Most of us will have tried to grow, or have thought of planting tomatoes at one time. Who can resist those red, mouth-watering fruit that goes well in salads, pasta, and other dishes?
It’s worth noting that tomatoes are short-lived plants, but when does a tomato plant die exactly? And how can you extend its lifespan?
When Does Tomato Plant Die?
The lifespan of a typical tomato plant is somewhere around 6 months. They usually thrive best during spring and summer, then start slowing down in fall and finally, succumb to the first frost as temperature drops in winter.
Keep in mind that tomato plants are averse to cold temperatures and will not survive or recover from them. However, there is an exception to the rule- some regions do not have frost, which means tomato plants can live indefinitely, in a theoretical sense.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Even if you live in a warm tropical region, tomatoes are still likely to die after 6 months or so. The older your tomatoes get the more prone they are to pests and diseases. Even if you keep a close eye on them every day and grow them inside a greenhouse there’s a chance they can get infected or get affected by a stray frost.
A tomato plant’s life can extend beyond summer and even bear fruit even as far as late fall. The key to this is keeping the environment conducive to their growth and having it stay between 70 to 85 degrees F (or 21 to 29 degrees C).
How to Extend Your Tomato Plant’s Life
Pick the Fruit Early
Veteran tomato growers use a simple trick so a tomato plant can live longer and give them more fruit. The key is to pick the fruit off the vine early and just when it’s beginning to ripen. Your tomato plants will then try to grow and produce more fruits, thereby prolonging their lifespan.
You can put the unripe fruits in a paper bag or place them where they can get room temperature for faster processing.
Fertilize
Feeding is an important part of growing tomatoes, especially if you want your plants to have a long and productive life. You can fertilize using tomato plant food once they’re planted, then every two weeks during the blossoming and fruiting phase.
Follow a strict watering and fertilizing regimen so your tomatoes can grow strong and healthy, and give you more fruits. Make sure to amend the soil with plenty of organic compost as well.
Propagate
Tomato plant propagation is an excellent way to ‘extend’ your tomatoes. Taking off cuttings is a way to clone them without having to start from scratch.
With this method, it’s recommended that you take side shoots of stems that are around 5 to 8 inches in length. If possible, take those that haven’t produced buds or fruits yet to increase your chances of success.
Remove all the leaves except a pair at the top, then place them in a glass of clean water. Once roots grow to about 2 to 3 inches you can transfer the cuttings to a pot and treat them as regular tomato plants.
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