How to Grow Tomato Plants

I started learning how to grow tomato plants in my little container garden on the back patio of our Townhouse in North Dakota.

Tomatoes can be grown in containers, an in ground garden or in raised beds.

Tomatoes were the first thing I ever tried to grow because they are so versatile with the many different varieties you can grow AND the many different food products you can make with their fruit

Mmmmm…pasta sauce and salsa!

I think they are great for the beginner gardener that wants to start growing there own food. They are also one of the best veggies to start learning how to preserve your harvest!

It’s an opportunity to become self-sustaining, be more in tune with nature, and nourish yourself with fresh produce that you’ve grown by your own hand!

No longer do you need to rely solely on stores for the ingredients used in everyday meals.

You know how it was grown…if any pesticides or fertilizer was used…and in such…exactly what is going in you and your family’s body.

It is such a rewarding and impactful experience when you get to pick that first ripe tomato of the season and bite into all its glorious juicyness!

That is if the kids don’t get to them first!

Tomato plants are great candidates for transitioning from seed to harvest quickly and easily – all it takes is a little effort, concentration, and care.

This guide will break down exactly how you can grow beautiful tomatoes at home. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned expert looking for additional information on tomato cultivation – this post has something for everyone who wants plentiful fruit right out of their backyard vegetable garden!

So let me help empower and motivate you, so even a beginner gardener or weekend warrior can become a master tomato grower!

Let’s get started!

Types of Tomato Plants and Seeds

If you’re a tomato lover, you’ll want to know all about the different types of tomato seeds and plants available to you.

There are two types of tomato plants; Indeterminate and Determinate

You will want to know which one you will be growing as their needs and how they grow are somewhat different.

Indeterminate Tomatoes

These are going to be most of your big slicer tomatoes. These are great for “sammiches”!

A few things to keep in mind about Indeterminate tomato varieties:

1. Indeterminate varieties are often referred to as “vining” tomatoes because they grow tall and produce fruit until the first frost.

2. These tomatoes will need to be supported in some way, either with stakes or a trellis so they don’t fall over or break under their own weight.

3. Most varieties of indeterminate tomatoes are heirloom varieties, which means they have been handed down through generations and are open-pollinated (non-hybrid).

4. Indeterminate tomatoes can produce fruit all season long, so you’ll have an abundant harvest until the first frost.

5. Indeterminate tomatoes can get quite large, so be sure to give your plant plenty of room to grow and spread its vines!

A few common types of Indeterminate Tomatoes are:

1. Brandywine

2. Better Boy

3. Black Krim

4. San Marzano

5. Big Boy

Determinate Tomatoes

These are usually going to be your smaller tomatoes. Great to use in sauces and salsas!

A few things to keep in mind about Determinate Tomato varieties:

1. Determinate varieties are referred to as “bush” tomatoes because they grow in a more compact habit and are typically shorter than indeterminate varieties.

2. Determinate tomatoes don’t need to be supported by stakes or a trellis, as they tend to stay short and bushy even when loaded with fruit.

3. Generally, determinate tomatoes produce all of their fruit at once, meaning you’ll want to be prepared for a lot of harvesting all at once!

4. That being said, determinate tomatoes are great for container gardening since they don’t take up too much space and reach full maturity quickly.

5. Determinate varieties typically have higher yields than indeterminate varieties, so you can harvest a larger quantity of tomatoes from one plant.

A few common types of Determinate Tomatoes are:

1. Roma

2. Rutgers

3. Celebrity

4. Bush Early Girls

5. Tumbling Tom Red Cherry Tomato

When to Plant tomatoes indoors and outdoors

When should tomatoes be planted

Depending on where you live, you might need to start them indoors a few months before the last frost or just wait until the weather is warm enough to plant them outdoors.

The general rule for warm weather crops, like tomatoes, is at least 2 weeks after your least frost date.

Find your the last frost date for your area here.

1. Plant your tomato seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date in your area.

2. When transplanting your seedlings outdoors, wait until all danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature is at least 65°F (18°C). Usually the ground will be this warm when the nighttime temp is consistently above 60 in my neck of the woods in Minnesota.

Tomatoes DO NOT like the cold!

3. If you’re planting multiple varieties of tomatoes, make sure to label them so you know which is which!

4. If you find that the temperatures are still low after two weeks of warm weather and sunshine, try covering your seedlings with a floating row cover or cloche to keep them from getting too cold.

5. When transplanting your seedlings, gently tease the roots before putting them in the ground to encourage new root growth and plant two-thirds of the stem underground.

How cold is too cold for tomato plants

Tomato plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 45°F (7°C), but they won’t produce fruit until the temperature is consistently above 50°F (10°C).

If it gets too cold for your tomatoes, you may see stunted growth and even some leaves turning yellow or falling off.

Temperatures below 32°F (0°C) can cause serious damage to your plants, and even a light frost can kill them!

If you’re expecting cold temperatures, make sure to cover or protect your tomatoes with a floating row cover (blanket cover) or cloche (plastic dome cover).

Spacing and Soil Requirements for Tomatoes

Two huge factors to consider before planting your tomatoes plants is the Spacing and Soil requirements they will need.

Soil Requirements for tomatoes to thrive

A few tips for the ideal soil to get the most from your tomatoes:

1. Amend your soil with plenty of compost or rotted manure to create a loamy soil that is rich in nutrients and organic matter.

2. Make sure your soil has good drainage; you don’t want it to be too water-logged or else your tomatoes will struggle.

3. Add plenty of mulch or straw around the plants to retain moisture and keep weeds away.

4. Test your soil’s pH level; tomatoes prefer slightly acidic soil (6.2-6.8). If it is too alkaline, try adding some sulfur to reduce the pH level.

5. Too much nitrogen can cause your tomato plants to grow big nice foliage. You might think they are doing sooo great, but they wont produce much for fruit.

Spacing Requirements for Tomatoes

Spacing is going to vary slightly on the type of tomato plant you growing.

This is yet another reason you will want to know your variety and if it is Indeterminate or Determinate.

1. Give your tomato plants plenty of room to spread out their vines and help support them with cages or trellises.

2. Be sure to space determinate varieties at least 18-24 inches apart and indeterminate varieties at least 24-36 inches apart.

3. Place cages or stakes 2-4 feet away from each plant to give them plenty of room to grow.

4. Tomatoes need lots of sunshine, so be sure to put them in an area that gets at least 6+ hours of direct sunlight each day. Ideally, 8-10 hours if possible.

5. If you need to, you can thin out the plants to give them more space and ensure they get enough air circulation. This will help prevent disease from spreading quickly.

With a little bit of planning and preparation, you’ll be able to grow delicious tomatoes with ease.

How to Feed Tomato Plants

A lot of people ask how to make tomato plants grow faster. My best answer would be to feed them.

It is important to know that over-fertilizing can be a serious issue.

Too much fertilizer can cause your tomato plants to suffer from nutrient deficiencies, as well as produce an excess of foliage and few fruits.

For most soil types, fertilizing your tomatoes once a month should suffice.

If you are using liquid fertilizer, then you can do it every two weeks. If you are using a slow-release fertilizer, then once or twice during the growing season should be enough.

Remember to always check the label of any fertilizer product you use and follow the instructions carefully.

Too much fertilizer can burn your plants, so less is more in this case!

Of course the store bought variety of vegetable food/fertilizer may be what comes to mind first when thinking bout feeding your tomato plants.

But there are a lot of natural thigs to give your hungry tomatoes such as:

1. Fish emulsion

2. Compost

3. Manure

4. Eggshells

5. Sea minerals or seaweed extract

These all work great in providing your tomato plants with essential nutrients they need.

How Much Water do Tomato Plants Need

The most common question I get and the one thing that was the hardest thing for me to learn was how mush water do Tomato plants need?

Tomato plants need lots of water, but it’s important to get the balance right.

You want your tomato plants to be consistently moist, but not wet or soggy.

Tomatoes need about one to two inches of water per week (or about 1-2 gallons per plant) to stay healthy and produce fruit.

The best way to tell if your tomatoes are getting enough water is by feeling the soil with your finger. If the top 2-3 inches of soil feel dry, it’s time to water.

Also be aware that the amount of water your tomato plants need can vary depending on the season, temperature and humidity levels.

During the hottest part of summer, you may need to water tomatoes every day for optimal growth

When temperatures cool in late summer and early fall, you may only need to water once or twice a week.

If you live in an area where there is a lot of rain or humidity, then make sure you are keeping your tomato plants well-drained by mulching around them with straw, hay or other organic materials.

This will help prevent the soil from becoming oversaturated and causing root rot.

Finally, make sure you are watering your tomato plants in the morning or early afternoon so that they have time to dry out before nightfall. This will help reduce the risk of fungal disease.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your tomato plants get just the right amount of water to produce healthy, juicy fruits.

When is the best time to harvest tomato fruits

The best time to harvest tomatoes is when they are fully ripe. Tomatoes typically ripen between 65 and 80 days after flowering, depending on the variety.

When tomatoes start to turn color and plump up, it’s usually a sign that they are almost ready to be harvested.

You can also pick them slightly green (before they’ve reached full maturity) if you need to.

However, the best flavor and texture can usually be found when tomatoes are allowed to ripen on the vine.

To harvest tomatoes, simply use a sharp knife or scissors to cut them from the stem.

Be sure not to pull on the tomato, as this may cause it to break off.

Once you’ve harvested your tomatoes, store them at room temperature out of direct sunlight and enjoy eating them within a few days!

Harvesting tomatoes regularly can also help stimulate further growth on the plant.

The more you pick, the more fruit it will produce! So don’t be afraid to start harvesting from your tomato plants as soon as the fruits start to turn color.

Did someone say Pico De Gallo! ?

Tomato Companions

Companion planting is something that many of us more “organic” farmers try to do.

Companion planting is the process of planting certain plants together that can benefit each other.

Good companions may benefit each other by helping each other grow and/or by keeping certain pests away.

Bad companions can inhibit growth or even out right kill another plant completely. (Made this mistake when I put my dill a liiitttle too close to my lavender. Had to say goodbye to all my dill that season!)

By considering companion plants when planting your tomatoes, you can ensure that your tomato plants get the best possible conditions for producing healthy and juicy fruits.

Good Companion Plants for Tomatoes

A few things that pairs well in the garden with tomatoes are:

Basil: helps to repel pests like aphids and mites that can be harmful to tomatoes.

Parsley: is also believed to help boost the flavor of tomatoes when planted near them.

Marigolds: are thought to deter nematodes, insects that can be destructive to tomato plants.

Onions and garlic: help to repel aphids and other pests

Bad Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Fennel: has a tendency to stunt the growth of tomatoes

Potatoes: can spread diseases such as blight and wilt which is harmful to tomato plants

Cabbage family vegetables (Brassicas): will attract the same pests that tomatoes attract, such as aphids and moths.

Beans or peas: will compete for nitrogen with tomatoes, leading to stunted growth.

Common Tomato Pests and Diseases

I have listed a few common tomato pests and diseases and what to be on the look out for.

If your plants come down with any of these, the sooner you can start trying to reverse the situation, the better chance you will have.

Take a little time out every day just to give a good look at your plants and check on their health.

Aphids: These tiny insects feed on the sap of tomato plants and can cause wilting, leaf curling, and stunt growth.

Tomato hornworms: These voracious pests can strip a plant in just a few days! They can be difficult to spot due to their green color but have a distinctive white “horn” on the back.

(These damn things took out 3/4 of my tomato plants last year….in the matter of a three days!)

3. Fusarium wilt: This fungal disease causes leaves to yellow and die, starting at the bottom of the plant and working its way up.

4. Blossom end rot: Caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil, blossom end rot will cause brown spots on the undersides of fruits.

5. Whitefly: These tiny pests can quickly become a problem and they will suck the juices out of tomato leaves, causing them to yellow and die. They also produce a sticky substance called honeydew which can promote the growth of mold.

You now have all the basics to be confident in growing your own tomatoes.

While no two gardens are alike, with the right knowledge and a little bit of practice and patience, you’ll soon reap the reward of juicy, delicious tomatoes that YOU grew!

Understanding the different types, the soil and spacing requirements, how much to water and feed tomato plants as well as which companion plants are best for optimal growth is essential information for any aspiring tomato-grower.

Pests and diseases also play an important role in tomato-growing success; early detection may mean the difference between plentiful harvests versus no harvests.

Even with the challenges that come with growing these finicky plants, your hard work will be rewarded when you taste those succulent home-grown tomatoes.

Once you feel comfortable experimenting with tomato types, companion plants and more, you can use these skills to grow other vegetables too.

Read more posts from Freed Ambitions for helpful tips and tricks for your gardening and homesteading adventures.