Growing Tomatoes

 

• Ideal Soil pH: 6.5

• Ideal Climate: Lots of sun and temperatures between 65 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit

• Daily sunlight for mature bushes: 8 hours of direct sun

• Watering mature bushes:  Keep the soil consistently moist to a depth of 8 inches (Thorough watering twice a week)

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Step 1: Plant Tomatoes in Pots or Sow in Garden?

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I recommend sowing tomatoes in the garden because they get larger when their roots have more room to expand. If pots are your only option don't worry because you can have plenty of success! I have actually grown some of my best tomato plants in pots. If you do go this route you are going to want a 12, 18, or 24 inch pot depending on the variety you choose to plant. 

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Step 2: Different Varieties of Tomatoes: Determinate vs Indeterminate

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Determinate: 

These varieties stop growing at a certain height (typically 3 foot max) and have most of their fruit mature at the same time (within 2-3 months after planting). These varieties are often grown for making sauces, salsa, and canning given that all the fruit is ripe around the same time. Since they stop growing at a certain height, these varieties don't always need support (cages) but it is still usually a good idea.

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Indeterminate: 

These varieties continually produce tomatoes throughout the growing season and grow to be tall. They often end up being around 5 feet in height and need some type of tall supports. These supports are often tall cages or trellises. Indeterminate varieties often produce a lot of shoots and vines so it is common to prune them for larger fruit but this is not necessary if you have room to train the vines.

 

Step 3: Germinating Tomato Seeds

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There are hundreds of varieties of tomato seeds that will each have differences in the depth to sow them at and the length of time to germination so you will need to get this information off the package your seeds come in. Sow seeds indoors around 4 weeks before the last frost date in your area, here is a handy chart to help you out: last frost date chart. If you are starting with seeds you took directly out of a store bought tomato, in general sow the seeds at a 1/4 inch depth, keep warm and moist, and you should see seedlings emerge in 1 - 2 weeks. You can start your seeds in a starter trays but I have always had relatively good success starting my tomatoes directly in the large pots I plan to keep them in (if you are going to grow in pots). 

 

Seeds can also be planted directly in your garden if your climate that stays warm through the night but if you are planning on planting in your garden or raised beds, I would recommend germinating seeds indoors in trays, small pots, or even plastic cups. Fill your trays, pots, or cups with potting soil or "soilless" potting mix, sow at depth specified on package, then keep them moist and warm (sunny location) until the seedlings sprout. Some people are strict about starting their seeds in seed starter or "soilless" potting mix, but to be honest I have always started my tomato seeds in cheap top soil or nursery mix that I pick up at a local hardware store and my seeds always sprout!

 

You should see seedling sprout in 1 - 2 weeks but if you want to speed up the germination process just remember the warmer the better. Covering your trays or cups with plastic (such as saran wrap) keeps the warmth and moisture in and will often result in very quick germination. Immediately after you see a sprout, remove the plastic covering or else the new foliage could succumb to disease or develop fungal infections. 

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Step 4: Caring for Tomato Seedlings

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Keep the seedlings in full sunlight and keep the soil moist until they reach a height of 6 - 8 inches. Once they reach this size their roots should be well developed and ready for re-planting.

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Step 5: Transplanting your Tomato Seedlings

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Water your seedlings thoroughly before you transplant to keep the roots from drying out during the transition. Dig holes in your garden or new pots that are about an inch deeper that the existing root ball so that the soil line will cover a bit of the stem. Loosen the roots of each seedling if they are in a tight wad but try not to break many roots, just loosen. Place the roots in the holes, fill in with soil, and compact gently. Water thoroughly right after planting so the soil is moist but not soaked.

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Step 6: Support Structures for Tomato Plants

 

This is the part of growing tomatoes where you can get creative! Although there are a handful of  varieties that can get by without supports, I think you should always support your tomato plants in some way. Supports help with air circulation which prevents diseases, they keep your tomatoes off the ground, and they generally make harvesting easier. The easiest and likely the cheapest way to go is to buy metal wire round tomato cages which are typically a couple bucks each. If you want to build something yourself though, you will found that the opportunities are endless! Here is a link to 32 ideas for DIY tomato supports, I definitely recommend checking it out: 32 DIY Tomato Support Ideas.

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Step 7: Watering Tomato Plants

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You want your soil to be consistently moist deep into the soil so that the roots of your tomato plants are expanding deeper and deeper to get water and nutrients. Deeper root systems result in healthier and more stable tomato plants that can withstand dry spells more easily. When watering, water thoroughly but you do not want the soil soaked because this can cut off oxygen that the plant needs. Wait until the soil drys out a bit, but not all the way and then water again (often about every 3 - 4 days). Water in the morning if possible because little moisture is lost to evaporation before soaking in to the soil and any water that gets on the foliage of the plant has time to dry before the cooler night time temperatures when mold and fungus can develop.  

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Step 8: Fertilizing and Maintenance for Tomato Plants

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If you choose to fertilize your tomato plants to obtain larger plants and fruit, do so once every two weeks with organic matter or a balanced 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 fertilizer. When it comes to fertilizer I always error on the lighter side so you do not drastically change the current relationship your plant has with the soil.

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Time to harvest will obviously depend on the variety of tomato you choose but generally your first tomatoes should be ripe between 2 and 3 months of maturity. Tomatoes are ready to harvest when they are just about to fall off the vines naturally, so you shouldn't have to pull to hard to remove them.

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