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Dos & Don’ts Tips for Growing Great Tomatoes

Growing great tomatoes doesn’t happen just by putting a few plants into the ground and turning on the hose. But anyone can master growing great tomatoes by following a few simple dos and don’ts.

In the world of vegetable gardening, there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh home grown tomatoes. The flavor of the ones you grow leaves the store bought variety far behind.

Home grown tomatoes are so plump and sweet, just full of flavor and freshness. They make an amazing homemade pasta sauce when you roast them to bring out their natural sweetness.

One of the nicest things about summer is the taste of home grown tomatoes. Follow these tips for growing great tomatoes to make sure you have a bumper crop this year.

So get ready to choose your favorite variety, start them off in the right way and control common tomato problems before they start. 

Follow these tips and you will guarantee top bragging rights this year! There is no excuse to put it off, you can even grow tomatoes in pots

Follow these Simple Dos and Don’ts for Growing Great Tomatoes.25 Dos and Don'ts for Growing Great tomatoes from thegardeningcook.com/tips-growing-great-tomatoes

DOS

Do provide plenty of sunlight for tomatoes

Growing great tomatoes starts with good sun light. Tomato plants need sunlight and lots of it. They need about 10 hours of direct sunlight a day during the summer (and 10-14 hours of bright diffused light a day as seedlings.)

However, when the weather gets really hot the production of carotene and lycopene (needed for ripening) slows down. Find out what steps you can take at this time to spur the ripening of tomatoes on the vine.

Too much sunlight for too long a period of time can also cause tomato sunscald and tomato plant leaf curling. Giving some relief from the sunlight in the form of light tarps will help in this case.

This post talks about 3o common tomato plant problems and what to do about them.

Do start with healthy soil

A well amended soil is a must.  I like to add a scoop of compost to every hole that I dig for any plant, and tomatoes are no exception.  Soil that is full of rich compost is the secret weapon to any tomato grower and organic material is the best.

There is just on chemical substitute for well good, old fashioned compost.

Do Support the tomato stems

A common vegetable garden mistake is forgetting to give support to vegetables that need it.

Tomato branches can get very heavy.  Support the stems on stakes with some free tomato ties.  Cut nylon stockings into strips and use a figure 8 tie to support the stems as they grow.

They are flexible and won’t damage the stem and are readily available.

It is important to stake tomatoes early in order to prevent disturbing the roots, which can lead to blossom end rot and fungal diseases which cause black spots to form.

 Nylon stockings make great tomato stem ties.

Do plant the right type for your area

Not all tomatoes will grow well in every gardening zone. Do some research before you plant to make sure that the type you choose is suited to your area.

Doing this will give you the highest yields and the sweetest tomatoes.

The deeper, the better!

Do plant seedlings deeply

Tomato plants do best with a healthy root system.  I like to choose a tall plant and pull of some of the lower leaves and plant it deeply into the hole.

Roots will form along the planted stem and this will make for a very healthy plant.

Do know your soil type

Tomatoes like soil that will hold water but not make them too soggy.   The wrong soil type an cause all sorts of problems from flower drop, blossom end rot and split fruit.

Do remove lower leaves

Growing great tomatoes means that you must prune the leaves a bit. These are the first leaves to grow on your plant and they are the easiest ones to develop fungus and other problems.

As they plant grows, they also get the least amount of light ans circulation so they are more vulnerable to disease.  Removing them also keeps them out of reach of the water.

remove lower leaves top prevent disease

Do Water Deeply from the roots

Tomato plants love water and they like a deep watering.  A soaker hose works best for tomato plants.  Also see my tutorial for a soda bottle drip feeder here.

Both over-watering and under-watering can produce yellow leaves on your tomato plant.  Water deeply a few times a week, rather than a little each day.

Tomato plant leaf curling, tomato blossom drop, and black spots on leaves are also problems caused by inconsistent watering techniques.

Staking is a must

Do stake your plants

Indeterminate tomato plants can grow to 10 feet or more and definitely need some staking. Even determinate plants will get to 3 feet.

If you don’t stake, the weight of fruit may break your stems.Be sure to stake your tomato plants

Do Mulch

While we are on the topic of watering, be sure to add some composted leaf mulch, hay or straw around the plants.  Bring it to a few inches from the stem, right over a soaker hose. 

This conserves the water and helps to prevent soil born pathogens from getting on to the leaves.

Pinching Encourages a bushy tomato

Do pinch tomato suckers

Small suckers will grow at each leaf axil.   This can weaken the plant and won’t bear fruit. Pinch these out to encourage great plant growth.

Tomato Tip: Be sure to snip off these side shoots for stronger tomato plants. See more tips for growing tomatoes at https://thegardeningcook.com/tips-growing-great-tomatoes/Do rotate your tomato plants

If you plant your tomatoes in the same spot each year, you encourage soil borne pests and diseases to take hold.  Move the area where you plant to another spot in your garden every three years or so.

Do check the roots 

When you are buying tomato plants, be sure to check the roots.  Beware of seedlings that look great on top but have week root systems. They plants will just languish in the garden for weeks before they start to grow.

Do know your tomato type. Indeterminate vs determinate? Indeterminate will grow and produce all season long, determinate will produce all at once.

Know which one you are planting to avoid discouragement. This article gives a bit of information on both types of plants.

Learn about your tomato variety

Do choose a spot with good air circulation

Making sure there is plenty of air around the plants keeps the risk of many diseases at bay. 

Do watch out for caterpillars

Horn worm caterpillars can devastate a tomato crop. Be on the look out and remove if you find them.

hornworm caterpillars can devastate a tomato crop.

Do plant every few weeks

If you live in a sunny growing zone, be sure to practice succession planting.  Add another crop a few weeks after you plant the first one to ensure luscious tomatoes all summer long.

25 Dos and Don'ts for Growing Great tomatoes from thegardeningcook.com/tips-growing-great-tomatoes

And Now for the Dont’s!

DON’TS

Don’t water from above

Doing so encourages water born pathogens and spreads disease.  Deep watering around the roots is the way to go.

Don’t water too often

More is not always better, especially with tomato plants. Instead of watering daily, water deeply but infrequently. Soak the plant well about once a week.

This will develop stronger root systems.

Don’t forget that tomatoes are heavy

The branches will break if they are not supported. Tomatoes can be very heavy on branches without support.

Tomatoes are heavy and need support

Don’t Overcrowd

Tomato seedlings need plenty of room to grow and will be stunted if they are over crowded.  The same is true for mature plants.

The size of a mature tomato plant is about 3 feet in diameter, so don’t plant young plants a foot apart.

Don't overcrowd tomato plants

Don’t forget tomato cages

While a tall stake will work okay, tomato plants can get very large and will benefit from having a tomato cage around them to keep sprawling stems off the ground.

 

Tomato cages

Photo Credit: Panacea Products

Don’t wait too long to stake

I place my stakes in at the time that I plant the seedlings.  I won’t damage the roots if I do this and the stems will be ready to tie up as the plant grows.

Don’t forget that critters like tomatoes too

If you have followed my blog, you will know of my exploits with the squirrels and chipmunks.  Nothing is worse than seeing a dozen half ripe tomatoes on the ground with a bite out of each one.

See my tips for dealing with squirrels.  Hint…they don’t like cayenne pepper!  Also see these natural squirrel repellent ideas.

squirrels love tomatoes

Don’t over-fertilize

Doing so will often result in bushy tomato plants with few flowers and flowers are what makes tomatoes later.

Healthy seedlings.

Don’t go for seedlings with flowers

You may think this will give you a head start on the growing season but the opposite is the case. Go for strong root systems and healthy looking stems. The flowers will come soon enough.

(The same goes for flowering plants – why buy those already in flower? Enjoy them in your garden, not at the garden center!)

Don't go for tomato seedlings with flowers

Don’t plant too early

Tomatoes are best if the soil temperature is consistently above 50º F outside. And make sure to measure the temp down a ways into the soil. 6 inches doesn’t sound like a lot, but think of where the roots are!

Don’t be impatient

The sweetest tomatoes are those that grow on the vine as long as possible.  Don’t be in a hurry to take them off too early.

If any fall off the vine, see my tips for ripening green tomatoes.

Don't pick your tomatoes too soon.Don’t panic at the end of the season

If you have plants left and a frost is threatening at season end, pull up the whole plant, tomatoes and all and hang upside down in a garage or basement. The fruit will continue to ripen.

Don’t store tomatoes in the fridge

Doing so will spoil the taste and take away much of the sweetness that you are looking for.  See this tip for sweet tomatoes.

Sun-ripened tomatoes deliver the taste of summer in every bite all summer long. Plant just a few healthy plants and you will ensure the production of buckets of this delicious fruit.

Using Fresh Tomatoes in recipes

The process doesn’t stop with just growing great tomatoes.  Now it’s time to use them in recipes!!
Recipes for roasting and using fresh tomatoes

Want to learn more about using fresh tomatoes?  See these articles:

How to roast Fresh Tomatoes.

Home Made Marinara sauce with freshly roasted tomatoes.

Fried Green Tomato Recipe.

Chunky Vegetable Marinara with Fresh Tomatoes

Caprese Basil Mozzarella Salad

Snow peas, baby tomatoes and potatoes

Do you have some tomato dos and don’ts to share for growing great tomatoes?  Please leave your comments below!

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Laura

Saturday 5th of March 2022

Hi, Can you pull the lower leaves off determinate seedlings before transplanting to a bigger pot to develop more roots? Or is this only for indeterminate? Thanks!

Carol Speake

Sunday 6th of March 2022

This technique works for all tomato plants and makes them stronger.

Jan

Sunday 16th of June 2019

If you have yellow leaves, what do you do?

Carol

Sunday 16th of June 2019

Hi Jan, There are lots of reasons why a tomato plant has leaves that turn yellow. Some common causes are both under watering - (the leaves will be dry and yellow), over watering, (the leaves will be yellow or brown and mushy looking). The answer to these problems is more or less watering. Some soil also have nitrogen deficiencies. Soil testing will tell you this and the answer is more fertilizer with a strong nitrogen component.

Too much sunlight can cause yellow leaves in the southern part of the USA. My tomatoes do well until it gets very hot and dry here. Finally, soil borne diseases can cause yellowing leaves. This usually affects just one part. Removing the bad part of the plant helps i this case.

Anthony

Sunday 26th of August 2018

Wow. It's a amazing article. It has more useful tips for growing great tomatoes. I learned a lot from it. I look ahead to more similar postings like this one. Thanks for sharing.

Diego Lopes

Monday 26th of June 2017

Thank you so much for your tips and suggestions. I want to start growing my own tomatoes, so your post is really helpful to me. Thank you again!

Carol

Monday 26th of June 2017

Glad you found it helpful Diego. Carol

Bobbie

Monday 26th of June 2017

Do the same rules of watering apply to those in pots? Thank you!

Jon

Monday 30th of March 2020

I have planted basil near my tomatoes each year. By doing so, I never have horn worms. And, it tastes great with tomatoes.

Carol

Monday 26th of June 2017

Hi Bobble. I am growing tomatoes in pots this year. I find that they still need deep watering, but more often than those in the ground, since they dry out more quickly. Carol

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