Growing Tomatoes
If you only grow one thing this year, make it tomatoes. Nothing from a grocery store comes close to one picked warm off the vine.
How to Grow Tomatoes
Planting
Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost. When you transplant, bury the stem deep, up to two-thirds of the plant, right up to the top leaves. Tomatoes grow roots all along a buried stem, and that extra root mass makes for a much sturdier plant. Always stake or cage at planting time, not later.
Watering & feeding
Deep, consistent watering matters more than frequency, irregular watering is the #1 cause of blossom end rot and cracked fruit. Water at the base, not the leaves, to keep foliage disease down. Feed every 2–3 weeks once fruit sets, and pinch off suckers on indeterminate varieties to keep the plant manageable.
Harvest
Pick when fully colored but still slightly firm, they’ll finish ripening off the vine just fine if you need to beat a storm or a hungry raccoon. In our heat, tomatoes often stop setting fruit above 90°F, so expect a strong early-summer flush and another in early fall.
Grows Well With
Basil is said to sharpen tomato flavor, and marigolds work roots against nematodes. Bonus: you’ve basically planted a spaghetti sauce. See all our companion planting pairs →
When to Plant
Start indoors mid-to-late March, transplant after mid-April once hardened off. Tomatoes often stall above 90°F in mid-summer, then rebound in fall. See the full planting calendar →
Buy the Seeds We Use
From the Seed Center
Shop Tomato Seeds
$1.25
From the Kitchen: Recipes Using Tomatoes
Tomato-Basil Preserves
Sweet-savory tomato jam with fresh basil stirred in at the end, the taste of summer in a jar…
Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk Herb Dip
A Southern classic: tart green tomatoes in a cornmeal crust with a cool herb dip alongside.
Summer Tomato Pie
A rich, decadent tomato pie that lives or dies on the quality of what you put in it.…