After my last post, Fran had mentioned self pollination. In my case of having my tomato plants inside a screen enclosure, I'm not at the hands of nature. Shall we include a segment in the course regarding pollination? Both "self-pollination" for cases like mine and any importance regarding your standard garden.

I started growing a tomato plant in a 5 gallon bucket a few months ago. Good practice before I dive into building my garden next season. It’s one way for me to learn the basics of growing and maintaining basic vegetables. I started off with 1 tomato plant which has grown quite a bit. Pulled a few suckers and planted in another pot which has taken off nicely. Both are placed it inside my screened in pool enclosure which produced two fruits but none since. I heard it was due to being inside of screen enclosure. It has grown so much that it’s starting to wilt over. It surpassed its original support stick. I purchased a galvanized steel cage support to help the growth of the original tomato plant and will add new potting soil to another 5 gallon bucket to transplant those suckers. Both will be relocated outside the screen enclosure so nature can be properly pollinate. My question, is this good potting soil to use and do I need to do anything else to the bucket besides add adequate holes in the bottom for drainage?

Tomatoes thrive in slightly acidic soil with a pH ranging from 6.2 to 6.8. If your garden has clay-rich soil, it tends to be more alkaline, and you'll need to amend it to suit tomato plants better. Adding organic matter such as compost can help adjust the pH and improve soil structure. On the other hand, if you have sandy soil, you're at an advantage! Sandy soil naturally tends toward a more acidic pH, which is ideal for tomatoes. However, remember that sandy soil drains quickly, so regular watering will be crucial to keep your tomatoes hydrated and healthy. Happy gardening!

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I read people talking about "Zones" that represent their location. What's a good resource to pull correct data from? I live in Lake County / Central Florida. My research indicates I'm in Zone 9b. With these maps, what am I looking for when it comes to gardening?