Tomatoes are one of the most common plants in the garden. Tomato plants can be broken down into two varieties. Indeterminate and Determinate.
What's the difference between "indeterminate" and "determinate" tomatoes? Determinate tomatoes, or "bush" tomatoes, are varieties that grow to a compact height (generally 3 - 4'). Determinates stop growing when fruit sets on the top bud. All the tomatoes from the plant ripen at approximately the same time (usually over a period of 1- 2 weeks). They require a limited amount of staking for support and are perfectly suited for container planting. Indeterminate tomatoes will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost. They can reach heights of up to 12 feet although 6 feet is normal. Indeterminates will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the season. They require substantial staking for support.
Here are 7 tips for growing Bigger & Better Tomatoes
1. Don’t crowd your tomato plants.
They need plenty of room to grow. Stake them about 6 feet high. This will sustain them when they are bigger.
2. Make sure they are getting a lot of sunlight.
They need about 10 hours of light each day.
3. When your plants are just seedlings, fan them.
If you live in a breezy area, you might not need to. This will help develop strong stems.
4. Hold off on mulching them until they’ve had a chance to get bigger.
Add compost to them every few weeks.
5. Water deeply, and infrequently.
Soak your tomato bed once a week, or every five days at the height of summer. Water directly on the soil, not on the leaves.
6. When your plants are 3 feet tall, remove the bottom foot of leaves.
These are the oldest leaves, and the most likely to develop a fungus. This will keep your plants healthy. Prune your plants. Pinch and remove suckers that develop in the crotch joint of two branches. They won’t bear fruit and will take energy away from the rest of the plant. But go easy on pruning the rest of the plant. You can thin out a few leaves to allow the sun to reach the ripening fruit, but it’s the leaves that are photosynthesizing and creating the sugars that give flavor to your tomatoes.
7. Harvest your tomatoes when they are ripe, but not too ripe.
They are mealy if they are too ripe.