The Ultimate Tomato Gardening Guide: Grow Your Tastiest, Most Bountiful Tomatoes Yet

Whether you’re growing tomatoes in raised beds or in-ground, success starts with the right foundation, tools, and techniques. Here’s your complete guide to stellar tomato production and incredible flavor—with our favorite tried-and-true products to help you get there.

1. Start with Healthy Soil

Use Bumper Crop Organic Soil Builder
This compost blend is loaded with organic matter, beneficial microbes, and essential nutrients. Mix it into your raised beds or in-ground planting holes to improve structure, moisture retention, and overall fertility—creating the perfect environment for tomato roots to thrive.

Re-mineralize with Azomite
Tomatoes crave trace minerals for rich flavor. Azomite (a natural volcanic rock dust) restores essential minerals to your soil, which not only improves plant health but noticeably enhances the taste of your fruit.

2. Fertilize for Flavor & Fruit

Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer by Espoma
This tomato-specific blend is rich in calcium (helps prevent blossom-end rot) and feeds plants steadily without burning.

• Add 3 tablespoons into the hole when planting.
• Top-dress every 2 weeks throughout the growing season for consistent, flavorful production.

3. Planting Technique for Success

Plant Tomatoes Deep
Bury tomato seedlings deeper than their original pot, removing the lower leaves. Tomatoes can root all along their stem, and more roots mean stronger plants and more fruit.

Support Early
Choose either:

• Tomato cages for a classic, low-maintenance approach
• Or go vertical with single wood stakes or sturdy green stakes. Use a soft stretch tie instead of twine, which can cut into stems as they grow.

4. Watering: The Secret to Deep Roots & Intense Flavor

Water deeply and infrequently. A good soaking encourages deep root growth and prevents shallow roots that stress easily.
Avoid frequent shallow watering—this can lead to:

• Diluted flavor
• Cracked fruit
• Increased disease risk

Aim to water at the base of the plant early in the morning, keeping foliage dry.

5. Prune Like a Pro

Use sharp snips (we love ARS pruners) to:

• Remove non-productive suckers (especially on indeterminate varieties)
• Improve airflow and sunlight penetration
• Harvest cleanly without damaging the plant

6. Companion Planting for Natural Pest Control

Plant Marigolds near Tomatoes
These cheerful blooms aren’t just pretty—they help deter aphids, whiteflies, and nematodes. Bonus: they attract pollinators, too!

7. Know Your Tomato Type

Determinate Tomatoes (Bush Type):

• Grow to a set height (3-4 feet)
• Produce fruit all at once, then taper off
• Great for canning or if you want a quick, bountiful harvest
• Don’t require as much pruning

Indeterminate Tomatoes (Vining Type):

• Continue growing and producing fruit until frost
• Need staking and regular pruning
• Ideal for fresh eating throughout the summer

8. More Expert Tomato Tips

• Mulch around your plants with straw or pine mulch to retain moisture, prevent weeds, and reduce soil-borne diseases from splashing up.
• Rotate tomato crops each year to prevent disease buildup in the soil.
• Watch for early signs of blight or pests—catching issues early can save your crop.
• Don’t overcrowd—give plants enough room for airflow to reduce fungal issues.
• Harvest often to encourage continued fruiting, especially for indeterminate types.

With the right products and these trusted techniques, you’ll be on your way to your best tomato harvest yet—bursting with flavor, nutrients, and homegrown pride.

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Tomato Growing FAQs: What Every Gardener Wants to Know

1. How often, when, and how much should I water my tomatoes?

Water deeply, not frequently.

• In general, water 1–2 times per week, depending on your weather and soil conditions. Raised beds dry out faster than in-ground gardens.
• Each plant needs about 1–1.5 inches of water per week, including rainfall.
• Water early in the morning at the base of the plant. Avoid watering overhead to reduce the risk of foliar diseases.
• During peak summer heat, check daily by sticking your finger 2–3 inches into the soil—if it’s dry at that depth, it’s time to water.

Pro Tip: Use mulch (like EZ Straw) around the base to help retain moisture and reduce watering frequency.

2. How do I know when to harvest tomatoes?

• Color is key—tomatoes should be fully colored (red, orange, yellow, purple, etc., depending on variety).
• They should feel slightly firm but give gently to the touch.
• Tomatoes left to ripen on the vine (vs. picked green) will have the richest flavor.
• Harvest in the cooler part of the day, like early morning, for the best shelf life.

Pro Tip: If you’re battling critters or cracking, pick tomatoes just as they start to turn color and let them ripen indoors on a windowsill.

3. Why are my tomato leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing can mean a few things:

• Overwatering or poor drainage
• Nutrient deficiency, especially nitrogen or magnesium
• Lack of sunlight (lower leaves may naturally yellow as the plant grows)
• Disease, like early blight or septoria leaf spot

Solution: Check watering habits, feed with Tomato-tone, and remove affected leaves with clean, sharp snips (ARS brand recommended).

4. Why are my tomatoes splitting or cracking?

This is usually due to irregular watering—a sudden soak after a dry spell causes the fruit to expand faster than the skin can grow.
Prevent it by:

• Watering consistently
• Using mulch to even out soil moisture
• Picking fruit promptly when ripe

5. What causes blossom end rot and how can I prevent it?

Blossom end rot (black, sunken spots on the bottom of fruit) is a calcium deficiency, often triggered by inconsistent watering.
Prevent it by:

• Using Tomato-tone (it contains calcium) at planting and every two weeks
• Keeping moisture levels consistent
• Avoiding excessive nitrogen which can throw off nutrient uptake

6. Do I need to prune my tomato plants?

• Indeterminate (vining) tomatoes: Yes—remove suckers (the shoots that grow in the “V” between stem and branch) to focus energy on fruiting and prevent crowding.
• Determinate (bush) tomatoes: No—light pruning is okay but too much will reduce yield.
  Use sharp snips like the ARS brand to avoid damaging stems.

7. Should I remove flowers when planting tomatoes?

Yes. If your transplant has flowers, pinch them off when planting. This allows the plant to focus on root development first, which means better long-term yield and fruit size.

8. Can I grow tomatoes in containers?

Absolutely! Use a minimum 5-gallon container per plant with drainage holes.

• Fill with Bumper Crop Compost and a high-quality potting mix.
• Stake or cage early.
• Container plants dry out faster—you may need to water daily during hot spells.
• Fertilize every 2 weeks with Tomato-tone.