Tomato Tips

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Harden them off

Plants seeded indoors or in a greenhouse need to get used to bright sun, wind, and cold nights. Move plants outdoors during the day and bring them in at night. Increase the time they spend outdoors each day for 3-4 days, then leave them out at night. Now they are ready to plant. 

Dig a hole

Make sure the soil in the pot is damp. Remove any flowers or fruit from the plants. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot. Add a little dry fertilizer to the hole, and mix it with soil. Turn the pot upside down on one hand, and tap the bottom of the pot with the other. Slide the root ball out and put the plant into the hole. Fill in with soil and water. Put a variety name marker near the plant.

Give them support

Support indeterminate tomato plants by training them to grow up a pole or trellis, along a fence, or in tomato cages. Determinate tomatoes should be supported if planted in the ground. Peppers, golden berry, and many container varieties of tomato don’t need support.

Grow them in pots too

Many determinate tomatoes are great for container growing, but indeterminates usually don’t do well. All peppers love containers. Use potting soil, not garden soil, and mix it with a dry organic fertilizer. You will need to water them daily when it is hot. 

Mulch - the gardener’s best friend

Put straw, wood chips, landscape fabric, or leaves around the base of the plants to retain moisture, inhibit weeds and pests, prevent diseases, and keep fruit clean. Use mulch in containers too.

Water!

Inconsistent watering stresses the plants. Keep them evenly moist. Drip irrigation on a timer works well. You will find that the initial cost is worth every penny. 

Prune to maintain control 

Pruning suckers is the main way to keep an indeterminate tomato plant going up a pole or trellis. In cages, pruning helps maintain air flow through the plant and prevents a jungle during harvest time. Start pruning when a plant reaches about 60 cm tall or so. Don’t prune determinate plants, as