12 May 2019

5 Steps For Growing Great Tomatoes

For the most successful tomato crop, it’s important to choose varieties that are well adapted and recommended for your region. We grow over 50 different varieties. (Here’s a partial listing of our tomato seedling selection.)

You may also want to consider buying varieties that are disease-resistant or tolerant, especially if your garden space does not allow you to rotate crops. Look for variety names followed by the initials V, F, N, T, and A. They stand for resistance or tolerance to the most common tomato problems: verticillium wilt (V), fusarium wilt (F), nematodes (N), tobacco mosaic (T), and alternaria (A).

Stretch your harvest season by planting tomatoes with staggered maturity dates. For example, you might plant at least one early, mid-season, and late season tomato in your garden. Early season tomatoes are those that take 50 to 65 days from transplanting to harvest. Midseason varieties need 65 to 79 days and late season varieties take 80 days or longer.

For full enjoyment, grow a variety of tomatoes to use in different ways. Besides good slicing tomatoes for sandwiches, consider growing a cherry type for salads, a Roma variety for canning or making paste, or yellow, pink, orange, or gold tomatoes to add bright color to salads and platters.

When in doubt, check with us — we are happy to help you choose the best plants for your garden. Here are some of our best tips for growing the tomato plants ever!

STEP 1: Preparing Garden Soil
Two of the most basic needs of tomatoes are 6 to 10 hours of sun daily and rich, well drained soil that’s loose and crumbly to the touch. To improve soil that is either too heavy or too light, add generous amounts of organic matter — such as compost, peat moss, or ground leaves. Spread a 2-inch thick layer of organic matter over the planting site and work it about 6 inches deep into the soil.

Tomatoes prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Use a soil test to determine your garden’s pH and then adjust it, if necessary. Add calcium if it is deficient in the soil to help prevent blossom-end rot. Give transplants a good start by mixing a pre-planting application of fertilizer into the soil.

The optimal time to transplant is on a cloudy day or in the morning or evening hours.

STEP 2: Transplanting
Water your transplants just before planting to help the root ball stay intact. Space staked or trellised tomatoes spaced 1 to 2 feet apart and in rows 3 feet apart. For caged tomatoes, leave 3 feet between caged tomatoes and 4 feet for plants that grow unsupported.

Set plants deeply in the soil to encourage root formation along the buried stem; additional roots take up more water and nutrients for healthier growth. Do not remove any leaves.

At planting time, install a collar on each transplant to protect against cutworms. Make collars by wrapping the stem with newspapers or by slipping a styrofoam or paper cup with bottom removed over the plant. Sink collars an inch into the soil and leave 1 to 2 inches showing above the ground.

Mulching around the base of the plant helps maintain uniform soil moisture while reducing weeds and soil compaction. Mulching also helps keep tomato fruit clean. Black plastic used early in the season warms soil a few degrees while organic mulches reduce soil temperatures in summer and contribute to soil richness as they decompose.

Tomatoes require support systems. Installing the support of your choice at planting time helps avoid disturbing tender root systems later. Wire cages, wooden stakes and trellises of string or wire all work well.

STEP 3: Watering
Tomatoes need a continuous and uniform supply of water. Excessive watering harms plant roots while too little moisture halts fruit production. A common mistake to avoid is allowing soil to dry out and then soaking. This can cause blossoms to drop, fruit will crack, and it also contributes to blossom-end rot.

Encourage deep, healthy root systems by gentle waterings that trickle down 8 to 10 inches into the soil. Water early in the day and water the ground, not foliage, to prevent disease problems. The frequency of watering depends on many factors – stage of growth, temperature and humidity, light intensity, wind, and soil type.

STEP 4: Fertilizing
Tomatoes need ample fertilizer to produce vigorous vines and abundant fruit. The nutrients should be constantly available to the plants. Feeding begins before transplanting time by using a starter solution of liquid fertilizer. Prepare it according to label recommendations.

Once plants become established in the garden, begin side-dressing plants and repeat applications every 4 weeks throughout the growing season. Use a complete fertilizer with a 1-1-1, 1-2-2, or 1-2-1 ratio (10-10-10, 5-10-10, and 5-10-5 are examples of fertilizers with these ratios). Or use a formulation especially designed for tomatoes. Apply in the amounts listed on the fertilizer bag label, but do not overfeed. Too much fertilizer, especially with nitrogen, results in abundant vine growth but not much fruit and can contribute to blossom-end rot.

STEP 5: Culture
Determinate tomato plants have vines that make little or no growth once fruit is set. Harvest time is short as all the fruit develops at about the same time. Determinate varieties can grow without the additional support of a stout stake or cage and pruning is usually not necessary.

Indeterminate vines keep producing leaves and stem even after fruit set; vines often grow until killed by frost. Tomatoes in all stages of development may be on the vine at once and harvest may last several months. Indeterminate plants need the support of a stake, trellis or wire cage.

Pests of one kind or another often are attracted to the luxuriant growth of healthy tomato plants. It is wise to inspect plants frequently to spot problems before infestations become serious and damaging. Those tomato growers who garden organically may want to use natural biological insecticides or insecticidal soaps. Always make sure to follow label directions carefully when applying any pesticide.