Growing organic tomatoes with help from easy home automation and smartphone

More people than ever before seem to be growing their own fruits and vegetables. The reasons for this are many. Some folks are naturally inclined to gardening. They like the feel of fresh earth, the warmth of the sun, the beauty of growing plants and flowers. For them, growing organic tomatoes and other veggies is a hobby. For others, their primary motivation is to grow their own organic foods and save money at the same time.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the most popular vegetable grown at home is the tomato. By growing tomatoes yourself, you have the widest possible choice of varieties that suit your own taste and climate. Many people prefer heirloom tomatoes because of a long tradition of proven success. Purchase the seeds, plant and nurse them indoors until it is time to transplant them to the spot you have chosen to nurture them to maturity.

Gow tomatoes in gardens, containers, on rooftops and decks. They need plenty of sun, warm weather, a good soil mix with plenty of room for root growth, mulch, the right nutrients, adequate drainage -- and careful watering, or irrigation.

Water tomatoes precisely for healthy, nutritious tomatoes

It is best to water tomatoes precisely at the root zone. Wet foliage can lead to fungus and disease. During late spring and summer when the growth of your tomato plant really takes off, be sure give them the water they need. If you forget to water them, or leave on vacation during a drought, they will suffer.

How to water tomatoes -- Use a simple drip irrigation system

A simple drip irrigation system can be used to water tomatoes. With this system, exactly the right amount of water is dripped close to the surface on the mulch surrounding the plant. The water seeps down into the root zone.

One simple drip irrigation consists of a kit that gardeners can install for patio plants. The components of a patio drip irrigation system are inexpensive and not hard to set up. Once you install it, you can easily water your tomatoes as well as other plants.

Automate your drip irrigation system -- Make it a part of your easy home automation setup

Here's how your smartphone can help you control your irrigation system.

Let's say you are away on vacation and want to check to see how your tomato drip irrigation system is doing.. Grab your smartphone, call up your home automation controller via the Internet and your home network. Your home automation controller sends your command to a sprinkler controller. The controller relays the signal via a 24-volt underground wire to the 24-volt valve near your tomatoes. Tubes from the valvedelive water to spot emitters that discharge water to the root zone at a precise rate -- 1 or 2 gallons per hour (your choice)-- for a precise time.

If you're a both a home gardener and a do-it-yourselfer, you can install a simple drip irrigation system and control it via your easy home automation system and smartphone.

Go to simple drip irrigation for details on drip irrigation for home-grown tomatoes via the Internet.There you'll find setup ideas and product suggestions. Additional resources to help you grow delicious tomatoes are also given.

A good way to start into home automation is to install a remote lamp control setup that you can control via smartphone -- and then add other household tasks, such as drip irrigation system for your tomatoes outlined in this article. Easy home automation has never been more affordable and available for the do-it-yourselfer. Don't miss out on the safety, convenience and fun of home a;utomation.