Tomato Care
Tomatoes are that plant that I love to grow but only eat sometimes. Why? Because they are so darn pretty! However, the more I grow, the more I have begun to enjoy eating them. The taste is so pure and so different than the ones at the grocery store.
So in this post I want to help you get started growing your own tomato babies. I also have other posts all about tomatoes; determinate vs indeterminate tomatoes, tomato diseases and pests, and recipes!
Plant Season
The first to know is that tomatoes are a warm season veggie. Meaning that they grow best when the temperatures are between 65-85 degrees. But the best time to transplant the tomatoes is when night temps are above 50 degrees F. Tomatoes can survive in temperatures as low as 45 degrees, but do best above 50 degrees F.
Plant Family
The next thing to know is it's plant family. The tomato belongs to the Solanaceae family along with eggplant, peppers, and potatoes. It's great to know the plant families because they generally have the same characteristics and needs. You can learn more about plant families here.
Starting Tomatoes
Start indoors, six to eight weeks before last frost is expected (this is always a guess since the last frost doesn't come on the same time each year). You can choose to buy a seed starting mix or you can make your own. Learn more about that in this post or watch this video.
If you don't have the time or are not comfortable starting seeds yet, by seedlings and transplant them. But be sure to follow the temperature guidance from above. Some nurseries, especially big box store, sell seedlings before it is time to plant them in the garden. Don't let it temp you. Seedlings will most likely not survive a cold night. So be sure the nights do not get below 50 degrees (and definitely not below 45 degrees).
Planting
Tomatoes, whether indeterminate or not, are considered a pretty big plant. For this reason, be sure to plant them at least 2 feet apart. If planting indeterminate support the vines length on a trellis or string. Determinates can be supported for its width in a cage or tied to a stick. Have these supports ready when you plant them. They grow quick and can sneak up on you.
Tomatoes need to be planted deep. Why? Take a close look at the stem of the tomato plant. It looks furry right? Those little furs will turn to roots when it is in the soil. The more roots, the more tomatoes it can produce.
But wait! Before you plant your tomato seedling deep into the soil, remove the bottom 1/3 of plants stems. We don't want any stems or leaves in or touching the soil.
One more great tip about planting, they grow great in containers. Some of my greatest harvests were grown in a 5 gallon fabric grow bag. Learn more about growing in containers in this post.
Tending
Once plant is established, remove the suckers on indeterminate plants every 3-4 days… Ok, that sentence was full of terms I need to explain. So let's do that.
A plant becomes established once its roots start to make a home in the soil. The roots begin to grow and grab onto the soil. You can see evidence of this above the soil when you see the plant growing. At that point, you will remove suckers on the indeterminate plants.
We talked about indeterminate and determinate tomato plants in another post, so I won't go over again. But the suckers... They are the branches that grow between the main stem and a branch. They are named appropriately because they suck the energy, nutrients, and water from the main stem and other producing branches. Removing these allow those benefits to be diverted to where it is needed most. So, just pinch or prune those off (see the tip at the end for uses).
Water the plant consistently. They like water but don't like to sit in it. Tomatoes, like most plants, are prone to root rot. So be sure to consistently (like once a day when its really hot and every other day when its warm…better yet, if the soil is wet up to your second knuckle water it) and don't water if you have had a good rain.
When fruits start to form, feed it with a fertilizer higher in phosphorus like Espoma Tomato Tone or Dr. Earth. At this point tomatoes like to eat every two weeks until you are done harvesting.
Harvesting
Tomatoes will be ready at different times depending on the variety and type you grow. Indeterminate tomatoes last longer through the season than its counterparts. However, the average days to maturity is about 60-80 days.
The best time to harvest is when the fruit is at least half of the finished color. Some need to be picked before fully ripened because they will split, especially if there has been a lot of rain. I find that my Sweet 100 variety split very easily, so I make sure I pick those when they are half orange and half red. I then place them in the window sill or make something from them like our Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes.
Whatever color you let it grow to, give it a gentle twist and tug, and it will come off the vine easily.
Once harvested, they can be stored at room temperature, on a counter or in the fruit bowl with other fruits.
Diseases + Pests
Tomatoes, like all other plants, have their share of challenges. There are a few that are common to tomatoes like septoria and early blight and pests like hornworms. You can learn about these and other in this post.
TIPS
Tip 1: If you harvest in early summer, you can take a tomato, cut it in half and plant it. The flesh will compost in the soil and the seed will germinate.
Tip 2: You can save some of the suckers and stems you remove and put them directly in soil. The little white fur on the stems will start to root and create a whole new tomato plant. That is so awesome!
To learn about common tomato pests, diseases, and how to treat them, click here.
Tomato recipes
If you need help with your garden, need a planting plan, or full garden design, book a consultation or coaching session at 31eden.com/consult.
Happy growing!!
