The Repurposing Life

How to Grow the Best Tomatoes

Growing tomatoes is much easier than most gardeners think. Everyone can learn to grow tomatoes. Here are the main steps:

1. Purchase a locally grown tomato seedling or grow your own from a tomato seed.
2. Grow in 100% compost.
3. Fortify with used coffee grounds and crushed eggshells.
4. Give the tomato plant the right amount of light, water, and heat—neither too much nor too little.
5. Wait for yellow flowers to appear and bloom.
6. Watch as tomatoes grow on the plant where the yellow flowers have faded.

Choose Varieties of Tomato to Grow

The first step to growing tomatoes is to decide which variety (cultivar) to grow and figure out how many plants you’ll need. You’ll also need to decide when to start your tomato seeds or when to purchase seedling plants from the nursery. This is all part of garden planning.

Here are some of the best-tasting types of tomatoes to grow and eat fresh from the garden. Grow Sun Gold for a hybrid cherry tomato and Brandywine for a giant heirloom type. Consider a “canning type” variety if you’ll be canning the tomatoes at the end of the season. It’s nice to plant a diverse group of varieties, but if you can only grow one, that is fine too. Dwarf or determinate varieties are nice if you’re going to be growing the tomatoes in a container garden.

Planning Where to Grow Your Tomato Plant

If you haven’t already planned where to situate your tomatoes, now is the time. Tomatoes grow best outdoors in sunny areas that have well-drained, nutritious soil. The two most important site characteristics are:

• A sunny area that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight each day, and
• An area with well-drained soil (think sandy loam, not heavy clay).

This could be a sunny patch of in ground soil, a raised bed, or a pot placed in the sun. Plan on each plant taking up a surface area of 2 feet by 2 feet in a garden or raised bed. Also look for an area with good air circulation all around the planting area.

In pots, large, indeterminate heirloom tomatoes like Brandywine will need 10 or 15 gallon containers (generally 18 to 24 inches wide). Dwarf and determinate types can be grown in a 5 gallon pot or bucket with drainage holes drilled on the bottom.

Growing a Tomato Plant from a Seed

Tomato seedling transplants are grown from tomato seeds. For a guide to the best ways of saving tomato seeds to plant, watch this video below. This is done indoors, generally with the help of a dedicated plant light and seedling fan for air movement. Most gardeners start their tomato seeds about six weeks before the expected last frost date in their area. In Northern California there is no frost, warm temperatures begin around March-April. This is a good time to take seedlings outdoors. Any later and you’ll miss most of the tomato season.

Saving Tomato Seeds

Soak tomato seeds for 6 hours before planting. For greater detailed instructions, read Tomatoes 101: A Quick-Start Guide for Beginners. Use a quality organic seed starting potting mix. Plant two seeds per pot, thinning to one seedling if both grow. Give each seedling plenty of room. Tomato seedlings need direct light. A sunny window will generally not be enough light for them.

How to Plant a Tomato Seedling Plant

Here’s how to plant a tomato seedling. The young seedling plant is often called a “transplant,” as it will be transplanted out into the garden.

How to Prepare Soil for Tomato Plants

Many gardeners like to prepare soil by placing a 1-2 inch thick layer of compost over the soil surface. This soil preparation can be done in the fall or early spring. A nice layer of homemade compost will add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. I plant my tomatoes in containers outdoors in 100% organic compost.

When to Plant a Tomato Plant Outdoors

Tomato plants grow best outdoors, but they don’t like the cold. It’s best to wait not only until the last spring frost has passed, but also until the soil has warmed up a bit.

Your transplants won’t quite be ready for the outdoors after a sprouting indoors. You can “harden” them a little bit each day by putting young plants outdoors in the shade for a couple of hours the first day. Gradually increase the amount of time the plants are outside each day, and start exposing them to some direct sunlight. This process will ease the transition.

Remember not to rush the season. Tomatoes do not like cold weather. This means any outdoor air temperature below 10℃ (50℉). Tomato growth is severely inhibited below 50℉, and the plants are significantly injured below 43℉.

How to Plant a Tomato in the Garden

Once you’ve got your healthy tomato seedling plant which has been “hardened” to life outdoors. You’ve also got your nice garden soil which has been prepared with an inch or more of homemade compost.

Dig a wide, deep hole for each tomato plant. Use the layout map in your garden planner and make sure you’re leaving enough space to walk between rows to tend and harvest. Water each planting hole if the soil is dry.

Then add crushed eggshells to each planting hole. Save enough eggshells so you can add the crushed shells from a dozen eggs into each hole. This will add calcium to the soil and prevent blossom end-rot. Do not try to substitute Epsom salts for eggshells.

If the seedling is at all “leggy,” (meaning that it is tall and skinny rather than leafy and bushy) it should be buried deeper than the soil line in the pot. Tomato plants are unique in that roots form along any part of the tomato stem that’s planted below the soil. The buried stem becomes an extension of the tomato’s tap root, helping it absorb more moisture and nutrients. Pinch off the bottom leaves and bury about half of the stem below the ground.

The root of the tomato plant is typically of the “taproot” variety. The taproot is a primary larger root that is parallel to the main stem and runs fairly deep. Lateral roots will branch off the taproot and sub lateral roots will also branch off of those. Water the tomato transplant well after planting. Some gardeners like to build a little well or moat out of soil around the stem to keep water in the vicinity of the tomato’s tap root.

Mulching Tomato Plants in the Garden

The soil around your tomato plants should be mulched once the soil has had a chance to fully warm up. I like to mulch my tomatoes about a month after planting them outside. I mulch mine with more homemade compost, which helps keep moisture in the soil and discourage weeds from growing. The compost is also less likely to splash up onto the foliage during a rainstorm.

Compost used as a mulch prevents weeds just as well as shredded bark or wood chips, both of which breed disease and are bad for plants. Compost provides all the food your growing plants need, and prevents disease spores from breeding on the surface of the soil.

How to Plant a Tomato in a Container

Tomato plants grow quite well in containers as long as the container is large enough, has drainage holes, and is watered frequently.

Plant one seedling in each container. Use a quality potting mix made of peat moss/coconut coir and perlite. Add some nutrients to the potting soil by adding compost. Or go ahead and use 100% compost, for a more prolific harvest. Avoid using plain garden soil in a container garden if possible. Place the pot in a sunny area that’s getting at least 6 hours of full sun daily. Plants in super sunny southern areas may benefit from a bit of afternoon shade in the hottest months. Container tomatoes dry out much more quickly than plants in the ground. Use a drip irrigation system to water them and be sure to check them every day.

How to Use Tomato Cages

Tomato plants will benefit from some sort of support system. Small hybrid tomatoes can get away with a small tomato cage, while larger indeterminate heirlooms are best off with a custom-built support system. The supports will keep the fruits off the ground and prevent rotting. Place the tomato cage soon after planting, before the tomato has the chance to get bigger.

Many serious tomato gardeners use animal fencing from the hardware store to make rigid wire cylinders. One 50 foot roll of metal wire fencing will make up to 10 tomato cages. If making your own tomato cages, consider making them in a few sizes. That way they can nest inside the largest cage(s) for winter storage, which is nice if you have lots of them.

How to Care for a Tomato Plant

Caring for a tomato plant is easy if the seedling was healthy and was planted with care. Even in less than ideal circumstances, tomatoes are easy to grow. Watch your tomato plants carefully to catch disease or pests early on. Visit them every day to make sure they are getting adequate sunlight and moisture. The plants may also need to be protected from local wildlife with fencing or some other deterrent.

How to Water a Tomato Plant

Tomato plants should be watered deeply, infrequently, and not allowed to sit wet overnight. Water the seedling deeply when it is first planted out in the garden. Keep the soil moist, but not soaking wet, for a couple days. Keep watering regularly, but allow the soil to dry out a bit in between. Tomato plant roots need access to both air and water.

About a month after planting, you’ll be mulching the soil. This will help the soil retain moisture as temperatures heat up. Keep checking the plants often. Give them enough sun and water to grow, but don’t over water them. Encourage the roots of the tomato to grow deep and therefore have access to greater reserves of water.

Soil moisture becomes even more important as the fruit ripens. Avoid overwatering the plant at this point. A spike in moisture can cause rapid swelling of the fruit, leading to cracking of the skin of the tomatoes. Use drip irrigation, mulch, and careful observation to keep soil moisture levels consistent as fruit ripens.

Very little watering will produce a much better flavored tomato. It’s best to water tomato plants in the early morning. Keep the water off the foliage—only the soil needs to be watered. Avoid watering at the end of the day and avoid watering the leaves.

When the transplants are well established, you can cut back on watering. Once plants set fruit, they should be able to survive without additional watering beyond rainfall. While the plants may wilt somewhat in the afternoon sun, if the root systems are strong, they can survive dry periods better than you might expect.

How to Fertilize a Tomato Plant

A thick layer of compost is all most tomato plants need to produce lovely, delicious fruits. Compost is the best fertilizer to use on tomatoes. Nothing is better than homemade compost for tomato food. Avoid using synthetic chemical fertilizers on your tomatoes. They simply don’t need it. Every serious tomato grower I know has eventually moved to 100% organic growing methods.

You can supplement soil with alfalfa meal, kelp, dolomite, worm castings, a fish emulsion, compost and other natural soil additives, to breed plants that are naturally healthier and more disease resistant.

If you really feel the need to give your tomato plants a boost, choose a naturally sourced soil amendment that is safe for organic gardening. Organic fertilizers are a much safer and more effective option. Avoid using Epsom salt on your tomato plants. Despite what you may read, Epsom salts are not good for tomato plants. Liquid mixtures of fish and seaweed are my favorite mid-season boost fertilizers.

Tomato Plant Pollination

Most tomato plants are self-pollinating, meaning that one flower can pollinate itself or other flowers on the same plant. While they don’t rely on insect pollination, it does take a lot of movement to move the pollen spores around.

Heirloom tomatoes pollinate themselves and breed true to parents from generation to generation. Modern hybrids are also self-pollinating, but the seeds in the resulting tomatoes won’t grow plants that are the same as the parent. You’ll have to buy new hybrid seeds next year.

How to Prune a Tomato Plant

Tomato plants require minimal pruning. While some gardeners prune the suckers off because they claim these sap energy from the plant, there is little evidence to support this. In fact, the suckers are actually fruiting side shoots that develop at nodes. Removing suckers by pruning them off will reduce the yield of the plant, not increase it. So why prune a tomato plant at all? In general, you leave suckers on determinate tomato plants. Selective pruning of indeterminates is recommended. Check out this short instructional video on pruning indeterminate tomato vines.

Pruning Indeterminate Tomato Vines

Some gardeners like to “top” tomato plants (trimming the main stem to encourage the lateral branches to grow). This isn’t necessary, it’s more of a personal preference. Gardeners who prune their tomato plants often also trim all the lower leaves off the lowest foot length of the stem once the plant is a few feet tall, as this can prevent splashing.

Some large and unruly indeterminate heirloom plants may need to have suckers pinched off in order to help with air circulation and make the supporting trellis more reasonable. Do go easy on pruning since the leaves are the equipment that the plant uses to create sugar to give flavor to your delicious homegrown tomatoes. Don’t deprive the plant of this essential tool.

Harvesting Tomatoes from the Garden

Tomatoes ripen best on the vine. Leave the fruit on the plant as long as possible. That said, pick up any tomatoes that fall off before they ripen and bring them indoors to ripen on the counter.

When to Harvest Tomatoes

Tomatoes are ripe and ready to be harvested when they are still quite firm, but are just starting to give a little when squeezed lightly. They should also be their final ripened color, which varies based on the variety.

If there are still tomatoes on the vine when a hard frost is forecast, it’s time to pick them all—regardless of ripeness. Take the tomatoes inside and let them ripen indoors. Some gardeners even hang their whole plants upside down in a covered porch or other protected area until the tomatoes ripen. Just don’t put the tomatoes in the fridge or leave them out in the cold.

How to Store Ripe Tomatoes

Store near ripe tomatoes in a warm spot, and after they ripen, switch to a cool location. Don’t refrigerate fresh tomatoes, as doing so will spoil their flavor and texture. Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature in a brown paper bag.

To make them last longer, consider freezing them. Blemish free tomatoes can be frozen whole. Tomatoes can also be halved or quartered prior to freezing. If freezer space is at a premium, consider removing the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes so you can really pack in the pulp.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Way To Grow Tomatoes?

If I could, I’d grow all my tomatoes in raised beds full of lovely, light potting mix and homemade compost. They’d be watered with drip irrigation and would each have a custom-made large trellis. But I’m just as happy growing them in containers out in the backyard.

What Are The Easiest Tomatoes To Grow?

The easiest tomatoes to grow are hybrid cherry tomatoes. I would recommend Sun Gold cherry tomatoes to anyone looking for an easy-to-grow tomato. They are reliable and don’t take long to produce fruit. Avoid large, indeterminate heirlooms like Brandywine tomatoes. You can easily get those at the Farmers Market.

What Is The Most Popular Tomato Plant?

The most popular tomato plants are easy-to-grow hybrids like Better Boy, Big Beef, Early Girl, Celebrity, and Super Sweet 100. The most popular heirloom tomatoes are Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, and Brandywine.

What are Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes?

Determinates are mainly bush tomatoes and have a set growth limit (genetically pre-determined height & width), usually producing one harvest within 30-60 days. These are good for container growing, and rarely, if ever, need pruning. One exception is removing any shoots or suckers below the lowest fruit-bearing stem, simply because it is non-productive.

Examples: Tiny Tim, Roma, Sweet ‘n’ Neat Cherry.

Semi-determinates are determinates that produce a second set of fruit.

Example: Roughwood Golden Plum.

Indeterminates grow as vines, producing fruit ongoing, with one central main stem that just keeps going until a killing frost stops it, or when it has exhausted its lifespan (possibly several years). You may also hear them referred to as “tender perennials.”

Examples: Sun gold, Pink Brandywine, Big Boy, Red Beefstake.

Which Type of Tomato Plant Do I have?

If you don’t know whether your tomato plant is a determinate or indeterminate. An easy way to tell is to check the flowers: determinates form their flowers on the ends of branches or stems, indeterminates form their flowers along lateral shoots.

How Many Tomatoes Will One Plant Produce?

The number of tomatoes per plant depends on the variety and the plant’s health. A healthy Brandywine tomato plant may only grow three tomatoes—but each tomato might weigh upwards of 2 lbs. A Sun Gold cherry tomato can produce over a hundred tomatoes, because they are tiny.

How Many Tomato Plants Do I Need For A Family Of 4?

Plant between 8-16 tomato plants for a family of four. If your family doesn’t like tomatoes, you’ll need fewer than 8 plants. If you plan to can salsa and tomato sauce for an entire year, you’ll need way more than 16 plants. Read the details on the packets for your chosen varieties and calculate out how many plants you’ll need to grow.

Sources:
How to Grow Tomatoes – Home for the Harvest
https://www.homefortheharvest.com/how-to-grow-tomatoes/
Tomatoes 101: A Quick-Start Guide for Beginners
https://empressofdirt.net/growing-tomatoes-from-seed-to-table/
July 4, 2019 by Melissa J. Will
How to Prune Tomatoes and Grow New Plants from Cuttings
https://empressofdirt.net/prune-tomato-suckers/
August 12, 2019 by Melissa J. Will