Tomato Growing Secrets Revealed!

Growing plump, juicy tomatoes is the dream of many gardeners. But it can be tricky to get tomatoes to thrive. There are several secrets to getting a bumper tomato crop.

In this article, we reveal 10 insider tips to help you grow amazing tomatoes in your own backyard garden. Follow these secrets for your tastiest tomato harvest ever!

1. Pick Disease-Resistant Varieties

The first key to success is starting with tomato varieties bred for disease resistance. Many heirloom tomatoes lack protection against common tomato diseases like blight and wilt.

Choose tomato cultivars labeled with attributes like VFN, which indicates resistance to Verticillium, Fusarium, and Nematodes. Or look for “beefsteak” types resistant to multiple tomato diseases.

Disease-resistant tomato varieties include:

• Better Boy

• Big Beef

• Celebrity

• Champion

• Early Girl

• Park’s Whopper

Planting these stronger tomato breeds gives your crop a better shot at staying healthy and producing lots of fruit.

2. Wait Until After Last Frost

One of the most common tomato growing mistakes is putting plants out too early when cold nights can damage them. Tomato plants cannot withstand any frost.

In northern regions, wait to transplant or sow seeds until 2-4 weeks after your area’s average last spring frost date. And protect plants on any unusually cold nights.

In warmer zones where frost danger is minimal, follow general soil temperature guides:

• 65-70°F soil for transplanting.

• 60°F soil for direct seed sowing.

Be patient - waiting for warmer soil leads to stronger plants and earlier harvests. No matter your zone, protect against frost.

3. Give Tomatoes Room to Spread Out

Many gardeners cram tomato plants too close together. But tomatoes need adequate space for good air circulation and sunlight exposure.

Follow recommended spacing guidelines for the variety you select. As a general rule for full-sized plants:

• Allow 24-36 inches between in-ground plants.

• For container tomatoes, one plant per 5-7 gallon pot.

• Or plant 18 inches apart for cages and 24-30 inches for staking.

Without enough elbow room, plants choke each other reducing yields. So space those tomatoes out!

4. Use Row Covers for Early Growth

To get a head start on the season, use fabric row covers over plants. The protective barriers keep in heat while allowing sunlight, ventilation and water penetration.

Install covers over plants 2-3 weeks before last frost. Remove them once the weather warms and all frost danger has passed.

These mini greenhouses accelerate growth, letting you transplant earlier. You’ll get faster maturity, larger plants and weeks of extra harvest.

5. Water at the Roots, Not the Leaves

Proper tomato watering technique is key. Damp foliage promotes disease. Instead, direct water right to the base and roots using methods like drip irrigation.

If watering by hand, avoid splashing the leaves. Water early in the day so plants dry out by nightfall. Add mulch to retain moisture and reduce water needs.

Deep, consistent watering to saturate the entire root zone produces the best growth. Shallow sprinkles encourage roots to stay near the surface, making plants prone to drought stress.

6. Feed Tomatoes Continuously

Tomatoes are heavy feeders. Unlike some crops, they benefit from consistent fertilizing all season long. Use a balanced fertilizer and employ these feeding guidelines:

• At Transplanting - Mix starter fertilizer into the soil.

• 3 Weeks After Transplanting - Side dress plants with a nitrogen source, such as blood meal.

• During Growing Season - Fertilize weekly using liquid tomato fertilizer or granular mixes worked into the soil.

• During Fruit Set - Boost phosphorus and potassium via tomato bloom booster formulas.
  Keep fertilizing even as plants start producing to support ripening and maximize your harvest.

7. Include Calcium for Strong Plants

Preventing blossom end rot is a common tomato issue. This disorder manifests as leathery black lesions on the bottom of the fruit.

It is caused by calcium deficiency made worse by erratic watering. Boost calcium levels with garden lime or crushed eggshells. Look for fertilizers containing calcium.

Also maintain steady soil moisture as drought stress worsens blossom end rot even with adequate calcium present.

8. Stake or Cage Tomatoes Off the Ground

Letting tomato vines sprawl on the ground invites disease and reduces yields. Get plants off the dirt with staking, containers or cages.

Caging tomatoes is easy and provides good support for many varieties. Use tall, sturdy cages.

For indeterminate tomatoes, staking with trellises offers the best growth and yield potential. prune and train vines up vertical supports.

Even determinate tomatoes benefit from containers or short cages to prevent fungus and improve air circulation.

9. Prune Off Lower Foliage

Leafy growth down low on the plant sits directly on moist soil where fungi thrive. Prune leaves up to the first fruit cluster on indeterminate varieties.

For determinate types, remove lower leaves up to 18 inches above the ground. Open up the plant center to airflow.

Continue pruning lower foliage throughout the season. Avoid over-pruning - just remove enough to prevent disease and allow light penetration.

10. Check Moisture Levels Before Watering

As discussed for secret #5, proper tomato watering is vital. But how do you know when to water? Check soil moisture before adding more.

Use your finger, moisture probe, or squeeze test. If soil is moist 1-2 inches down, hold off on watering.

Wait for the top few inches to dry out before soaking again. Set up drip irrigation on a timer and check moisture levels to adjust run times.

Learning your soil's wet/dry cycle prevents under and overwatering for optimal fruit production.

Now you’re armed with insider secrets to grow your best tomato crop ever. Follow these tomato tips for healthier plants that yield bumper harvests of juicy, flavorful tomatoes this season.