13 Best Tips for Planting and Growing Great Tomatoes

Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf

Tomatoes plants are one of the most popular choices for home vegetable gardens due to their versatility and flavor. You can grow delicious, ripe fruit by selecting the right varieties, providing proper care from the start, and addressing any issues early on. Discover these proven tips for planting and maintaining tomato plants to enjoy a juicy and plentiful harvest this season.

Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!

01 of 13

Choose the Right Tomato Variety

The two main categories of tomatoes are indeterminate and determinate. Indeterminate tomatoes fruit continuously throughout the season, while determinate tomatoes ripen nearly all at once.

Indeterminate tomatoes, which include many heirloom varieties, are better for continuous harvests all summer long. Determinate tomatoes are great for making sauces and they are better for container planting because they reach a smaller size at maturity,

Consider the type of tomato you want to grow and how long it will take to ripen. Tomatoes fall into early-, mid-, and late-season categories. In colder climates, choose early-season varieties that thrive in cooler weather.

02 of 13

Choose a Big Pot

A tomato plant can grow large and needs a big pot to fit its extensive root system. A 5-gallon bucket with drainage holes drilled at the bottom would be an ideal container. Avoid black containers because they will become too warm for the plant, which leads to stunted growth problems. Also, avoid clay pots because they dry out quickly; stick to plastic or fiberglass posts for tomatoes.

03 of 13

Grow in Direct Sunlight

Tomato seedlings need strong, direct light. Use artificial plant lights daily for 14 to 18 hours and keep them a few inches away to prevent legginess in seedlings.

When planting in the garden, choose a location that receives at least six to eight hours of full sun. Tomatoes need plenty of sun to grow well and produce fruit.

04 of 13

Create Air Circulation

Tomato plants need to move and sway in the breeze to develop strong stems. That happens naturally outdoors, but if you start your seedlings inside, provide some type of air circulation. Do this by turning a fan on them for five to 10 minutes twice a day. Or, ruffle the tomato plants by gently rubbing your hands back and forth across their tops for a few minutes several times a day.

05 of 13

Provide Healthy Soil

Make sure your soil provides the proper conditions for tomatoes before you plant. Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.8. Check your soil's pH with a soil test from your local extension agency. A soil test also diagnoses nutrient deficiencies.

Tomatoes are heavy feeders and require a steady source of nutrients. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Work compost into the soil before planting tomatoes.

• Side-dress plantings with compost midseason to add nutrients.

• Apply a fertilizer specifically designed for tomatoes every two weeks during the growing season, starting with planting time.

06 of 13

Plant at the Right Time

Plant tomatoes outdoors once any danger of frost in your growing zone has passed and soil temperatures are at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It's best to wait to plant tomatoes outdoors until nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Harden off tomato seedlings that were grown indoors to help them adjust before planting.

07 of 13

Plant Stems Deep

Plant your tomato plants deeper by burying them up to the top few leaves. It's a hack used by many gardeners that helps tomatoes develop roots all along their stems for a stronger plant.

Dig a deep hole or simply dig a shallow trench and lay the plant sideways. It will quickly straighten itself up and grow toward the sun. Just be careful not to drive your tomato stake or cage into the buried stem.

08 of 13

Water Deeply

• Water tomato plants deeply and regularly with 1 to 1 1/2 inches per week. Add an inch of water weekly if rainfall is low, and increase for wilting tomatoes during dry, hot weather.

• Give wilting tomatoes more water during hot, dry spells.

• Supplement your tomato plants with an extra inch of water each week if there has been little rainfall.

• Water at the base of the plant or use a soaker hose.

• Avoid splashing water on the leaves, which can lead to disease.

• After the fruit begins to ripen, ease up on watering so the plant concentrates its sugars for a better-tasting fruit.

• Don’t withhold too much water or the plants will continually wilt and become stressed causing them to drop their blossoms and possibly their fruit.

Tip

Irregular watering can lead to blossom end rot (a calcium deficiency), cracking, and splitting.

09 of 13

Mulch Tomatoes

Once air and soil temperatures have warmed up, add a layer of mulch to your tomato plants to retain moisture. Mulching also prevents soil and soil-borne diseases from splashing up on the plants and shades and cools the soil.

10 of 13

Don't Crowd Seedlings

Give tomato seedlings plenty of room to branch out by thinning the seedlings and putting one strong plant per small pot. Crowded conditions inhibit growth, which stresses plants and can lead to disease.

Transplant tomato seedlings into 4-inch pots shortly after they get their first set of true leaves. Harden off seedlings before planting in the garden.

11 of 13

Provide Support

When they reach 10 to 12 inches tall, use tomato cages, trellises, stakes, or ties to keep them upright. Indeterminate tomatoes need stronger supports than determinate ones.

12 of 13

Remove the Bottom Leaves

After your tomato plants reach 2 to 3 feet tall, remove the leaves from the bottom foot of the stem. These old leaves sit close to the ground and are usually the first to develop fungus problems as they come into contact with soil-borne pathogens.

Make sure to disinfect your clippers between snipping plants to avoid spreading disease.

13 of 13

Prune Suckers

Remove suckers that develop in the crotch joint of two branches. Pinch or prune them off when they're 3 inches long or smaller. They won’t bear fruit and can take energy away from the rest of the plant.

You can root tomato suckers in water to grow additional plants.

How to Harvest and Store Tomatoes

The best time to harvest tomatoes depends on whether you planted early-, mid-, or late-season varieties. Early-season tomatoes mature in 40 to 70 days, midseason in 60 to 70 days, and late-season tomatoes in 80 to 100 days from planting. Here are tips on how to harvest and store tomatoes:

• Harvest fruits when they are good-sized, fully colored, and have smooth, shiny, supple, yet firm skin.

• Ripe tomatoes should come off the plant easily. If you have to pull hard, the fruit isn't quite ready.

• Ripen a partially ripe fruit by placing it in a paper bag and leaving it on the counter at room temperature. Refrigeration prevents fruit from ripening.

• Don't leave partially ripened fruit on the stem too long or it will attract pests.

• Chill fully ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator for two to three days, but they'll taste best when brought back to room temperature before eating.
  

Tip

Fully green tomatoes will never ripen properly after harvesting but you can use them in recipes as green tomatoes.

Frequently asked Questions

Should you put Epsom salt on tomatoes?

Put Epsom salt on tomatoes only if a soil test shows your garden is low in magnesium. Too much Epsom salt can add excess magnesium, which can cause blossom end rot by stopping the plants from taking in enough calcium.

What does hydrogen peroxide do for tomato plants?

Hydrogen peroxide does not prevent diseases in tomato plants. If used in high amounts, it can harm and burn the leaves.

Are coffee grounds good for tomatoes?

Coffee grounds provide carbon and nitrogen, which might help plants. But it's best to use a quality fertilizer for tomatoes, as it offers more nutrients than coffee grounds do.

Read Next: Tomato Plant Growth Timeline: 7 Stages (With Pictures)

Read the original article on The Spruce