John Burns, president of the Master Gardeners of Greene County, offers tips for growing tomatoes at home.
- Choose the right variety for you:
- Determinate vs. indeterminate
- Taste and characteristics
- Climate
- Seeds or plants?
- Choose the right location and growing medium:
- Tomato plants need 6-8 hours of sun per day
- Consider the soil type and drainage, whether it's garden soil, soilless media, or even straw bales
- Planting time and method:
- Tomatoes are heat-loving plants. Wait until the second week of May to plant them when the soil temperature is 60 degrees.
- Burns' method for planting is to dig a deep hole, mix 50-50 soil and fertilizer and make a six inch cone in the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole with soil to the top of the cone. Strip the leaves from the plant, leaving only three or four leaves at the top and plant the tomato in the remaining hole.
- Balanced fertilizer is key. Tomatoes need a lot of phosphorus and potassium with 7 PH.
- Growing:
- Support the plant with a cage or fence
- Prune the bottom leaves and suckers
- Rotate location annually to avoid blight
For questions about growing tomatoes, call the Master Gardeners of Greene County Hotline at 417-874-2963 or visit their website.
The MU Extension also offers resources, including soil testing and the Garden Steward program.
