1. Read the labels!… and find the selections that are right for you. A good strategy? Choose early, midseason and late tomatoes. Let the “Days to maturity” on the label be your guide.
2. Go for color! Are you shocked to learn that all tomatoes aren’t perfectly round and red? Have fun and amaze your neighbors!
3. Choose a sturdy seedling. Tomatoes are actually weeds, and they’re tough…but still try to find seedlings with sturdy stems and bright green leaves.
4. Find the sun. Tomatoes want sun and heat. That’s sun and heat. 6 hours of full sun is the minimum for success.
5. Amend the soil. When you find the sunny spot, get your hands dirty. Dig deep, add organic amendments liberally and toss in some fertilizer. The better the soil, the better the tomatoes. (Use good planting mix or mostly planting mix – not potting soil – in pots for best results.)
6. Plant deep. Tomato roots can grow ten feet deep, so get that started when you plant! Snip the lowest leaves and plant deep (yes, even some of the stem!) Leave only the top 3-4 inches of the plant above the surface.
7. Water correctly…every 3 or 4 days for the first few weeks. Watch your seedlings and give them only what they need. Once tomatoes start growing, water deeply and infrequently. As tomatoes grow, the plant will inevitably yellow in places… more water won’t fix that. Avoid watering too much. Too much water dilutes taste!
8. Fertilize wisely. A couple handfuls at planting, and again once the plants begin to flower. That’s all it should need unless you know your soil is desperately lacking in nutirents.. Foliar feeding along the way is a good idea, just don’t overdo it. Container growers, you need to feed just a bit more – every ten to fourteen days.
9. Support your local tomato! Some of your plants may get enormous! Help them out… particularly the big guys…with bamboo stakes or the cage of your choice – or the side of the house. Just hold them up!
10. Be diligent! Watch your tomatoes each day in order to note any change that might signal a problem.
