Growing Guides
Everything you need to grow incredible tomatoes. From soil selection to pest prevention, these guides cover it all.
Getting Started
Soil & Containers
Best Potting Soil for Tomatoes
Why sphagnum peat moss matters and which brands hold 25x their weight in water.
Read Guide →Making Your Own Potting Soil
Simple DIY mix when commercial soil isn't available. Equal parts method.
Read Guide →What Size Container for Tomatoes?
20-25 gallons minimum. Bigger roots = bigger plants = more tomatoes.
Read Guide →Growing Tomatoes in Raised Beds
18" minimum depth, quality soil critical. Don't fill with junk soil.
Read Guide →Growing Tomatoes in the Ground
Amend native soil with peat moss and composted manure for best results.
Read Guide →Watering & Feeding
How to Water Tomatoes
Plants use 2-3 gallons daily. When to water, how much, and the $10 tool that helps.
Read Guide →Best Fertilizer for Tomatoes
Why liquid fertilizers work best. Complete feeding schedule from planting to harvest.
Read Guide →How to Make Manure Tea
Natural liquid fertilizer from composted manure. Easy brewing method.
Read Guide →Support & Structure
Pest & Disease Prevention
Sulfur Dust: Preventing Pests and Diseases
Master guide for preventing powdery mildew and spider mites with sulfur dust.
Read Guide →Protecting Tomatoes from Powdery Mildew
Apply sulfur dust when first seeing discolored leaves. Prevention is key.
Read Guide →Preventing Spider Mites
By the time you see them, plant is doomed. Start sulfur dust 2-3 weeks after planting.
Read Guide →Preventing Blossom End Rot
Black spots on bottom of tomatoes from inconsistent watering. Quality soil prevents this.
Read Guide →Preventing Nematodes
Root-knot nematodes destroy roots. Container growing is the solution.
Read Guide →Hot Weather Protection
Protecting Tomatoes in Hot Weather
Master hub for all hot weather strategies: mulching, watering, shade cloth, varieties.
Read Guide →Using Shade Cloth for Tomatoes
Use 50% shade cloth (not 75%). Prevents sunscald on fruit during extreme heat.
Read Guide →Mulching Tomatoes with Straw
Cools soil by 38°F. Bare soil at 118°F vs 80°F under straw mulch.
Read Guide →Heat Tolerant Tomato Varieties
Varieties that set fruit in temperatures above 90°F. Phoenix, Heatwave, Surefire.
Read Guide →Sunlight Requirements for Tomatoes
6-8 hours daily minimum. Morning sun best, afternoon shade okay in hot climates.
Read Guide →Specialty Growing
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