Growing tomatoes is often the impetus for starting a vegetable garden, and every tomato lover dreams of growing the ultimate tomato: firm but juicy, sweet but tangy, aromatic, and blemish-free. Perfection.
Tomatoes are long-growing, heat-seeking, sun lovers! These warm-season plants do not tolerate frost. In most regions, the soil is not warm enough until April or May, but it depends on where you live.
Our guide covers all the information you need to grow tomatoes successfully—including selecting tomato varieties, starting seeds, transplanting tomatoes outside, using tomato stakes and cages, and tomato plant care.
TYPES OF TOMATOES
Tomatoes are available in a wide variety of sizes, from tiny grape-sized types to giant beefsteaks. The choice also depends on how you will use this versatile fruit in the kitchen. For example, Roma tomatoes are not very good eaten fresh but are well suited for sauces and ketchup. Tomato cultivars can be classified according to their growth habit:
Determinate tomatoes are plants that grow to pre-determined height. They are good choices for canning and sauce-making.
Indeterminate tomatoes increase in height throughout the growing season because the terminal of the stem continues to produce foliar growth rather than set flowers. The fruits on these plants are produced continually through the season along with the side shoots of the plant. Indeterminate tomatoes are the choice if you want to spread out the harvest over a longer period of time.
WHERE TO PLANT TOMATOES
Select a site with full sun. For northern regions, it is very important that your site receives at least 6 hours of daily sunlight. For southern regions, light afternoon shade will keep tomatoes protected from the harsh midday sun and help them thrive.
Tomatoes will grow in many different soil types, but it needs to drain well and never pool water. They prefer a slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8.
HOW TO PLANT TOMATOES
When asking about how to plant tomatoes, the first question is how deep. Tomatoes have the ability to grow roots along their stems, so when planting tomato plants, plant deep; right up to the first set of leaves. This takes care of those leggy tomato seedlings. If the plant is too long and wobbly, dig a small trench and lay the plant on its side, gently bending it into a right angle. Bury the stem in this position leaving those first two leaves exposed. Some gardeners believe those leggy starters will form a healthier plant than those with a more compact form.
Water your seedlings in with a weak solution of high phosphorus fertilizer. Now is the time to choose your support: stakes, cages, or unsupported. How far apart to plant tomato seedlings depends on your chosen support. If you decide to use cages or stakes, place them now so you don’t damage the growing roots later.
Plants should be about 3 feet apart when tomato planting with cages. Staking only requires about 2 feet between plants. Loosely tie the plants to their stakes as they grow, but set the stakes when you set the seedlings. You’ll need 3 feet between the plants and 5 feet between the rows if you’re planting tomato plants to grow naturally.
HOW TO HARVESTING TOMATOES
TOMATO HARVEST TIME:
- Early season: require 40 to 60 days to reach harvest from transplanting.
- Midseason: require 60 to 80 days to reach harvest from transplanting.
- Late season: require 80 or more days to reach harvest from transplanting.
TOMATO HARVEST TIPS:
- Note on a calendar when you plant then count ahead of the number of days to maturity to know about when harvest will begin.
- Allow tomatoes to ripen on the vine when possible.
- Tomato will be ripe when its skin turns from dull to glossy.
- Tomatoes that have begun to turn color will ripen off the vine. Place them in a cool place out of the direct sun with the stem end up.
- Harvest tomatoes before the first frost; you can lift whole plants and hang them upside down in a shed or garage to ripen