Tomatoes can be found in nearly every vegetable garden across the country, and with good reason, as little else compares to the flavor of a home-grown tomato. There is a multitude of varieties, filling out the entire spectrum of color, size, and flavor.

Grow the tomato variety that best matches your cravings!

How To Plant Tomatoes

Start: Start tomatoes indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Use a quality seed starting mix and grow under grow lights or in a very sunny, warm window. Plant seeds ¼” deep and keep soil moist. Harden off seedlings in a sheltered outdoor place for one week. Transplant after danger of frost. Seedlings should be planted 30-48” apart in rows 3-4’ apart.

Transplant: Plant outdoors when nighttime lows reach 60°F or higher.

Water: Tomatoes require plenty of water, 1-2” per week. Ensure watering is steady as tomatoes can crack and split if they receive a lot of water after a dry stretch.

Light: Full sun.

Soil: Plant in rich organic soil. pH 6.0-6.8

Fertilize: An all-purpose, balanced fertilizer will do well for tomatoes. Use according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you find your tomatoes have very lush, green vegetation but are not setting fruit, switch to a fertilizer with little or no nitrogen.

Harvest: Harvest tomatoes when they are as ripe as possible, fully colored and firm. Make sure to pick regularly to avoid overloading the plant. At the end of the season when a frost is imminent, all remaining tomatoes can be picked and ripened in a paper bag or on a sunny window sill.

Notes: Place stakes or cages at the time of planting to avoid damaging the plants’ roots.

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Tomato Recipes

  • Fried Green TomatoesCaprese Salad