A flavorful journey from seed to sauce—growing, tending, and savoring homegrown tomatoes
There’s nothing quite like the taste of a sun-warmed, vine-ripened tomato fresh from your own garden. Whether you're growing them for slicing, saucing, or snacking, tomatoes are a rewarding—and occasionally challenging—crop for gardeners of all levels. In this post, I’ll walk you through the ins and outs of growing tomatoes, from choosing the right variety to troubleshooting common problems, and of course, what to do with your harvest once it's bursting off the vine.
1. Choosing the Right Tomato for You
Types of Tomatoes:
Determinate vs. Indeterminate:
Determinate varieties (like 'Roma') grow to a fixed height and produce a single crop, making them great for small spaces or batch harvesting.
Indeterminate varieties (like 'Cherokee Purple' or 'Sungold') grow and fruit continuously until frost.
Flavor Profiles & Use Cases:
Heirlooms for flavor (but fussier with disease)
Hybrids for yield and resistance
Cherry and grape tomatoes for snacking
Paste tomatoes for sauces and canning
Beefsteaks for slicing and sandwiches
2. Starting Tomatoes from Seed (or Not)
From Seed:
Start indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost. Use seed-starting mix and provide plenty of light (grow lights if needed). Harden off before transplanting. This means slowly acclimating them to the outside world so they don't fry in the sun.
From Starts:
If you’re short on time or space, nursery-grown starts are a perfectly fine shortcut. Just look for healthy, stocky plants with no yellowing or wilting.
3. Soil Prep & Planting
Soil Needs:
Rich, well-draining soil
pH between 6.0–6.8
Add compost, aged manure, or tomato fertilizer before planting, I also throw in some baked and powdered eggshells for an added calcium boost.
Deep Planting Method:
Tomatoes root along their stems. Bury ⅔ of the plant to encourage strong root systems. I typically remove the first set of leaves and plant them to that depth.
Spacing:
Indeterminate: 18–24 inches apart
Determinate: 12–18 inches
Give plenty of airflow to prevent disease.
4. Ongoing Care
Watering:
Deep, consistent watering (1–2 inches per week)
Morning watering is ideal
Avoid overhead watering—wet leaves = disease
Support Systems:
Cages, stakes, or trellises—especially for indeterminate types
Feeding:
Side-dress with compost midseason
Use low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer once fruit sets
Pruning:
Remove suckers from indeterminate plants for better airflow and bigger fruit
Don’t prune determinate types heavily—they need all the foliage they can get
5. Troubleshooting Problems
Common Issues:
Blossom End Rot: Caused by calcium imbalance (often from inconsistent watering)
Tomato Hornworms: Hand-pick or use BT
Fungal Diseases: Use neem oil or copper fungicide, and rotate crops annually
Cracking: Often from inconsistent watering or sudden heavy rains
6. Harvesting Tips
Pick when fruit is fully colored and gives slightly to the touch
Store at room temperature (NEVER refrigerate!)
For late season: ripen green tomatoes in a paper bag with a banana
7. What to Do With a Tomato Harvest
Fresh: Caprese salad, bruschetta, tomato sandwiches with mayo and salt (you know the vibe)
Cooked: Sauce, soup, shakshuka, jam, roasted
Preserved: Canned sauce, dehydrated slices, frozen whole
Shared: Give to neighbors, trade with garden friends, or barter at your local swap
Tomatoes can be a labor of love, but once you've tasted your own garden-grown fruit, store-bought will never quite measure up. Each season teaches you something new about your soil, your space, and your own patience. Whether you grow one cherry tomato in a pot or a dozen heirlooms sprawling through raised beds, you’re growing more than food—you’re cultivating joy, resilience, and flavor.
The image is my daily harvest of just cherry tomatoes, its been a bit crazy this year as I planted several plants. But they have been fantastic for quick pan sauces or to throw into pesto for some sweetness and acidity.
