Quick Reference
When to Start |
Transplant in May when forecast shows no danger of temps dropping below 45 degrees. Start seeds 6-8 weeks prior to expected transplant date.
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Crop Rotation |
Avoid planting tomatoes in the same spot that potatoes, peppers, or eggplant grew in the previous year.
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How To Plant |
Dig a hole deep enough to bury all but the top 4-6" of the plant. Scoop in some plant-based compost and drop the plant in.
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Spacing and Support |
18" if using stakes in a raised bed or a trellis. 24-36" if growing bushy varieties or in cages.
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When to Harvest |
When fruit turns completely red. Can also be picked green and ripened indoors when there are concerns of disease or pests
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Storage |
Fresh tomatoes should be kept on the counter top and never refrigerated if possible. For long term canned in jars or frozen
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When most people think of starting their own backyard garden, growing their own tomatoes is often at the top of the list. It's something familiar to us all and easy to throw in salads and sandwiches all summer long. The difference in taste between a home grown tomato and one you buy at the grocery store is probably the most dramatic of any fruit/vegetable you can grow at home. They also do great in containers so as long as you have a balcony or any other spot that gets a decent amount of sun you can get in on the fun.
When To Start
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This all depends on whether or not you want to start from seed. If you're new to gardening or have limited time we would recommend buying plants that have already been started at a local greenhouse. Generally speaking Memorial Day weekend is when most people choose to start warm weather plants like tomatoes outdoors. If going to the greenhouses you'll want to go out 1-2 weeks before planting. This will not only give you the best selection but it also gives you a chance to acclimate your plants to the outdoor elements before transplanting to the ground. Whether you start your own seedlings or buy from the greenhouse it's a good idea to put the plants out in the general area they will be transplanted to for a few hours of real sunlight and wind for a week or 2. That way they don't go directly from a climate controlled environment to the ground.
If starting from seed, you'll want to start 6-8 weeks before the transplant date. For most of us following the Memorial Day rule that means you have to get your seedlings going in late March/early April. |
Crop Rotation
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Avoid planting tomatoes in the same spot that potatoes, peppers, or eggplant grew in the previous year.
Click here to read about crop rotation and why it is so important It's important to not only avoid planting the same crop in the same spot 2 years in a row, but you also have to avoid plants in the same family as they typically draw on the same nutrients and have issues with the same pests. Click here to learn more about plant families and find a chart showing which ones are related. |
How to Plant
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Dig a hole deep enough so that only the top 4-6" of the plant will stick out. This is where most beginners go wrong only planting the existing roots underground. It may seem odd to bury part of the stem that has already begun growing leaves in the ground, but new roots will grow from any part of the stem that ends up under the dirt. Tall skinny plants are weak producers and this deep planting method helps to promote a strong base which will support the plant and its fruits for several months. Deeper roots and more roots results in bigger tomatoes and more of them. Snip off any small fruits or flowers that may already be there so that the plant can focus all of its energy on the plant itself rather than the budding fruit. Don't worry - they will come fast and furious soon enough.
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Spacing and Support
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This all depends on what type of tomato it is. If you're not sure check the tag or do a little research on the particular variety you've picked out to see if its a determinate or indeterminate variety. There are obviously many different opinions but here is how we break it down and our preferred method for each:
Indeterminate: This is the most common type available and more than likely what you were picturing when you decided to plant your own tomatoes. Support your indeterminate varieties with a stake/pole at least 6 feet tall. The label will likely suggest plants to be set 2-3 feet apart but plants tied to stakes can be set as close as 18" apart. Determinate: These varieties of tomatoes grow more like a bush so they will need more space than their indeterminate cousins. The good news is they will require a lot less work as the season goes on. I would recommend 3 feet apart if planting varieties you want to keep separated from each other. Or if planting an entire row of the same variety, 2 feet apart works. For determinate tomatoes the cage method works best. Cherry Tomatoes: Cherries can be either determinate or indeterminate so you can treat them the same as the larger varieties. Personally we like to grow indeterminate cherry tomatoes 18" apart on a trellis similar to peas or cucumbers. |
Harvesting
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Pick the red ones, leave the green ones. That's the easy part. The hard part is just how long do you leave that red one on the vine? It actually is a delicate balance. The longer you leave a tomato to ripen on the vine the better the flavor will be. However ripe tomatoes are also more susceptible to cracking and disease. The answer of when to pick really depends on what you plan to do with the tomatoes and how long you'll need to store them. If your plan is to pluck that fruit off and immediately dice it up for a salad or sandwich, the longer the better. If you have a large crop you'll be bringing inside for canning or making large quantities of sauce, it's probably best to pick the tomatoes as soon as any little bit of red begins to show. They will fully ripen on your counter top and being more firm with less cracks means they are less likely to rot or be devoured by fruit flies while you wait for the day when you'll have time for all that processing.
Whenever you choose to harvest, do not keep your tomatoes in the refrigerator unless absolutely necessary. The second you close that refrigerator door you are eliminating the advantage you have over the grocery stores. The reason your homegrown tomato tastes so much better is because it has never been shipped in a refrigerated truck. |
What to do with way too many of them
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Canning is a great option because it allows you to store the tomatoes in a basement or some other non-refrigerated area. They also will keep for 12-18 months, however you need to be really careful to follow the instructions exactly in order to ensure the jars are properly sealed. The instructions will vary slightly depending on how you plan to process the tomatoes before canning. And how you process depends on whether you want to do more work up front and have something close to a finished product in the jars or if you want to just can what you have quickly and make your sauce, salsa, or chili some other day.
Canning can be fairly expensive the first year if you don't have the supplies already. If you're not ready for canning but have some freezer space, freezing your tomatoes in zip lock bags is a great option. Just like canning, you have the option of doing more processing up front and freezing that or you can put off that job for another day. If you just need to get them out of the way ASAP, cut the tomatoes in quarters to easily remove the seeds and water inside. You can dice the tomatoes if you want to maximize space or just throw the quarters in the bag. Pack the bag as full as possible and squeeze any excess water and air out before sealing. Find a spot in the freezer and they'll last for a year or more. |