Tomatoes are definitely the favorite among the summer vegetables and their different shapes, sizes, colors and flavors offer something for just about everyone. There is nothing better than a fresh, ripe tomato on a sunny day, especially if the tomato comes from your very own tomato garden! The first thing that you should think about when starting a tomato garden is whether you should buy and grow plants or start from scratch by growing your tomato plants from seeds. You can’t make a wrong decision here because both ways offer many pros.

Tomato Plants
Tomato plants can be purchase practically anywhere, especially during the summer when lots of farmer’s markets are open. The tomato plants are usually inexpensive and it would better the better option if you are starting your tomato garden late in the season. Make sure to do your homework before you go out and purchase random tomato plants. You will need to figure out if you’ll be planting them in the ground or in containers and how much sun exposure they will receive. When you are at the store or farmer’s market, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t select any tomato plants that appear stressed or seem inclined to fall over. Our last suggestion would be to go for a more leafy tomato plant that is bushy and little than a tall, dark or big one. The latter of the two options would seem like a better option because they look better but you have to remember that you will be growing them to their fullest and you’ll want a tomato plant that isn’t producing before it is well established.

Tomato Seeds
Growing your tomatoes from the seed is the better option if you want more varieties and of course, if you want to have a full experience of tomato gardening. Growing tomatoes from seeds definitely takes a little bit more work than purchasing tomato plants. You’ll want to make sure that you plan out everything before you get started because disease resistance, time, location and types of seeds are important factors. Tomatoes are known to be vulnerable to a number of diseases that can weaken the plant and reduce yields. You’ll want to make sure to read the seed packet or label to see if they have a resistance to any disease. Timing is important because different regions have different growing season times. For example, planting and maintaining a tomato garden in Florida would have a different growing time than a tomato garden in Maine. You’ll also want to research the difference between heirloom, open-pollinated or hybrid seeds. You should plant heirloom or open-pollinated variety of seeds of you want to save your seeds for next year. Hybrid seed varieties often offer better disease resistance or higher yields, but they will not come true from seed.

If you’re still unsure of what to decide, perhaps you can try both and then see how it goes. After all, there’s nothing better and satisfying than experiencing new things.