Growing your own tomatoes is one of the most rewarding experiences a home gardener can have. There is simply no comparison between the bland, watery tomatoes found at the grocery store and the sweet, sun-warmed flavor of a freshly picked backyard tomato. Whether you have a sprawling backyard garden plot or just a few pots on a sunny balcony, you can successfully cultivate a bountiful harvest of this popular fruit.
While tomatoes have a reputation for being slightly finicky, mastering a few basic principles will set you up for success. By understanding what tomato plants need to thrive, from the right soil to proper watering techniques, you can enjoy heavy yields from summer until the first frost of autumn. This complete guide will walk you through every step of the growing process, from choosing the right variety to harvesting your first juicy tomato.
Choosing the Right Tomato Varieties
Before you buy seeds or starter plants, you need to decide which types of tomatoes fit your space, climate, and culinary goals. Tomatoes are generally categorized by their growth habits and their genetic heritage.
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
- Determinate tomatoes: Often called bush tomatoes, these plants grow to a compact size, usually three to four feet tall. They blossom and set fruit all at once, making them excellent for preserving, canning, or making sauce. Because of their manageable size, they are perfect for containers and small gardens.
- Indeterminate tomatoes: These vining varieties continue to grow, bloom, and produce fruit all season long until frost kills the plant. They can easily reach six to ten feet tall and require sturdy cages or stakes for support. They are ideal if you want a steady supply of fresh tomatoes for daily salads and slicing throughout the summer.
Heirloom vs. Hybrid
- Heirlooms: These are open-pollinated varieties that have been passed down through generations, often for 50 years or more. They are celebrated for their incredible, complex flavors and unique colors. However, they can sometimes be more susceptible to diseases.
- Hybrids: These plants are created by intentionally cross-breeding two different varieties to produce offspring with desirable traits, such as disease resistance, higher yields, or tougher skin for transport. While reliable and hardy, some gardeners find their flavor less intense than heirlooms.
Selecting the Perfect Location
Tomatoes are tropical plants by nature, which means they love heat and sunlight. To get the best harvest, choose a planting spot that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Lack of sunlight leads to spindly plants and very little fruit.
The soil is just as important as the sun. Tomatoes prefer loose, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. A soil pH between 6.0 and 6.8 is ideal. If you have heavy clay or sandy soil, mix in plenty of compost or aged manure before planting to improve the soil structure and nutrient content.
Starting Seeds vs. Buying Transplants
Beginner gardeners often wonder whether to start tomatoes from seed or buy young plants from a nursery. Both methods have distinct advantages.
Starting seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before your last expected spring frost gives you access to hundreds of unique varieties that you cannot find at local garden centers. It is also highly cost-effective if you plan to grow many plants. You will need seed-starting mix, small pots, and a strong light source, such as a shop light or dedicated grow lights.
Buying transplants from a local nursery is the easiest route for beginners or those short on time. Look for stocky, dark green plants that are about six to ten inches tall. Avoid buying plants that are already blooming or tall, spindly plants that look stressed, as they can take longer to establish in the garden.
How to Plant Tomatoes for Strong Roots
When the danger of frost has passed and night temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it is time to plant. Tomato plants have a unique ability to grow roots all along their stems. You can use this to your advantage to build a massive, drought-resistant root system.
- Dig a deep hole: Dig a hole deep enough to bury up to two-thirds of the plant stem.
- Pinch off lower leaves: Gently pinch off the leaves on the lower portion of the stem that will be buried under the soil.
- Place the plant in the hole: Drop the plant into the hole. If your soil is tough to dig deep, you can lay the plant sideways in a shallow trench, bending the top of the stem gently upward.
- Fill and firm: Fill the hole with soil and press down gently around the base of the plant to eliminate air pockets.
- Water deeply: Water the newly planted tomato thoroughly to help settle the soil around the roots.
Crucial Care and Maintenance
Once your tomatoes are in the ground, consistent care will keep them healthy and productive throughout the growing season.
Consistent Watering is Key
Tomatoes need deep, regular watering, especially once they begin to set fruit. Aim for about one to two inches of water per week, depending on rainfall. Irregular watering, such as letting the soil dry out completely and then soaking it, leads to cracked fruit and blossom end rot. Always water at the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry, which helps prevent fungal diseases.
Mulching
Apply a two-inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw, shredded leaves, or clean grass clippings, around the base of your plants. Mulch conserves soil moisture, regulates soil temperature, and prevents soil-borne disease spores from splashing up onto the lower leaves during rainstorms.
Support Your Plants Early
Do not wait until your plants are large and falling over to support them. Install tomato cages, stakes, or trellises at planting time. Staking keeps the fruit off the damp ground, improves air circulation, and makes harvesting much easier.
Fertilizing for Fruit
Tomatoes are heavy feeders. Mix compost into the soil at planting time, and feed them with a balanced organic fertilizer. Once the plants begin to bloom, switch to a fertilizer lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorus and potassium. Excess nitrogen at this stage will encourage lush, green leaves but very little fruit.
Pruning Tomatoes Explained
Pruning is highly recommended for indeterminate varieties, while determinate types do not require much pruning at all. On indeterminate plants, locate the suckers, which are the small shoots that grow in the V-shaped crotch between the main stem and the side branches.
Pinch these suckers off when they are small. Pruning your plants to one or two main stems focuses the plant’s energy on producing larger fruit rather than excess foliage. It also improves airflow through the plant, which keeps leaves dry and helps prevent disease.
Common Tomato Pests and Diseases
Even with excellent care, tomatoes can fall victim to pests and diseases. Recognizing the signs early can save your crop.
- Blossom End Rot: This appears as a flat, black, leathery patch on the bottom of the tomato. It is caused by a calcium deficiency, which is almost always triggered by inconsistent watering that prevents the plant from absorbing calcium from the soil. Keep watering consistent to fix this issue.
- Early Blight: This fungal disease starts as dark spots with concentric rings on the lower leaves, eventually causing them to yellow and drop. Prevent blight by mulching, watering at the soil level, and pruning lower branches to keep them off the ground.
- Tomato Hornworms: These massive, bright green caterpillars can strip a tomato plant of its leaves overnight. The easiest control method is to search the plants daily and handpick them. They are harmless to humans but can be fed to chickens or dropped into soapy water.
- Aphids: These tiny, sap-sucking insects cluster on new growth. You can easily knock them off the plants with a strong blast of water from a garden hose.
Harvesting and Storage
For the absolute best flavor, leave your tomatoes on the vine until they are fully colored and yield slightly to gentle pressure. If pests or frost threaten your crop, you can harvest tomatoes once they show the first blush of color. They will continue to ripen on your kitchen counter with their flavor intact.
Never store fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator. Cold temperatures destroy the delicate volatile compounds that give tomatoes their rich flavor, leaving them with a mealy texture. Keep your harvested tomatoes at room temperature on the counter, out of direct sunlight, and enjoy them within a few days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my tomato flowers falling off without producing fruit?
This is known as blossom drop. It usually happens when temperatures are too extreme. If daytime temperatures rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit or night temperatures fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the pollen becomes sterile, and the blossoms drop off. The plants will begin setting fruit again once the weather stabilizes.
Can I grow tomatoes in pots?
Yes, tomatoes grow wonderfully in containers. Choose a container that holds at least five to ten gallons of potting mix to allow plenty of room for roots. Determinate bush varieties or cherry tomatoes are the best choices for container gardening.
Why are my tomatoes cracking?
Tomatoes crack when they experience a sudden surge in water after a dry spell. The inside of the fruit grows faster than the skin can stretch, causing it to split. You can prevent this by keeping your soil consistently moist and harvesting ripe fruit before heavy rainstorms.
How often should I fertilize my tomato plants?
If you are using a slow-release organic fertilizer, you may only need to apply it at planting time and once more mid-season. If you prefer liquid fertilizers, apply a diluted solution every two to three weeks once the plants begin blooming and setting fruit.
With a little patience and attention to their basic needs, you will find that growing tomatoes is incredibly achievable. By selecting the right varieties for your space, planting them deep to build strong roots, and keeping up with watering and support, you will enjoy a spectacular harvest. There is no greater gardening joy than sharing your abundant crop of sweet, homegrown tomatoes with friends and family.