Jeff Cox, the host of HGTV's Grow It!, shares suggestions for growing healthy tomatoes. Don't put in more plants than you need. One per family member should be plenty. Before planting, remove the lower leaves. New roots will form where the leaves were, creating a large root mass to support lush top growth and plenty of fruit. Plant the tomato deep in the soil, covering the stem where you removed the leaves. Plant all the way up to the remaining foliage. You'll need to water newly planted tomatoes, but watering stimulates weeds to grow as well as tomatoes. To save hours of weeding, mulch the soil surrounding the plants with thick pads of newspaper. Weeds can't grow through the paper, which also keeps the soil cool and slows moisture loss. Place some stones on the paper to keep it from blowing around, then cover it with a layer of shredded bark. Use tomato cages or wire frame to support the plants once they begin to grow, and weight the cages with rocks so plants won't topple when they begin to fruit.
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