1. Choose a bright, airy spot.
Plant tomatoes where they will get at least 10 hours of light in summer. And leave room between plants for air to circulate.
2. Crop Rotation
Alternate your tomato bed between even just two spots and you diminish the risk of soilborne diseases such as bacterial spot and early blight.
3. When buying Tomato Starts BEWARE!
When buying tomato seedlings, beware of lush green starts with poor root systems. They will languish for weeks before growing.
4. Plant ‘Em Deep!
Plant your tomato seedlings up to the first true leaves. New roots will quickly sprout on the stems. More roots means more fruits.
5. Water Thoroughly, But Not Everyday!
Tomatoes do best when watered every 5-6 days. Soak them THOROUGHLY by watering at the base (try not to pour water on the leaves, especially on hot days!)
6. Compost!
Tomatoes LOVE compost and Bumper Crop NEVER hurts! In fact mixing equal parts Long Island Compost and Bumper Crop is the IDEAL food for your tomatoes! We carry both at Giordano’s!
7. Stagger Planting
Plant in stages. Plant half of your allotted garden area, wait 3 weeks and then plant the other half. This will ensure that all your tomatoes don’t come in at once. You can also do it in thirds (only wait 2 weeks between sets).
