Maximizing Your Harvest: Easy-to-Grow Tomato Plants for High-Yielding Results

Starting Your Tomato Garden

Growing your own tomatoes is a rewarding hobby that offers you the most delicious, farm-to-table produce to use as a snack or in your favorite meals! Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out, this guide will prepare you to grow tasty tomatoes.

Preparing the Garden

Before you can begin planting your tomatoes, you will need to choose a good location and prepare the garden bed. When locating your vegetable bed, select a spot with good air circulation, but avoid excessively windy areas or reflective heat sources like south or west-facing walls. Next, check the soil composition of the area. It’s not wise to garden in caliche. If you have an impermeable layer near the surface, build a raised bed and fill it with a mixture of native soil and organic material. View The Ultimate Guide to Improving Desert Soils for more information. 

When preparing the garden bed, it’s important to add new organic material each time you replant. This will allow essential nutrients to be replenished in the soil, helping your tomatoes to grow successfully. Great options for organic material are Dr. Q’s Vegetable and Herb Mix and surface mulches*. A day or so before planting, use Dr. Q’s Organic Stardust Starter Fertilizer according to package directions to give your tomato plants the right start!

*It is always wise to use surface mulch in any planting area, as it can help to prevent weeds, conserve water, and cool plant roots. Additionally, Shredded Cedar Bark helps to repel insects!

When it is time to plant, remember that tomatoes are nutrient hogs. It is recommended that tomato plants are spaced at least two feet apart to allow for maximum nutrient uptake and prevent competition.

How to Choose Tomato Varieties

There are many different tomato varieties for you to grow, each with its own unique flavor, size, and growth habit. When choosing which variety you will grow, it’s important to consider how you would like to use it after harvest and how it will grow in your garden. 

There are two main types of tomatoes – determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes are bush-like and grow to a specific size, usually up to 5 feet tall. They produce fruit all at once, making them a good choice for canning or preserving. Once the fruit begins to plump up and ripen, staking or caging is recommended to support the heavy load. On the other hand, indeterminate tomatoes are more vine-like and can grow up to 10 feet tall. They produce fruit throughout the growing season, making them a good choice for fresh eating. 

For more information on each variety, view the list below!

Growing Healthy Tomato Plants

Because tomatoes require plenty of nutrients to grow healthy and produce fruit, it is recommended that you use a balanced fertilizer such as Dr. Q’s Organic Vegetable and Tomato Food. For more information on how and when to fertilize, always be sure to read the instructions on the back of the bag!

In addition to fertilizer, tomatoes require consistent and frequent watering. It’s good to keep the soil moist, without flooding the area. Oppositely, if a tomato plant experiences insufficient watering during early fruit development, blossom end rot or fruit cracking may occur.

Harvesting and Storing Tomatoes

Typically, tomatoes are ready for harvest when they are fully ripe and have a uniform color. Depending on the variety, this can take anywhere from 60-90 days from planting. To harvest, use a pair of sharp scissors or garden shears to remove the fruit from the vine, being careful not to damage the plant. Tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for several days. For longer storage, consider freezing or canning your tomatoes.

With the right preparation, care, and attention, anyone can successfully grow tasty tomatoes in their own backyard. Start by choosing a good location and preparing the garden bed with organic material and surface mulch. Consider the different tomato varieties available and choose the one that best fits your needs. Remember to provide your tomato plants with necessary nutrients by fertilizing with Dr. Q’s Organic Vegetable and Herb Food and offering consistent watering to promote healthy growth and fruit production. When it’s time to harvest your tomatoes, be sure to do so carefully and store them properly for later use. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to growing the best tomatoes you’ve ever tasted!

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Tomato Varieties