Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 8, Number 3

Dear Tomato Dirt reader,

Welcome back to Tomato Dirt! A couple of times a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with tips about growing tomatoes and using them.

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FEATURE: Use These 5 Tips for Preparing Your Vegetable Garden for the Season

• Till the bed
  Begin preparing your soil by cultivating the bed 8-10 inches deep with a garden spade or tiller/cultivator.
• Cover the soil so it warms
  Tomatoes like warm soil. Even if air temperatures start to heat up in the spring, it takes the dirt awhile to catch up. You can help prevent transplant shock by covering your tomato plot with sheets of black plastic, which absorbs heat from the sun and accelerates the warming process.
• Test the soil
  Take a simple soil test of your soil to know how to amend it.
• Note the pH
  Tomatoes grow best in slightly acidic soil with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0 - optimum is between 6.5 and 7.0. If your soil's pH isn't within that range, make proper adjustments.
• Amend nutrients
  Check soil test results for an even balance between nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, all necessary for strong tomato production. Evaluating nutrients will go a long way in preparing your soil because you will know what you need to add.

Get more helpful details about preparing your vegetable garden soil - plus check out more tips for preparing your garden on our Pinterest board.

Yep, There's a Seed Starting Kit for That

Deep-root growing kits … quick start seed kits … special potting mixes. Yep, there's a kit for that!

We love how you can get replacement parts for seed starting trays, too. Our good friends at Gardener's Supply have all kinds of seed starting gear and will answer your questions, too.

Best Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Tomato Growing Tip: Use a DIY Soil Test Kit - It's Easy!

Image: Tomato Dirt

Get more tips for growing tomatoes on our Tomato Growing Tips Pinterest board.

To Help Get Your Garden Ready

Till 'er up! Sun Joe and other tillers	Soil Savvy, Rapitest Do-It-Yourself soil test kits and soil pH testers	Garden plastic mulch: our favorite ways to prevent weeds

More Tips for Preparing Your Garden for The Season

That’s it for now. More next time.

Until then, happy gardening!