What is your best tip for growing tomatoes?

1. 81

   Patsybellposted 9 years ago

   What is your best tip for growing tomatoes?
   
   I love gardening and  helping people learn about it. I just want to share the joy. Maybe, we can help each other grow a better tomato.

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2. 59

   Bubblegum Jonesposted 9 years ago

   The best tip for growing tomatoes is to add plenty of water.

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      Patsybellposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Water is important. I agree. Mulching helps conserve that precious water. Thanks for your comment,Bubblegum Jones

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3. 70

   crazyhorsesghostposted 9 years ago

   Tomatoes must be grown in full sun. Never water them when the sun is on them. Water an hour before sunrise or an hour after. Plant marigolds near them to keep away tomato pests.

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      Patsybellposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      OK, I'll try it. Thank you. What pests do marigoldd keep away from tomatoes?

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4. 58

   Wendy Guffeyposted 9 years ago

   My best tip I ever learned was to "water" them once a week with cheap beer.
   Put a can of beer in your watering can and fill it the rest of the way up with water.
   I always had trouble growing tomatoes. I asked someone that grew great tomatoes and that's what they told me.
   The nutrients in the beer really helped my tomatoes grow faster and larger and they were the sweetest tomatoes I had ever grown.

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5. 67

   chefsrefposted 9 years ago

   Although I consider myself a rookie gardener I think soil is the most important part of growing tomatoes. I have had the same plant a few feet apart, one in unimproved soil and one in soil with lots of compost worked in. The unimproved soil tomato became diseased much sooner than the one in good soil. Florida is beastly for fungal diseases but I don't like using chemicals.

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6. 89

   LisaRoppoloposted 9 years ago

   Put a little bit of Epsom salts in the planting hole.  You can also sprinkle a bit at the base and water in if they are already in the ground.  Tomatoes love the extra mineral boost from the Epsom salt.
   I also like to pinch off some of the bottom branches of the plant for better air circulation and so that soil doesn't splash back up onto the plant during heavy rain.

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   1. 81

      Patsybellposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, this is news to me. I  have heard of Epson Salt for peppers but not tomatoes.  Thank you.  When you pinch off the lower branches do you also mulch, or does pinching do the trick for you?

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   2. 89

      LisaRoppoloposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Pinching usually does the trick.  You can do this rather aggressively if you wanted to.  I used to live next to some Polish immigrants and they would take a good 6 to 12 inches of the lower branches off their tomato plants.

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      Patsybellposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I love learning more about gardening. Gardeners helping gardeners is the best way to learn.

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7. 48

   johnr54posted 9 years ago

   By pinching off the lower branches you also prohibit disease entering on the leaves that touch the ground.  Love the tip of pinching off as high as 6-12 inches.  I will try going this high next year.  I'm having a bumper crop right now!
   
   My husband used to add some diluted fish emulsion in the planting hole, using the old Native American trick of putting a fish in the ground.

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   1. 81

      Patsybellposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Your tomato success is exciting. I hope to have tomatoes by the weekend.
      Adding diluted fish emulsion is a brilliant update to a good idea. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

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8. 88

   Novel Treasureposted 9 years ago

   I agree with Lisa, pinching off the bottom "suckers" not only helps prevent bottom rot and disease by allowing air circulation it also focuses more energy into the branches that are left so they can produce more fruits and larger fruits.
   
   Stable watering is extremely important. Tomatoes need a steady watering schedule to help prevent the skins from cracking.

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   1. 81

      Patsybellposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thank You. I agree, we had extreme weather this spring. Tons of rain followed by no rain. It was the first time my tomatoes ever got blossom end rot.

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