Every spring, gardeners are filled with the same impatience: to see the first tomatoes of the year grow. And even though the calendar often advises waiting until mid-May for planting in the ground, many, like me, start to give in a little earlier. But be careful, planting tomatoes properly requires following a certain number of rules to ensure healthy growth, good production, and avoid disease.
This article offers you a complete overview of good practices to adopt, from the first stages of planting , to harvesting, including the choice of soil, watering, pruning and crop association.
Table of Contents
Plant deep for a strong root system
To properly plant your tomatoes , you should definitely bury them deep. On the stem, you'll see small, barely visible white hairs. These aren't just details, but potential roots. When they come into contact with the soil, these hairs transform into additional roots. The more roots the plant develops, the better it will absorb the water and nutrients it needs to grow.
To do this, start by removing the lower leaves, sometimes down to the second or third pair. You may even slightly injure the stem when handling it, but that's okay: the tomato heals very quickly. By burying the plant up to the first remaining leaves, you significantly increase its chances of anchoring itself firmly in the soil and developing well. Some gardeners even lean the stem at a 45-degree angle to bury a greater length without having a hole that is too deep. This technique is particularly useful when the soil is still fresh at depth.
Install a solid stake when planting
Staking is an essential step in growing tomatoes. Whether you choose to prune your plants or not, they will naturally grow tall, sometimes up to two meters or more. Without a stake, the stem risks breaking under its own weight or in the wind.
Ideally, you should install the stake at the very moment of planting, before even putting the plant in the ground. This helps prevent damage to the roots later. You can use commercial stakes made of wood, metal, or plastic, but gardeners who are close to nature often prefer reeds or sturdy branches collected from the forest or garden.
Choose stakes at least five feet tall, or even two meters tall if you live in a warm region with a long growing season. The most vigorous varieties can easily reach these heights if they are well fed and watered.
When to plant tomatoes in the ground
Even though the sun begins to warm up as early as April in some regions, planting outdoors too early exposes your plants to late frosts. Tomatoes are sensitive to the cold. A temperature below 5 degrees can be enough to slow their growth or even kill them. This is why it is recommended to wait until at least mid-May, after the famous Ice Saints, to plant outdoors.
In northern France or at higher altitudes, it is sometimes better to wait until the end of May or even the beginning of June. The soil must be sufficiently warm, around 15 degrees, and nighttime temperatures must no longer fall below 10 degrees.
In my case, I've started planting a few plants, but I'm still keeping the majority in the greenhouse. This is a way to protect the crop in case the cold weather returns. It's better to be cautious: losing all your plants due to a cold night would be discouraging.
The eternal question: should you prune tomato plant suckers?
Pruning suckers is a matter of debate in the gardening community. A sucker is a small secondary stem that grows at the intersection of a leaf and the main stem. If you let it grow, it will become a full branch, which will also bear leaves and fruit. This seems positive at first glance, but the more branches there are, the more the plant becomes tired.
Removing suckers limits vegetative growth and focuses the plant's energy on a single main stem, often resulting in larger fruits and a more airy plant. This also limits the risk of disease, especially in humid regions, as air circulates better between the leaves.
But be careful, not pruning is not a mistake. It results in a bushier plant, sometimes more productive in terms of the number of fruits, but requires very fertile soil and a solid support structure. My personal method is mixed: I prune some plants and let the others grow freely. This allows me to compare the results and adapt depending on the year.
An imperative for success: preparing a rich and living soil
The tomato is a demanding plant that belongs to the Solanaceae family. It needs rich, well-structured, and vibrant soil to produce beautiful fruit. In permaculture, the primary focus is on nourishing the soil rather than the plant. Well-nourished soil will provide everything the tomato needs to grow independently.
Before planting, you can add mature compost, well-rotted manure, or quality potting soil. Avoid fresh manure, which is too harsh on the roots. In my vegetable garden, I use manure that has been composting for a year, which I mix into the soil at the base of each plant. You can also add a handful of compost around each plant after planting, then mulch to retain moisture and biological activity.
If your soil is poor or poorly structured, you can supplement with a fertilizer . Be careful not to overdose, however, as excess nitrogen will promote foliage at the expense of fruit.
Water your plants well without encouraging disease
Watering is a crucial step in growing tomatoes. This plant likes water, but not stagnant moisture. Therefore, water regularly but methodically. Watering should only be done at the base, never on the foliage. Watering the leaves, especially at the end of the day, encourages the development of fungal diseases such as mildew.
Ideally, you should install a drip irrigation system or water with a watering can without a sprinkler head, directly at the base of the plant. In dry weather, watering every three to four days may be sufficient if the soil is well mulched. On the other hand, bare soil dries out more quickly and requires more frequent watering.
If you mulch properly with organic matter (dried grass clippings, dead leaves, straw), you will retain moisture and limit water needs.
Intercropping tomatoes with other crops
Intercropping your tomatoes with other plants can improve the productivity of your vegetable garden. Some combinations are beneficial for plant health and promote soil biodiversity. For example, beans are legumes that naturally fix nitrogen in the soil. Planting them near tomatoes enriches the soil with useful nutrients.
You can also train beans on the same stakes as tomatoes, if they are strong enough. In my vegetable garden, this combination has produced excellent results in previous years. Another useful plant is basil, which repels certain insects and seems to improve the flavor of tomatoes when planted nearby.
Marigolds, on the other hand, repel nematodes and provide a touch of color that attracts pollinating insects.
Conclusion
Growing tomatoes is both simple and demanding. Simple because the plant grows quickly and produces delicious fruit. Demanding because every detail counts: planting depth, choice of stake, watering, fertilization, and any pruning required... All of these steps directly influence the success of your crop.
Test, observe, adjust. Every garden is unique, and learning from your experiences will lead to the best harvests.
To go further in the vegetable garden
Growing Tomatoes Successfully: The Complete Guide from Sowing to Harvesting
Today, we're going to talk about the big news in the vegetable garden, the one that has all gardeners excited: sowing
Autonomous solar watering
Autonomous Watering: The Revolutionary Solar Kit for Your Small Greenhouse or Balcony Want to automate watering without breaking the bank or
Crop rotation in the vegetable garden
Crop rotation in the vegetable garden: a secret to abundant and healthy harvests Crop rotation in the