Tomato Gardening 101: Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes

Laura said: “Coming from a long line of farmers, the best tip I ever heard for backyard growing was planting marigolds at the base of tomatoes…it is a natural pest repellent!” :)

Jennifer said: “If using tomato cages, use old pantyhose/knee high nylons to support the growing plants. It’s something my family has always done.”

Amanda said: “Water consistently at the same time every day. This way they won’t split and will grow nice and big.”

Kati said: “Line your growing space with hardware cloth, if you have critter problems like ground squirrels or gophers. You can get it at Home Depot and online at Amazon.com. Its better than chicken wire, and will still allow roots to grow through!”

Christa said: “I read that placing a tablespoon of sugar into the hole before placing the plant in the hole is supposed to make them super sweet! I’m going to try it this summer!”

Stacey said: “I mix epsom salts with the dirt, about 1 part to 3 parts. It makes your plant produce a lot of tomatoes. I did it for the first time last year and it was amazing how much fruit my plant produced. I just planted again this year and did the same. I had always wondered why epsom salts was sold in the garden area.”

Charlene said: “I put banana peels in the hole when planting.”

Debbie said: “I crush egg shells and put them in the hole. I also sprinkle them around the base of the plant throughout the season. They give the plant much needed calcium and keep the slugs away (slugs have soft bellies and the jagged edges of the shells deter them or split them open). I also plant marigolds all over the garden. My grandfather bordered his 2 acre garden with them, and this helped to save the seeds for the next year.”

Dawn said: “Using a lot of miracle grow will get you tons of tomatoes.”

Rhonda said: “I didn’t do this myself, but my ex-husband did. He dug a hole in front of his tomato plants and put a 1/2 gallon milk jug with holes punched in it. He would then put a mixture of miracle grow and water in the jugs. He had tomatoes as big as a dinner plate and they were so good! He also used a soaker hose instead of water from a hose or a sprinkler.”

April said: “Easy peasy: You need soil, manure, and lots of sun and water.”

Kari said: “I put powdered milk in the hole before planting. That way the plants get calcium. The calcium helps prevent the bottom of the tomato from turning black with bottom rot.”