Getting the Most Out of Your Tomatos

I am taking a slight break from my series of posts on the elements to bring some timely advice on tomatoes. Tomatoes have got to be the no 1 most popular thing to grow in gardens but they can be a bit tricky. As I"m writing this, it's getting towards the end of July here in PA. If you're growing tomatoes- in a pot, raised bed, or traditional garden -there are things you can still do to maximize your harvest. 

Let me be clear, it is too late to go buy plants and start growing them. Tomatoes require a fairly long growing period. So unless you go b

uy a fully grown plant in a five gallon pot (and that would be totally cheating, you might as well buy your tomatoes from the local farmers market which isn't a bad idea.) you can't start now. Try next year.

For those of you who are already growing tomatoes...

First, if you haven't already done so, mulch your plants. This accomplishes multiple things. It will keep the weeds down, help the soil to retain necessary moisture and will help prevent soil born diseases from leaching into your plants. Straw is a great mulch as is wood chips if you have them. This year, I'm using dried oak leaves from last fall. Dried out grass clippings work as well.

Second, all those juicy tomatoes require water. July and August tend to be rather dry here in PA  so I've been watering my plants about every other day. To help keep down fungus and mold, I only water the soil and not the plant.

Third, tomatoes are heavy feeders (they require nutrient rich soil) so side dressing (applying fertilizer to the soil around the plant, not on the plant itself) of fertilizer can be helpful however, an  over abundance of nitrogen will cause the plant to grow lots of leaves and not much fruit. An organic fertilizer heavy in phosphorus is your best bet. 

Fourth, there are way too many pests, diseases, and fungi that love tomatoes to get into all of them. Honestly, I think it's just a matter of time before all tomato plants get infected with something. Some of those problems come from the soil so I like to cut off all leaves from around the bottom of the plant. It won't hurt the plant and will delay fungal growth. 

Fifth, if you have insects on your plant, you can usually see them with some careful attention. Everything from horn worms (see picture) to tiny aphids. Bugs can either be picked off or sprayed off with a hose. If your leaves are spotting, or turning yellow or brown, then you might have a fungus or mold. You can use an organic spray on your plants but be aware that you wont cure the problem- just slow it down. I like to use Green Gold powder but it's hard to find in person. You can also use a copper fungicide which is much easier to find.

Growing your own tomatoes can be tricky but they are SO GOOD! What are your tricks to grow awesome tomatoes? Please write about it in the comments below.

Here are a few helpful links for further reading:
Joe Gardener Podcast on Tomatoes
Mother Earth News Growing Tomatoes

How To Plant Tomatoes

Probably the most popular thing to grow in a vegetable garden is tomatoes. Seriously, everyone asks me about tomatoes. The reason is that they taste SO MUCH BETTER than tomatoes in the store. People say that all the time about all kinds of plants but never is it as true as it is of tomatoes. So if you'd like to grow your own tomatoes, just read on.


First, you cannot direct sow tomato seeds into your garden. Not if you want any kind of a decent harvest. We don't have a long enough growing season. Therefore, you can either buy seeds and start them indoors in February or buy plants in April or May. I do the latter.

Second, tomatoes are warm weather plants that will not tolerate any kind of frost. Don't think you can get around this. If you plant a tomato and it frosts outside while it's unprotected, it will die. End of story. So don't plant out till after your last frost date. You can read about that more here. Speaking of warmth, tomatoes also need all the sun they can get. 

Third, prepare the ground by pulling out all weeds and any rocks. If you have poor soil (sand or clay, like me) then it's a great idea to add soil amendments like manure or compost to improve it. Tomatoes are called "heavy feeders" which mean they require more nutrients than more vegetables so I like to give them a sprinkle of organic fertilizer (not ON the plant, but around it) at planting and again later in the season.

Fourth, when you plant your tomatoes, be sure to dig a deep enough hole. Tomatoes are very unusual in that it actually helps them if you bury part of the stem. I usually plant them so the first adult leaves are right above the soil surface.

Fifth, tomatoes will require some kind of support. You can buy cages or stake them. I have cages. Also, don't buy the cheapest cages you can find because they'll just break. Tomatoes need to be kept off the ground to prevent fungus and diseases. Air circulation is very important.

Finally, I like to mulch them with straw or shredded leaves to keep weeds down and keep the soil uniformly moist which tomatoes love. Keep the plants well watered till they're established. 

Well, there you go. Anyone can grow their own tomatoes and it's such a fun and delicious hobby. Got tomato bragging to do? Tell me all about it in the comments below.

Tomatoes for Beginners

If you could only grow one kind of plant in your vegetable garden, what would it be? Ask most gardeners and they'd tell you tomatoes. Why? The difference in taste between store bought tomatoes and fresh ones out of your garden is night and day. If you've never enjoyed a sun ripe tomato right off the vine, then you're really missing out. However, for the new gardener there really are some things you should know to enjoy tomato growing success.

First, buy plants, not seeds. The growing season here in PA isn't long enough to grow them outside from seeds. When you get used to growing store bought plants, then you can try starting them from seeds in winter to plant out in spring.

Second, there are dozens and dozens of kinds of tomatoes. To clear it up for you, in my way of thinking there are three different kinds. You have your grape or cherry tomatoes that are little fruits that are delicious eaten whole or cooked. Then, there are the roma tomatoes. I don't really enjoy eating these and they're really best for making sauce. Finally, you have your traditional large tomatoes that are delicious and great for everything.

When selecting your plants, look for healthy, green plants. My personal preference is to buy an early season non determinate variety like Early Girl tomatoes which you can find everywhere. They will start providing tomatoes in July and continue producing them till the first frost.

Third, when you plant your tomatoes, bury them up to the first set of leaves, feed them a general purpose fertilizer (I use Espoma Garden Tone) and mulch generously. Keep the plant well watered till it starts to grow new leaves. I also like to pinch off any flowers it produces until June so the plant will grow in size first. Oh, and this is really important, tomatoes NEED sun. At LEAST 6 hours a day.

Mulch is really important for tomatoes. It keeps weeds down, preserves water, and prevents tomatoes rotting from resting on the ground. I prefer straw mulch myself but bark mulch or shredded leaves would work too.

Be careful not to plant tomatoes too early in the Spring. An unprotected tomato plant at freezing temperatures is a dead plant. As I write this, we are almost to Mother's Day so it's a great time to plant them here in central PA.

There is so much that has been written on growing tomatoes but this should be enough to give you a good running start. So go get some tomato plants and get growing!