How to Grow Tomatoes in Living Mulch
- 1). Find a warm and sunny area to plant the tomatoes. The area needs to receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day.
- 2). Ensure that the soil you will plant the tomatoes in has a pH of 6.2 to 6.8. The soil needs to be fertile, well-drained and deep. It also needs to be rich in organic matter.
- 3). Use a tiller to add compost or organic matter into the soil. You will need to place 3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of the soil.
- 4). Plan to plant your tomatoes next to unrelated crops to prevent the spread of disease. Unrelated crops include beans, lettuce and corn.
- 5). Buy fresh tomato seedlings from a local supplier. Look for clean and dark green foliage when purchasing the seedlings. Check the leaves for any bites or chew marks because you want to buy only the healthiest plants.
- 6). Dig a shallow trench with a gardening shovel. Remove the lower stems and branches, but leave the upper leaves. Place the plant in the trench, and then cover it with soil, leaving only the top leaves showing through the soil.
- 7). Plant the tomato seedlings once the threat of frost passes. Begin planting the tomatoes 24 to 36 inches apart. If you plan to stalk or cage the tomatoes, then you can plant them 15 inches apart. Pack the soil tightly around the plants.
- 8). Water the tomatoes around the base of the plants. Try to keep the leaves of the plants dry. Water every 2 to 3 days, or when the soil dries, but do not allow the soil to become too soggy.
- 9). Apply the living mulch around the base of the tomato plant. Use living mulch such as white clover. You will need to keep the living mulch away from the plant stems, and try to place it in the middle of the tomato rows. This will keep the roots from drying out, and help retain moisture. The living mulch smothers weeds and places nitrogen into the soil.
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Continue to water the tomatoes. Pick the tomatoes to promote healthy growth of your plants.
