Nothing says summer like the slice of a tomato fresh from the garden. Caring for tomato plants in your own backyard will supply you with a bounty of delicious, juicy fruits to enjoy (with plenty to share with your neighbors!)
Tomatoes are relatively simple to grow in small spaces and large spaces, but thrive in sunny, well-drained gardens.
You know, as long as the stems have good air flow…and their leaves don’t get splashed by the soil… and they don’t get too much sun… or too much shade…
*Ahem* Did I say relatively simple? They are! In this post, I’ll show you the best ways to care for tomato plants in your own backyard to ensure a successful summer harvest.
Choosing a Tomato Variety
- Choose tomatoes suited for your growing zone. Most tomatoes will grow well in zones 3-9, and some are heat tolerant enough to produce fruits in zones 10 & 11.
- The time from seed-to-fruit can vary greatly, so you need to choose a variety that will be ready to harvest before your first fall frost. Each variety will have an approximate “Days to Harvest” number written on the label.
- Decide if you’ll be starting your tomatoes from seed or purchasing seedlings from the nursery. If you’re starting them from seed at home, they will need to be planted indoors 6-8 weeks before planting them outside. Any earlier than that just isn’t worth it- the tomato plants will become “leggy” and you’ll quickly run out of indoor space.
- Pay attention to the words Determinate and Indeterminate when you are choosing your tomato varieties. Indeterminate (or vining) plants grow, and grow, and grow. They will continue growing taller throughout the season and setting fruit as they branch out, so make sure you have the space. Determinate (or bush) plants will reach their mature height, set fruit, and then stop growing.
The Best Time to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors
If you are planning on starting tomato seeds indoors, whatever seeds you are planting will have instructions as to when you should plant it according to your growing zone. Usually this means 6-8 weeks before your last frost.
Wondering about the approximate date of your last frost? Check out this post to find out.
The Best Time to Plant Tomato Plants Outside
Once you know your average last frost date, use it as a guideline. The temperature for tomatoes is much more important. The optimum temperature range for growing tomatoes is 55°F to 85°F.
If a frost is in the forecast, cover your plants so they can be protected and uncover them in the morning when the temperatures start to warm up.
Where to Plant Tomatoes
The best place to plant tomatoes is a location that receives 6+ hours of sun. This space should have soft, loamy soil. If your soil is too sandy or full of clay, add compost to improve the texture. You can learn more about your soil type and how to amend the soil to benefit your garden here.
How to Plant Tomatoes
Tomatoes have the incredible ability to sprout roots along the length of their stems. To give your plant the best start, plant it deeply. Do this by first pinching off any branches from the halfway point down to the roots. Dig your hole so that the lowest branches on the stem will sit a few inches above the soil line. After that, fill in your hole, water your plant and place your tomato cage or trellis. Finally, add 2-4 inches of mulch. Adding mulch around the base of your plant will keep the moisture in the soil, reduce weeds, and decrease the chances of soil splashing your plant.
How to Water Tomatoes
You should plan on your tomatoes receiving one to two inches of water each week (including rainfall.) You’ll know it’s time to water if the top inch of your soil is dry. Water slowly and deeply first thing in the morning, and add water to the base of the plant. Be reliable- if you watering is inconsistent it could lead to cracking of the tomatoes and certain tomato diseases.
The Best Companion Plants for Tomatoes
Caring for tomato plants includes growing companion plants. Tomato companion plants will provide great benefits for your crop and garden as a whole. There are several different plants you can include that will help your tomatoes do well. Check out this post to find out all about the best companion plants for tomatoes.
How to Care for Tomatoes by Season
Spring
(This section is assumes you have already prepared your soil and planted your seedlings.)
- As tomato plants grow, guide their branches up the trellis or cage for support. Attach them gently as necessary with clips or garden twine.
- To encourage root development, remove flowers on the plant until the plants are 12-18 inches tall.
- Water regularly- aiming for the base of the plant and maintaining 1-2 inches of rainfall or supplemental water each week.
Summer
Pruning
If you have an indeterminate tomato plant, you might be considering pruning the suckers. Leaf suckers are shoots that form where a large leaf stem attaches to the main stem of the plant. I don’t bother with pruning the suckers off of my tomato plants. Honestly, the last thing I want to do in the summer is spend my spare moments pruning my tomato plants. If you decide not to prune, you’ll get more tomatoes and they’ll be produced consistently throughout the growing season.
When you prune the suckers, you’ll get larger fruits that mature earlier. It will also provide the plant with better airflow throughout the growing season. However, your plant will have less leaves to provide shade to the developing fruit that remains. Too much sun on tomatoes can increase the likeliness of sunscald.
Providing Shade
What is sunscald? Think of it like a sunburn. If your tomatoes are showing signs of sunscald, cover them with something that will provide shade and allow for air flow. I would recommend loosely placed white insect netting. When the netting is loosely placed, the pollinators can still get in and do their job. This has worked very well for me in the past at providing the right amount of shade.
Watering
Be consistent with your watering, and remember that the best time of day to water tomatoes is in the morning. Make sure your plants get 1-2 inches of water each week (including rainfall.)
Harvesting Tomatoes
Remove ripe tomatoes as soon as you find them. Don’t leave fruits on the vines any longer than you have to. It doesn’t take long for it to begin to rot and become a breeding ground for insect activity or diseases.
Tomato Plant Diseases
Unfortunately, tomatoes can fall victim to any number of diseases. To learn more about diagnosing and treating tomato diseases, check out this post from Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Fall
What to Do If There is a Frost in the Forecast
It’s time to bring in all of the tomatoes that are left on the vines. Ripe tomatoes, almost ripe ones, tomatoes as green as the leaves… all of them! It is well worth saving them- especially if you plan to preserve them into spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, salsa, etc.! You can let them ripen in their own time by choosing one of the following set-ups:
- Place tomatoes stem side down in a box or a brown paper bag. If you are layering the tomatoes, place cardboard between each layer.
- Set up a folding table and cover it with newspaper. Lay the tomatoes evenly over the table stem side down.
- Sacrifice kitchen counterspace. Cover it with newspaper and lay the tomatoes evenly stem side down. When they’re ready you can enjoy them fresh, dice & freeze them, or preserve them into something delicious right away.
Make sure to check your tomatoes frequently to monitor for rotting. If you find a rotten one get it out of there ASAP!
All Good Things Must Come to an End…
Like most plants you’ve ever grown, you can tell when they’re done just by looking at them. Pull the entire plant out of the soil. Don’t leave any of it in the garden to decompose over the winter. Why? The more important reason is that your plant’s roots, leaves, and stems could be carrying a disease that would overwinter.
The less important (and much more annoying) reason is that you’ll have a ton of volunteer tomatoes next year from all of the tomatoes that you left behind when you were *ahem* in a hurry to clear the garden before winter. Ask me how I know. 🙂 Happy growing!
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