Ultimate Guide to Growing Tomatoes: Tips and Tricks

Discover my ultimate guide to growing delicious tomatoes with expert tips on planting, caring, and harvesting for a bountiful crop! "How to Grow Tomatoes" made easy.

Tomatoes are loved by many and are the top fruit grown at home. They save money, taste great fresh or preserved, and come in many varieties.¹ Learning to grow tomatoes well takes time, but it’s not hard for beginners. This guide will teach you everything you need to know. You’ll learn how to successfully grow tomatoes, making the most of different methods to have a great experience.

Key Takeaways

Choose tomato varieties suited to your climate and growing needs
Provide tomatoes with ample heat, sunlight, and well-draining soil
Plant tomatoes deeply and support them as they grow
Utilize mulch to conserve moisture and deter disease
Prune and remove suckers for optimal plant health and fruit production

Choose the Right Tomato Variety

Getting the right tomato type is key to growing a good crop. You should pick kinds that fit your area’s weather and soil.² There are over 700 tomato types to choose from. This gives you plenty of options for your garden.² Tomatoes are the top plant for many American gardens.²

Climate

If you live where summers are short, go for tomatoes that like cooler weather. In very warm places, pick heat-loving varieties. This helps them do well in different seasons.³

Type of Tomato

Think about what you’ll use the tomatoes for. For sauces, go for tomatoes with a lot of flesh like Romas.³ Beefsteaks are perfect for big, tasty slices in salads or on sandwiches.³ If you want something sweet, cherry tomatoes are a good pick. They’re also great for snacking.³

Growing Habit

Tomato plants can be split into two groups based on how they grow.² Determinate types, or “bush” tomatoes, stop growing after they reach about 3 feet.³ Indeterminate types keep growing taller and producing fruit all season.³ They’re best if you want to keep picking tomatoes for longer.

Disease-Resistance

Tomato names may have letters showing they resist certain diseases.² Look for these letters, especially if you’ve had disease issues before.² In moist, temperate areas, consider tomatoes that resist blight.² Some good options are hybrids like ‘Iron Lady’ or heirlooms like ‘Lemon Drop’.²

Provide Heat and Full Sun

Tomatoes thrive in warm weather. They need soil that stays above 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.⁴ You can warm the soil early with black plastic. Also, remember to cover young plants when it’s cold with sheets or row covers. They must get a lot of sunlight too. So, make sure they’re in full sun, getting 6 to 8 hours a day. This is vital for their growth almost everywhere.⁴

Planting Seedlings or Transplants in the Ground

Indoor or greenhouse-grown seedlings should not go directly into the ground outside. This sudden shift can shock them with the cold.⁴ Make them outdoor-ready through a two-week hardening off process.

Provide the Right Growing Conditions

To make sure your tomato plants do well, you need to give them the right space to grow. First, prepare the soil by adding lots of organic stuff. This could be compost or well-rotted manure. These will give the plants all the nutrients they need and keep the soil moist.⁵

Tomatoes need room to grow and plenty of air around them. Make sure they aren’t planted where the same family plants, like potatoes or peppers, were before. This should not have happened for two years.⁵

Tomato Plant Requirements	Ideal Conditions
Sunlight	6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily⁵⁶
Soil pH	5.8 to 7.0⁵⁷⁶
Soil Moisture	1-2 inches per week, supplemented if needed⁵⁷⁶
Soil Temperature	65°F to 70°F⁷
Humidity	65% to 85%⁵⁷
Spacing	24 inches for bush varieties, 36-48 inches for larger varieties⁵⁷⁶

Give your tomato plants the right care right from the start. This will lead to a great harvest. Keep an eye on the soil’s moisture, how warm it is, and the humidity levels. This will help your plants stay healthy and grow well all season long.⁵⁷⁶

Plant Deeply and Provide Support

When you plant tomatoes, go a bit deeper than the pot. Go up to the bottom leaves! Tomatoes grow new roots along their stems. This makes the plants stronger and more able to handle rough times. With tall, skinny tomato starts, make a trench. Lay the stem down in it, softly arching the top. Cut off the lower branches and bury the stem up to the first leaves. Since tomatoes like to spread out, support them with tall sticks, rope, or cages.

With Leggy Transplants

For leggy tomato plants, set up the planting spot right. Make a shallow trench and lay the long stem in it, angling the top. Take off the bottom leaves and then cover the stem with soil to the first leaves. This way, your plant will get more roots along the stem, making it stronger.⁶

Tomatoes need help to stay off the ground and stay healthy. Put up cages, bamboo, or use twine to tie them up. Do this when planting or right after. That way, your plants will be ready for their heavy fruit and not get sick.⁶

Mulch Your Tomatoes

Mulching your tomatoes is very important. It keeps the soil moist, which tomatoes need. Also, it stops disease from the ground from getting on your plants.⁸ Try to make the mulch three, four, or five inches deep. This keeps the soil near the plants at the right temperature. The ground might be as warm as 118 degrees just an inch down, while the air is only 91 degrees. That’s almost 40 degrees cooler right under the mulch!⁸

You have lots of mulch choices. Use parts of pine trees, straw, leaves, grass, or old newspapers.⁸ Mulch like straw stops the water in the soil from getting away. This lets tomato roots stay close to the top.⁸ Also, the mulch helps keep weeds away. Fewer weeds mean more water for your plant and less chance for sickness.⁸ Straw in pots makes the top layer of soil cooler and stops water loss too.⁸

⁹Put mulch on your tomatoes right after you plant them. This is when it gives the most benefits.⁹Big tomato farms often choose black plastic for their mulch. It warms up the ground and helps tomatoes grow better.⁹Red plastic can also be used. It keeps the soil warm and raises the number of tomatoes you get.⁹

Straw mulch breaks down by the end of the growing season. You can throw it out then to help stop pests and sickness next year.⁸ Talking about gardening with others is a great way to learn and share.⁸ It helps everyone do better in their gardens.⁸

Remove Leaves and Suckers

All tomato plants naturally produce suckers. These are side shoots between the main stalk and side branches during early growth. It’s advised to prune tomato suckers for better plant health and more fruit.¹⁰ But, don’t prune determinate (bush) tomatoes, or you’ll get fewer fruit clusters.¹⁰ Many gardeners focus on pinching indeterminate tomatoes instead.

The Pros to Pinching

Pinch out the side shoots or suckers early, keeping one or two to grow. This practice can lower fungus issues and make fruits bigger and more plentiful.¹⁰ Plants that are pinched often have bigger tomatoes and produce fruit sooner than unpruned plants.

The Cons to Pinching

Still, too much pruning can bring sunscald—a yellow, blistering sunburn on fruits.¹⁰ Without pruning, plants usually produce twice the amount of fruit.¹⁰ The downside is, unpruned plants might have more tomatoes but they are smaller.

How to Grow Tomatoes

Growing Tomatoes from Seedlings

Starting with seedlings means less work upfront for you. It’s easier and you can skip buying special supplies or needing extra space at home.⁵ The only downside is you might not find as many kinds at your local stores.

Growing Tomatoes from Seed

If you start from seeds, it takes more effort, time, and a little extra money. But it could be a good choice, especially if you dream of a big garden or want unique tomato types. Starting from seeds is also great if you aim for an eco-friendly garden.

Planting Tomatoes for Beginners

Wait until after the last frost to get and plant your tomato starts. Also, wait for the night air to be warm, not dipping below 15°C.⁵ Tomatoes love sunny spots, needing at least 6 hours of sun daily, and well-drained, fertile soil to grow well.

Plant your seedlings deeply, after removing the lower leaves. Cover the stem up to the remaining leaves. Also, when planting or just before, get your support system ready. This could be cages or stakes to help your tomatoes grow strong and upright.

Water, Fertilize, and Prune Tomatoes

Watering Tomatoes

Tomatoes need about 1 inch of water per week. In hot summer weeks, they may need up to 2 inches¹¹. It’s better to water them deeply 1-2 times a week than a little every day. Try to keep the leaves dry. Tomatoes in pots need more water.

Fertilizing Tomatoes

Tomatoes love to eat. Start by adding compost and slow-release fertilizer to the soil before you plant. Then, every 2 weeks, give them a water-soluble fertilizer with more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen.

Pruning & Training Tomatoes

Indeterminate tomatoes need pruning, but not the bush types. For them, keep removing the shoots and support the main stems. This helps them stay organized and fight off diseases¹¹.

Since pruned plants have more space between their leaves, they let air flow better. This helps them stay healthy in damp weather. Pruning also leads to fewer, but larger, fruits. This way, you can grow more plants in the same space thanks to their upwards growth¹¹. They’ll also ripen their fruits quicker, which is great if your area has a short growing season¹¹.

Conclusion

Following the advice in this guide will help you grow lots of tasty, homegrown tomatoes. Benefiting from over a century of experience, Bonnie Plants® has crafted these tips. You’ll learn how to grow tomatoes successfully and enjoy their freshness.⁶

Grown at home, tomatoes are packed with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. They’re healthy and affordable, saving you money. This allows you to have a large tomato garden even in a small area.¹²

Picking the best tomato types for your area and care routines is just the start. Learn how to give your tomatoes what they need – sunlight, rich soil, and regular water. This sets the stage for a great harvest.⁶

You will also learn how to prune your plants, keep pests away, and prevent diseases. These steps are crucial for a garden that thrives all season long.⁶

Get ready for the amazing taste of your homegrown tomatoes. They’re better than store-bought, being sweeter and juicier. Homegrown tomatoes come in many varieties, adding flavor to countless dishes.¹²

This guide equips you to have a successful tomato-growing adventure. Enjoy the journey and the tasty rewards. Happy gardening!

FAQ

What are the key considerations when choosing tomato varieties?

Think about your climate and the tomatoes you prefer (slicing, sauce, or cherry). Also, check for disease resistance.

Cool-climate tomatoes are best for short growing seasons. Hot-climate types love the heat. If blight is an issue, pick varieties that resist this disease.

What are the differences between determinate and indeterminate tomato varieties?

Determinate or bush tomatoes grow to about 3 feet. They stop growing and set fruit all at once, then they’re done for the season.

Indeterminate types, however, can keep growing and producing fruit until frost kills them. This is ideal for salads and continuous harvesting.

How can I prepare the soil and planting site for tomatoes?

To prep soil for tomatoes, make it rich and well-drained. Add compost or manure before planting.

Ensure the soil is warm enough, between 60-65°F. Also, pick a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun daily.

How do I properly plant and support tomato plants?

When planting, put them deep in the ground, covering the stem up to the leaves. This helps with strong roots.

For support, use cages, stakes, or trellises. This keeps the plants upright and healthy as they grow.

When and how should I prune and remove suckers from tomato plants?

Pruning is mainly for indeterminate tomatoes. Get rid of suckers early to fight disease and promote larger fruits.

But be careful not to prune too much, as it could expose fruits to sun damage. Balance is key.

What are the benefits of growing tomatoes from seed vs. transplants?

Starting from seed lets you try unique tomato types. It’s more work, though. Buying transplants is quicker but offers fewer choices.

Consider how much time and effort you’re willing to invest when making your choice.

How much water and fertilizer do tomatoes need?

Tomatoes should get 1-2 inches of water weekly. Water them deeply but not too often.

They also like lots of food. Add compost to the soil and fertilize every 2 weeks with a high phosphorus, potassium fertilizer.