Tips For Terrific Tomatoes

When it comes to growing Terrific Tomatoes, I don’t think there can ever be enough great advice. I personally baby my tomato plants to ensure that I get the best results. I am often found fertilizing them individually with just the right fertilizer for the time of their growth. I watch over them and worry over them so that I can be assured of a great crop. In light of this, I highly recommend this great article on tomatoes by Suzanne DeJohn of the National Gardening Association.

By now you’ve planted your tomatoes in the garden. Have you thought ahead and set up some sort of training or staking system? Mulched around the bases? It’s not too late, but the sooner the better. Tomatoes are often cited as one of the easiest garden vegetables to grow. Yes, they’re easy to grow, but if you want the best and longest harvest, you’ll need to help the plants along.

Left on their own, tomato plants sprawl, making the fruits difficult to harvest. And the tomatoes rest on the soil where slugs will happily take one bite from each fruit. (I wouldn’t mind if they ate a whole tomato, but to sample them all? What are they, Goldilocks, looking for the one that’s not too hard and not too soft?)

Mulch is Key
If you do nothing else, mulch your tomato plants. Some people like red plastic mulch but I prefer a thick layer of straw. The plastic mulch supposedly increases yields, but a few tomato plants usually yield more than I can eat anyway. Straw not only keeps tomatoes off the ground, it also allows air circulation beneath them, reducing rot. It keeps soil from splashing up on the leaves, minimizing problems with soil-borne diseases. It conserves soil moisture, important for the health of the plant and for helping to prevent blossom end rot. And at season’s end you can rototill it in, adding organic matter. At around $5 per bale it’s a bargain, and my favorite mulch for the vegetable garden. ~Suzanne DeJohn

To finish reading Suzanne’s great article, I suggest you visit her here. Her article is full of some great information to help you to get the most out of your tomatoes when it is time.

As the summer progresses, we will continue to discuss what you can do to make your tomatoes be the star of the dinner table. After all, can’t you just almost taste that fresh tomato sandwich or tomato-cucumber salad? I know that my mouth is watering in anticipation.

What are some of your favorite tomato tips? Do you have any no-fail tricks up your sleeve? Please leave a comment and share!