Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are grown in almost every garden, and there is nothing like the taste of a fresh-grown tomato. In this article, we share our best tips for growing tomatoes.

Seed Thickly

Sow tomato seeds indoors about eight weeks before transplanting outdoors.

You don’t have to plant one seed per cell when sowing tomato seeds. Go ahead and sow the seeds thickly.

When the cell gets crowded with the seedlings, separate each seedling into its own cell.

This method of sowing tomato seeds allows you to produce more in less space.

Plant Tomatoes Deep

Plants in the nightshade family are unique. When covered with soil, small hairs on the stems become roots.

The pictures below show the tiny hairs on the tomato stem. When you transplant your seedling, bury the tomato stem up to its shoulders, where the stem starts to branch, .

All the hairs form roots, creating a robust root system for your tomatoes.

plant tomatoes deep — Hairs on the Tomato Stem

how to plant tomatoes — Illustration of planting tomato deep

Harden Off Your Tomato Plants

Hardening off gradually allows a plant to get used to the outside elements, such as full sun, wind, and rain. Tomato plants, generally, need more time to harden off than other plants. Give tomato plants four weeks to harden off successfully.

At first, place your tomatoes in the shade for a few hours during the warmest part of the day. As the days go on, leave the plants outside a little longer each day, exposing them to more sunlight. If their leaves turn brown or get crispy, the plants need less sun. Sunscald on tomatoes sets growth back a couple of weeks.

If you do not have a lot of shade, shade cloths create shade and don’t cost a lot of money. You can also make your own shade with two chairs and a sheet. When using a sheet or shade cloth, be sure the plants do not get too hot.

After four weeks of this process, the tomatoes are ready to be planted in the garden. Don’t forget to plant the tomatoes deep when you transplant them.

Prune Tomato Plants

Tomato plants are susceptible to diseases found in the soil, such as powdery and downy mildew, verticillium wilt, bacterial soft rot, and mosaic virus.

downy mildew on tomato — Downy Mildew on a Tomato

powdery mildew on tomato — Powdery Mildew on a Tomato

Pruning tomatoes is a necessity in the prevention these diseases. Prune the bottom 12″ off the tomato.

This pruning allows airflow and prevents diseased soil from splashing onto the leaves when watering the tomato plants.

Water In the Morning

Watering in the morning allows any water on the leaves of the tomato plants to evaporate in the sun.

If you water in the evening, the water sits on the leaves, promoting diseases such as those listed in the previous section.

If you water in the afternoon, the water droplets act as a magnifying glass and can cause tomato leaves to scorch.

Trellis or Support

All tomato varieties need a trellis or support.

Determinate tomatoes grow to a predetermined height. These varieties do well with tomato cages.

determinate roma tomato — Determinate Roma Tomato

indeterminate beefsteak tomato — Indeterminate Beefsteak Tomato

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow throughout their growing season. These varieties do well with a trellis. Some ideas for trellises are cattle panels, bamboo tepees, and the Florida weave.

Removing Suckers

Suckers are shoots that emerge between the stem and branch of the tomato plant.

Craig LeHoullier, the developer of the Cherokee Purple tomato, suggests not removing suckers from determinate tomatoes. If suckers are removed, the output of fruit decreases.

He also suggests removing the suckers about every 8″ on indeterminate tomato plants. This removal of suckers prevents overcrowding and increases airflow in the plant.

Top Your Tomatoes

Indeterminate tomatoes can grow as tall as 20 feet. There is no reason to let your tomato plants get that tall. You need a ladder to harvest the fruit.

Top the plants at a height you can comfortably reach without using a ladder.

Fertilize Regularly

Tomatoes don’t need a fancy, specialized fertilizer. A fertilizer balanced in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) works just fine.

Fertilize every few weeks for best results.

Pick Tomatoes in the Breaker Stage

When tomatoes start to show the first hints of pink, they are in the breaker stage. These tomatoes do not grow any larger and will continue to ripen off the vine.

Picking tomatoes in the breaker stage helps avoid damage by squirrels, birds, and other animals. It also avoids the possibility of splitting.

tomato splitting — Splitting caused by inconsistent watering

Splitting occurs when ripening tomatoes receive inconsistent watering from heavy rain. The inside of the tomato swells while the outside remains rigid. The swelling causes the outside of the tomato to split.

If you are like me, you love growing tomatoes in your home garden! I hope these tips help you have a successful yield.