Why Grow Your Own Tomatoes?
There’s nothing quite like biting into a sun-warmed, homegrown tomato. The flavor is incomparably richer than store-bought varieties, and growing your own gives you access to hundreds of unique heirloom varieties you’ll never find in supermarkets. Whether you have a sprawling garden or just a sunny balcony, you can successfully grow delicious tomatoes with the right approach.
Choosing the Right Tomato Varieties
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Determinate tomatoes grow to a fixed height (usually 3-4 feet) and produce all their fruit within a 1-2 week period. They’re perfect for containers and if you want tomatoes for canning or preserving.
Indeterminate tomatoes continue growing and producing fruit throughout the season until frost. They need sturdy support but provide a steady supply of fresh tomatoes. Most heirloom varieties are indeterminate.
Popular Varieties for Beginners
- Cherry Tomatoes: Sweet 100, Sungold – prolific and nearly foolproof
- Slicing Tomatoes: Brandywine, Cherokee Purple – exceptional flavor
- Paste Tomatoes: San Marzano, Roma – perfect for sauces
- Container Varieties: Tiny Tim, Patio Princess – bred for small spaces
Starting Seeds Indoors
Start tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix, keep soil warm (70-80°F), and maintain consistent moisture. Seeds typically germinate within 5-10 days.
Once seedlings develop their first true leaves, transplant them into larger pots. When they’re 3-4 inches tall, begin hardening them off by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days.
Planting Outdoors
Location and Soil
Choose a spot with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Tomatoes thrive in well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Before planting, work compost into your soil and ensure pH is between 6.0-6.8.
Planting Depth
Here’s a secret: bury tomato plants deeper than they were in their pots, up to their first set of true leaves. Tomatoes develop roots along their buried stems, creating a stronger root system.
Spacing
Space plants 24-36 inches apart for determinate varieties and 36-48 inches for indeterminate types. Proper spacing ensures good air circulation, reducing disease risk.
Essential Care Throughout the Season
Watering
Consistent watering is crucial. Tomatoes need 1-2 inches of water weekly, delivered deeply and regularly. Irregular watering causes problems like blossom end rot and fruit cracking. Water at the base of plants, not overhead, to prevent disease.
Support Systems
Install stakes or cages at planting time to avoid damaging roots later. Indeterminate varieties need 6-foot stakes or sturdy cages. As plants grow, gently tie stems to supports with soft ties.
Pruning and Maintenance
For indeterminate tomatoes, pinch off suckers (shoots growing between the main stem and branches) to direct energy into fruit production. Remove lower leaves as plants grow to improve air circulation.
Fertilizing
Feed tomatoes every 2-3 weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer. Once flowering begins, switch to a fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium to encourage fruit development.
Common Problems and Solutions
Blossom End Rot
Dark, sunken spots on the bottom of fruit indicate calcium deficiency, usually caused by inconsistent watering. Maintain steady soil moisture and consider adding calcium supplements.
Tomato Hornworms
These large green caterpillars can strip plants quickly. Handpick them off or use organic Bt spray. Check plants regularly in early morning.
Early Blight
Brown spots with concentric rings on lower leaves spread upward. Remove affected leaves, avoid overhead watering, and ensure good air circulation. Mulch prevents soil splash onto leaves.
Cracking
Fruit splits when plants receive irregular water or heavy rain after drought. Maintain consistent watering and pick fruit slightly early during rainy periods.
Harvesting Your Tomatoes
Tomatoes are ready to harvest when fully colored and slightly soft when gently squeezed. For best flavor, allow them to ripen on the vine. If frost threatens, pick green tomatoes and ripen them indoors on a sunny windowsill.
Cherry tomatoes can be picked in clusters when most fruits are ripe. Large slicing tomatoes should be harvested individually as they ripen.
Extending the Season
In cooler climates, use row covers or cloches to protect plants from late spring or early fall frosts. This can extend your harvest by several weeks on both ends of the season.
Growing tomatoes is one of gardening’s most rewarding experiences. With attention to these fundamentals, you’ll be harvesting baskets of delicious, homegrown tomatoes all summer long. The taste of that first perfectly ripe tomato makes every bit of effort worthwhile!