6 Must-Follow Tips Longtime Gardeners Swear By for the Best Tomatoes (2024)

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The amount of gardening info at our fingertips these days is as exciting as it is overwhelming, and this is especially true if you’re still in the early years of planting veggies.

Tomatoes, in particular, seem to inspire a long list of questions. To prune or not to prune? How much space? Does the soil really matter?

We turned to two of our favorite gardening experts who happen to know a ton about tomatoes. Here’s what they said they wish they knew back when they first started.

Proper Support is Key

According to Nikhil Arora of Back to the Roots, he wishes he knew more about how to keep his plants happy.

“Something I wish I knew before I started growing tomatoes is the importance of proper support and pruning techniques,” he says.

From cages to stakes, different varieties have different support needs, and this is something your local garden center should be able to help you with. The same goes for proper pruning shears and techniques based on your plant.

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Tomatoes Are Sensitive to Temperature

If Ali Mills of American Meadows could go back in time, she’d tell herself that tomatoes need to be protected from swings in temperatures.

“These can prevent them from setting fruit,” she says. “Protect them from cold drafts if they are inside, harden your seedlings off before planting outside, and make sure not to plant them out until nighttime temperatures are at least 55 degrees.”

Plant Your Tomatoes Deep in the Ground

One thing Donna Letier of Gardenuity wishes she knew from the start was how important it is to plant your tomato plants deep in the soil, and also keep any low branches away from the soil.

“The deeper you plant your tomato, the stronger the root system will be," Letier says."The stronger the root system the better the harvest.”

Some Tomato Plants Never Bear Fruit

No, you didn’t just get a bad plant. Sometimes, tomatoes don’t bear fruit—and Arora let us know some of the most common causes.It could be due to insufficient sunlight, poor pollination, extreme temperatures, or nutrient deficiencies, he says.

With this in mind, know that your tomato plant’s location is particularly important.

Tomatoes Are Sun-Loving Plants

While there are a wide variety of tomato types, Arora says their general requirements are the same.

“The basic needs of all tomato plants are adequate sunlight (6-8 hours per day), well-draining soil, consistent watering, and balanced nutrition,” he says.

Tomatoes Can Be Grown Indoors

When you picture a vegetable garden, you probably think of a patch straight in the ground. But Arora says that’s not necessarily a must.

“Growing tomatoes indoors is entirely feasible,” he says, noting that windowsill planters placed in the right sunny spot are often a great option.

Mills agrees, noting a grow light may also be beneficial indoors.Suspend a grow light about 4-6 inches above your young plants, moving it up as they grow. Indoor tomatoes will need 18-22 hours of supplemental light per day while growing. But once their fruits begin to ripen, they won’t need as much light.

Soil is Key

Letier says another thing she wishes she had known sooner was how much soil matters.

“Tomatoes are heavy feeders so it’s important to keep the soil thriving with a feeding weekly and watering the soil of the plant and not the foliage,” she says.

It’s important to keep your plant hydrated consistently but never overwatered. If you fear your soil is bad, don’t despair. Mills gave us a tip—if you have poor soil, adding compost when planting will help.

It’s Worth Any Struggles

If you don’t have a great growing season the first time around or you hit a rough patch, don’t despair! Mills says one thing she wishes she knew from the start was just how worth it growing your own tomatoes can be.

“I wish I knew how much more delicious a freshly picked tomato is than one from the grocery store—that makes it all worth it!” she says.