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Plant deep. Set tomato seedlings deep in the soil — up to the lowest leaves. If the stem is long, remove lower leaves and plant deeper or slightly sideways. Roots will grow along the buried stem, creating a stronger plant.
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Sun + drainage matter. Tomatoes need full sun (6–8+ hours) and well-drained soil. They like consistent moisture but do not like soggy roots.
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Prevent blossom end rot. Adding calcium at planting can help. Crushed eggshells, bone meal, or calcium carbonate all work well.
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Support your plants.
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Indeterminate varieties keep growing and producing all season — great for steady harvests. They need staking or trellising.
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Determinate varieties set most of their fruit at once — perfect for canning and sauces. They still benefit from cages for support.
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Better flavor tip: Store ripe tomatoes above 54°. Refrigeration dulls flavor. At season’s end, mature green tomatoes can be wrapped in newspaper and allowed to ripen indoors.
Choose varieties based on how you love to eat them — slicing, snacking, cooking, canning, or freezing for winter enjoyment.
