Key points to consider when planting tomatoes

 

Once your tomato plants have been properly acclimated to the outside, it is time to transplant from their starter pots into the garden. Here are some key points to consider when planting tomatoes: 

1. Choose the Best Spot. To get the best from your tomato plants this year, pick the sunniest spot in the garden. Your tomato plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day; 8 hours a day is better. 

  

Choose a spot where you did not grow tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant last year. Rotating your crops every year reduces the potential for diseases such as leaf spot, early blight and fusarium wilt. If you do not have enough space to rotate your crops, consider planting tomatoes in containers this season and plant a soil building crop such as peas and oats or winter rye where you grew tomatoes last year. Keeping the garden soil covered will protect and encourage the soil microbiome, through the season.   

 

2. Amend the Soil. Great soil is a must for growing tomatoes, so plan to amend the site with compost and peat moss. We recommend adding 2" to 3" of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost and digging it into your existing soil 6" to 8". This locally produced product will work to enrich the planting site. Repeat this application again in the fall.   

  

3. Choose a time. Tomatoes are warm weather plants, so temperature is an important factor when it comes to deciding when to plant. You’ll want to wait until the nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 50° F and the soil temperatures measured at six inches below the surface are above 55° F before you plant tomatoes.  Planting on a cloudy day helps reduce transplant shock. 

 

  

4. Digging in. When it comes to planting tomatoes, instead of simply transplanting them at the same depth as they were in the pot, it’s beneficial to bury a larger portion of the stem. This can be achieved either by planting them vertically deeper or by tilting (or “planting on their side”) in a trench so that a longer section of the stem is in contact with soil. 

 

Here’s why this step matters: Encouraging Adventitious Roots: Unlike many plants that won’t tolerate being buried up to their stem, tomatoes have the special ability to generate adventitious roots along any part of their stem. By burying more of the stem—whether straight down or at an angle—you effectively increase the area from which new roots can emerge. This extra rooting not only boosts nutrient and water uptake but also offers greater stability to support a heavy fruit load. 

 

Tomatoes planted deeply—whether vertically or at an angle—tend to mature earlier and often yield healthier fruit. The extended root system helps the plant access more nutrients and maintain steadier hydration, which are key factors in robust development and increased productivity. 

 

Both methods harness the tomato’s natural strength to produce extra roots. Many gardeners experiment with both techniques to see which works better given their specific climate, soil conditions, and tomato variety. 

 

Start by removing the lower leaves from the plant. Next, dig a hole that's large enough to accommodate one-third to one-half of the plant.  

 

Add some granular tomato fertilizer such as Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable.  The OMRI stamp on the bag assures you the product is organic. This will provide the nutrients necessary for your tomato plants to establish and grow.  fertilizers Plus, it contains mycorrhizae, beneficial fungi which will help your tomato roots grow bigger roots and take up nutrients more efficiently.  

 

Place your tomato plant in the hole and back fill with amended soil as necessary. 

 

Tip. If you’re using the trench method, place your plant on its side for a few hours. The top will curl, making it easier to plant at an angle. 

 

Please note, neither of these methods apply if you are growing grafted tomatoes. Plant grated tomatoes straight down, while making sure the graft point at the soil line.  

  

 

Spacing: Space the plants about 18 to 24 inches apart (or according to the variety's requirements) so they have enough room to grow and allow for good air circulation. This spacing helps in preventing disease and supports healthy growth. 

  

Now that your tomato is planted, give it a good drink.  Your tomato plants need to be watered deeply now and regularly through the growing season. Not watering consistently can lead to many problems including Blossom End Rot and cracking. Watering inconsistently can also cause the flowers to drop and the fruit not to set. Avoid watering your tomato plants overhead. Irrigate at the base of the plant. Building a moat around the plant will help control run off.  

Lastly, put the support cage in place. 

 

Starting your tomato plants out right will lead to better yields this season.   

 

How to Harden Off Your Seedlings Before You Plant Them and Why It's Important

  

Moving your tomato, pepper and other warm weather crops outdoors successfully is really all about easing them into their new environment—a process often called “hardening off.” This gradual transition helps them adjust to stronger sunlight, wind, and temperature fluctuations compared to the controlled indoor environment they are used to.   

 

This applies whether you grew your own tomato, vegetables or flowers from seed or bought them from our greenhouse. Moving your plants from the house or greenhouse directly into the garden without giving them time to adjust will set them back significantly and in some cases, they’ll fail to survive.   

 

This slow transition from indoors to the outside is called “hardening off”. Hardening off plants gradually exposes them to outdoor light, wind, and temperatures. The process is easy, but it takes time. In fact, you should plan for a week or so to get your immature plants ready to transplant into the garden.  

 

On the first day, pick a sheltered, shady spot under a tree or on the patio and leave them there for 5 or 6 hours.  

    

Bring them in that night. The second day, place your plants where they will receive morning sun and afternoon shade. This will help your seedlings adjust to direct sunlight. Leave them in this spot for 6 to 7 hours. On the third day, increase the exposure time to direct sun and leave your transplants out after dark.  

 

On the fourth day, if the nighttime temperatures stay above 50° F, leave your starter plants out all night. Follow the same routine for days five and six but be prepared to bring your plants back in if the nighttime temperatures fall. After this amount of time, your tomato, pepper, and vegetable seedlings should be ready to plant in the garden.  

 

 

If nighttime temperatures continue to drop into the 30’s and 40’s, consider using season extenders like N-Sulate or Insulated Plant Protectors to protect your plants. Insulated Plant Protectors help protect tomatoes and peppers and other crops when temperatures drop. N-Sulate is another way to protect warm weather crops against cold temperatures. This cloth product helps raise the temperature around your plants by 6° to 8° F.    

  

When you do decide to plant, pick a cloudy day. This will help your seedlings make the transition from container to the garden even easier.  Even then, you will want to keep an eye on the forecast. Our average last day of frost is May 13, but this can vary greatly. Have a frost blanket or floating row cover ready to protect your plants. Do not use plastic to cover your plants. If plants are small enough, throw a box over them to keep the frost off.   

  

Make sure you keep your plants watered during this hardening off process. Being outside means they will dry out faster, so keep an eye on the watering.  Moist soil will cope with temperature swings better than dry soil.