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May 18, 2012
5 Tips for Growing Tomatoes
Burpee  Edible Gardening Team Members

5 Tips for Growing Successful Tomato Plants

Tomatoes are a great addition to any garden, big or small. They not only offer a vibrant pop of red, they provide important vitamins, like vitamin C and lycopene, which boost your immunity and help prevent cardiovascular disease.

For those who might not be familiar with planting and harvesting tomatoes, here are five helpful tips for growing tomatoes:

  1. Find the variety that will work best for you and how you’d like to use it.
  2. Plant seedlings by burying several inches of the stem to promote better root growth.
  3. Water regularly, tapering the amount as the fruit ripens to increase sugar levels.
  4. Prune tomatoes so there is one primary stem this sends more energy into fruit production.
  5. Stake-up tomatoes for added support and maximum air circulation to avoid certain soilborne diseases.

With more than 6,000 tomato varieties available to plant in your garden, selecting the right tomato can be a little overwhelming. To get you started, the folks at Burpee Home Gardens have put together a foolproof tomato selector chart.

Reader Comments (7)
Are tomatoes deer resistant
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | gg
In reply to your question about tomatoes being deer resistant - not in my area. Last year I hund tomatoes inside the car port to ripen and they came in an helped themselves.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | Diana Deans
What is the best way to get rid of white flies on my tomato plant?
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | cacgraphics
How do you Prune Tomatoes
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | Billie
Do you have before and after pictures of a pruned tomatoe plant. Would be interested in seeing it. Thank you.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | CMW
You can prune tomato leaves near the bottom of the plant as it matures. And remove leaves that show yellowing or browning. When you first plant the tomato, remove the side nodes - all the way up to the top two. Plant it deep in the soil, as each of those hairs on the stalk have the potential to grow roots and offer the plant a chance to intake more moisture and nutrition.

Joe Lamp'l has a great video on planting tomatoes here: http://youtu.be/xMiwW0lwV98

We also have a great new podcast called "How Do I Grow That?" for many of our vegetable and flower varieties. You'll find details on Tomatoes at any of our tomato info pages, such as here: http://www.burpeehomegardens.com/VegetableHerbGardening/PlantDetails.aspx?plantid=5082

Click the play button to hear great tips!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | Burpee Home Gardens
I tried a cucumber plant fron the Gold Standard Boost collection. The plant was very hardy - the deer ate all the leaves off of it and it still survived. The.taste of the cuke is not the best. I keep passing them around in hope that someone will like it. There is a slight undertone of cantaloupe to it and it is very seedy.and has a strange aftertaste. The concept of more beta carotene is a good one. Best of luck in getting a better taste.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 | Marie Bennett
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