooms in the Fall. The lighting we are about to discuss all try to imitate the natural phases of the Sun. This kind of light not only gives plants the right kind of energy for photosynthesis, it also tricks the plant to thinking what specific time of the year it is. This is how  indoor gardener's coax the plant into blooming in the dead of Winter.

 
     There are many types of light bulbs out there can be used to grow. Nevertheless, there are three specific types of lights that are best for growing, starting, maintaining, and blooming plants indoors.
These lights are: fluorescent bulbs, metal halide (MH), and high pressure sodium (HPS)

           

 Lighting:

            

     So what makes up good indoor lighting? A large, south-facing picture window is ideal – but not all people have access to that. Successful indoor gardeners have to augment their natural lighting with a spot grow-light or fluorescent lighting. The tomato plant needs to receive at least 12 hours of sunlight each day. Grow lights are necessary if you have small or inconveniently placed windows or if most of your Winter is spent under overcast skies. If you have a limited budget these lights can be purchased at a garden center or hardware store. Professional grow lights may be purchased at a specialty indoor grow/hydroponics shop. What you decide to use depends on how many plants you wish to grow and the size of your grow area. 

     There are few shortcuts when it comes to the lighting your indoor garden. About 60 watts/sq.ft. is recommended. High pressure sodium lights or metal halide lights will do a great job and are often the most popular choice for indoor gardeners.  I recommend the use of a 600 watt light or a 1000 watt light. Two 600 watt lights will cover a larger area and save you a few extra dollars on your utility bill. This will be one of your biggest expenses. You can expect to pay between $400 and $600 dollars. Check out your local Craigslist postings for a deal on some great used equipment.

Fluorescent Bulbs:         
           

     Regular fluorescent lighting does not put out enough usable light for a healthy grow. They and are really only good for clones, seedlings, or young plants which are in the vegetative stage. If you choose to go fluorescent, T5 lights are the only option. T5 lights produce less heat than HID lights. They only yield about half as much. We want a high yield! With fluorescent lighting it is also necessary to keep the tops of your plants within a few inches of the light.

           

Metal Halide (MH):

 

     Metal halide bulbs are plentiful in the blue-green light spectrum. They promote stocky, vigorous vegetation on the plants. Be that as it may, they burn more hot than the fluorescent bulbs. A gardener must make sure not to let the plants grow too closely to the light. This type of lighting also uses more electricity. Although they promote great growth, they do not promote the amount of flowering sites on the stems. Since they burn hot and the light has to stay up off the plants, they might even encourage some stretching. By way of explanation, the more room there is between your sets of leaves (internodal length), the more stringy your plants may become.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS):

           

     HPS bulbs imitate the red-orange part of the spectrum. This range is most prevalent in the Fall season, when yield-bearing plants produce their blooms. HPS bulbs encourage plentiful, hearty flowering with some vegetative growth. They boost a large number of flowering sites. Also, they do not burn as hot as metal halides and use less electricity.


     In the next section we will discuss soil and planting your tomato garden from seed as well as from seedling starters.