Grow the Best Tomatoes
A good tomato is hard to forget. You know you’ve hit the jackpot in that first, juicy bite. All tomatoes have the potential to be great and some extra attention now will pay off big time come harvest. Set the stage for a stellar performance by this year’s crops with these tips.
Choosing Your Plants
Choose your plants based on your growing space. Tomatoes are classified by their growth habits.
Determinate tomatoes, also called bush, will stop growing when they reach a specific height and most fruit will ripen about the same time. These are better for smaller gardens and great for decks and patios. They will require cages and/or stakes for support.
Indeterminate, or vining will continue to grow and produce fruit until frost kills the plant. They need to be planted about 4’ apart and require caging and/or staking for substantial support.
Watering & Feeding
Water Well During hot weather, tomato plants need deep watering. Tomatoes are also less likely to crack when the soil is kept consistently moist. Water at the ground, never water overhead. Overhead watering can be a recipe for disaster. In the Midwest you can almost always count on humid, hot summers. Watering overhead causes the leaves to be wet longer and more susceptible to disease. Keep the moisture even. When the plant gets dry and then receives a lot of water it can cause the tomatoes to “burst” causing splits. A soaker hose works great for garden watering.
The secret to getting great tomatoes is to keep soil levels and temperatures from fluctuating and to add extra calcium. Cover the soil around your plants with weed free chopped straw and spray leaves with liquid calcium for best results. Pick tomatoes before they get mushy or soft and don’t ripen tomatoes in the refrigerator.
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