When you think of a summer garden, fresh tomatoes are the first thing that most people think of. Visit a local home improvement or garden supply store, and you’ll see most people placing several pots in their buggy to take home. But before you purchase your first plant, here’s a few things to consider to help you grow healthy and productive tomato plants.
The most important thing is to know is when is your last frost date. It’s tempting to fill your buggy with plants, and place them in the ground at the first hint of warm weather. But I can almost guarantee you’ll loose those tomatoes to a cold day a week later. Tomatoes are warm weather plants, and they like it above 65 degrees. They need to be planted when all danger of frost is over. Have a cool day or evening that dips below 5O and your plant will suffer. While it may not kill it, it will struggle and you’ll not get the results you expected. Stressed plants are susceptible to pests and disease. So be patient. Find the last frost date in your area and then a wait a week. Watch the forecast for any unexpected cool weather.
Find your last frost date for your city here. Almanac First and Last Frost Dates
1. Choose the Right Varieties
When selecting tomato varieties, consider your needs and growing conditions. Determine whether you want determinate (bush) or indeterminate (vining) varieties. Determinate tomatoes are compact and produce fruit all at once, making them great for canning. Indeterminate tomatoes, on the other hand, grow and produce fruit continuously until frost. Vining tomatoes require heavy duty cages. They can grow as tall as 7 feet. The 5.99 variety at your local home imporovement store will fall over as soon as the tomato gets large. Mine were made from concrete reinforcing wire and are about 5 foot tall. You can also trellis your tomato over an arch, or up a string. You can find many helpful videos on you tube on how to stake your tomatoes. This video is by Nicole at Gardenary.
2. Start with Healthy Seedlings
To get a head start on the growing season, start tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost. Use a high-quality seed-starting mix and provide adequate light, ideally with grow lights. When buying transplants, look for strong, healthy plants with thick stems and no signs of disease or pests.
When I purchase my tomato plants, I remove any yellow flowers, or fruit before planting. This directs all of the energy into producting more leaves and a strong stem. If left on, the small plant may not be strong enough to hold up heavy fruit.
3. Planting
Prepare your soil by ensuring it is well-drained and nutrient-rich. Amend the soil with compost or well-rotted manure to provide the necessary nutrients for healthy tomato growth. Choose a sunny spot in your garden with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Remove lower leaves and bury the plant deep. Bury about 2/3 of the stem. If you take a close look at the stem, you will see little hair like projections on the stem. These will develop into roots under the soil and lead to a strong plant with a good root system.
4. Watering
Maintain consistent moisture in the soil, but avoid overwatering, as it can lead to problems like blossom end rot and splitting. Mulch can help retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Applying a layer of mulch around the base of the plants can also help prevent weed growth and reduce water evaporation.Do not use wood mulch which can deplete the nitrogen in the soil. Straw or hay will result in a lot of weeds. I prefer to mulch with compost. In a raised bed, the soil will dry out more quickly than tomatoes in the ground. Tomatoes like a good soaking, deep into the soil and reaching the roots. To see if I need to water, I do the finger test. Place your finger all the way down into the soil. If it comes out dry, it’s time to water. If it is damp, wait another day then check again. Water at the base at the stem. Do not use overhead sprinklers. Often times, most of the water lands on the leaves, never reaching the roots. Water on leaves can result in disease. Avoid splashing dirt on the leaves which can cause soil borne diseases on your plants. I like to use a watering wand on the “shower” setting. This is a wand that I like. If possible, water in the morning so the tomato will have a good start to a hot day.
5. Feeding
If you ask ten gardeners how and when they fertilize their tomatoes, you will most likely get ten answers. I’ll tell you what has worked for me, and you may to experiment with suggestions from other gardeners. I start off with a soil that has been amended with compost to plant my tomatoes. I DO NOT add fertilizers at planting. While tomatoes enjoy extra fertilizing during certain times during the growing season, I think that newly transplanted tomatoes need time to adjust to their new homes. If I have kept the tomato in it’s little pot too long, and the leaves are a little yellow I will add a some bone meal, or worm castings to the hole before planting. Otherwise, I wait until the plant has started to flower and set fruit. Then I will fertilize to give it a boost to grow big healthy fruit. Choose an organic fertilizer with the second number on the NPK as the largest. For example 4-6-4. The P is for phosphorus, which is important for developing fruit. Gardeners differ as to whether tomatoes should be fertilized throughout the season. If you read the back of the fertilizer, it may suggest every 2-3 weeks. I watch my tomatoes. If the leaves start to turn yellow, or I feel the tomatoes aren’t growing, I will fertilize. Otherwise, my soil is healthy, and should be enough for my tomatoes. Over fertilize, and it can be worse than no fertilize at all. Stop fertilizing when the tomato is fruiting heavily.
6. Pruning
Remove suckers or leave them? Suckers are growth that occur between the two branching limbs. I have done both. Removing suckers will give you less fruit, but larger fruit. I do remove some non fruiting limbs for better air circulation. Do not remove over 1/3 of non fruiting vines and be sure you don’t remove too much over the top of tomatoes or you will have sun scald. They need some shade. This is for vining indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate varieties generally require less pruning.
7. Pest and Disease Management
Regularly monitor your tomato plants for signs of pests and diseases. Early detection is crucial for effective management. Common pests to watch out for include aphids, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies. When planting your tomatoes in a raised bed or in the ground, don’t plant them all together. I have two tomatoes in each of my 4 beds. Interplant with basil to deter tomato hornworms. Include flowers and herbs inside your bed along the perimeter to deter pest and attract beneficial insects. Good choices include basil, chives, dill, thyme, borage, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds and sweet alyssum. Include a mix of vegetables in one bed. My bed has tomatoes at the back with basil in between two tomatoes. In front I have peppers, and in front of those either squash or bush beans that do not require trellising.
Zinnias and sweet alyssum in my vegetable bed.
To prevent soil-borne diseases, rotate your tomato crops annually. Additionally, avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of fungal infections .
8. Harvesting
Harvest tomatoes when they are fully colored and slightly firm. Different varieties have different times to maturity, so check the seed packet or plant label for days to maturity. If frost threatens, pick green tomatoes and ripen them indoors.
9. Storing Tomatoes
For the best flavor and texture, store ripe tomatoes at room temperature. Avoid refrigeration, as it can diminish flavor. Use or process tomatoes promptly. Overripe tomatoes can be used for sauces, salsas, and canning.
Remember to choose the right varieties, start with healthy seedlings, provide proper care and maintenance, and harvest at the right time. Happy gardening!
Karen
Need help growing your garden? If you are local to Chickamauga, Georgia I would loveto meet you at your home where we can plan the perfect garden. Live a little to far from me? No worries, book you phone a gardener session where we meet by zoom.
You can see all of my services here GrowingwithGardenchick
If you don’t a lot of space, you may enjoy these tips on growing tomatoes in containers.