Growing Guide: Tomatoes

Plant: Tomatoes (General)

Genus: Solanum / Nightshade

Family: Solanaceae

Hardiness Zones: 5, 6, 7, 8 (USDA)

Sun: Full sun (Minimum of 6 hours)

Flavor Notes: There is a huge variety of tomatoes and each have their own levels of flavors with sweet, tart, and tang.

Origin: Andes Mountains of South America

General Growing Information:

“To help you decide which type of tomatoes to grow, consider whether you will grow them in pots or directly in your garden. Pots need to be at least 14” in diameter–look at the mature height on the tomato info tag and words like “Bush” or “Patio” in the description—smaller height is better for tomatoes in container. In the ground, taller sizes will work.” – Tagawa Gardens
Temperatures below 50F and above 90F can stress out and damage the plant.
“While the plants need an absolute minimum of six hours of full sun daily, they’ll welcome anything that can offer a little shade during the hottest part of the afternoon, especially when the plants are young.” – Tagawa Gardens
Water your tomato plants well once the top few inches of soil has dried out. It’s best to use a watering wand or soaker hose right at the base of the plant, keeping the leaves as dry as possible. Tomatoes tend to get B.E.T or “Blossom end rot” which is usually a sign of inconsistent watering and getting too dry, but can happen when overwatering as well.
Tomatoes enjoy having mulch, which helps from spreading disease when watering and keeping the soil evenly moist.
Wait to plant outside until nighttime temperatures are above the low 40 degrees fahrenheit and daytime temperatures are in the high 60’s – 70’s consistently.
Tomatoes like to be planted deep, so try to bury the stem deeper than it was growing in the starter pot.
Make sure to have a cage or trellis for the plant to have support as the fruit develops.
“Tomatoes perform best in a warm, rich, deep garden soil and have an extensive root system. Add a one-inch layer of organic material to the tomato-bed soil and mix it in deeply. Fertilize the area before planting tomatoes. Warm the soil using black fabric mulch, or plant tomatoes on the south side of buildings that are warmed by the sun.” – Plant Talk
“If there’s a possibility of frost, protect the plants with hot caps, plastic covers, boxes or baskets. Remember to remove this protection each morning to vent the plants and prevent over-heating.” – Plant Talk
“To hurry the ripening of tomatoes, withhold water a bit, but avoid prolonged wilting of the plant. When frost threatens in autumn, cover plants or cut them off at ground level and hang them upside down indoors so tomatoes continue to ripen on the vine.” – Plant Talk

Starting from Seed

Tomatoes do best if started indoors from seed six to eight weeks before planting.
When transplanting make sure it has been hardened and is about 6-10” tall to give it the best chance of survival while replanting. The ideal shape is to have the plant be as wide as it is tall leaf to leaf.
- Hardening, or "hardening off," is the process of allowing a plant to transition from a protected indoor or greenhouse environment to the harsh outdoor conditions of fluctuating spring temperatures, wind, and full sun exposure. Start the process of moving plants outdoors about two weeks before the weather will be favorable enough for the particular plant to live outdoors. Initially place in a shaded, sheltered location for two to three hours and gradually increase the sun and time exposed.

Specific to Colorado Growing:

In Colorado it’s recommended to wait until the end of May for temperatures to be best when planting outside. Still follow temperature guidelines on seed packet / plant info.
“The four consistently performing tomato varieties for this area are Big Beef, Celebrity, Early Girl and Medina.” – Plant Talk

Varieties / Types

Determinate – Condense their harvest into a short period.
Indeterminate – Continue to produce fruit until it is too cold to survive, but will produce less at a time compared to determinate.
Hybrid – Cross between two parent plants to pull the desirable traits from both into one plant.
Heirlooms – Older varieties of tomatoes that have not been crossed with others to change their traits as much if at all. They are usually much more flavorful, but are more prone to disease.
Days to Harvest – The amount of full growing days (not cloudy, cold, etc) until the producing period.
- Early Season Varieties – Take from 55 to 70 days before producing.
- Mid-Season Varieties – Take from 70 to 80 days before producing.
- Late-Season Varieties – Take up to 90 days before producing.

Personal Experience

To optimize production and keep the plants pruned back, remove the “suckers” every once and a while. The “suckers” are branches that usually start sprouting between the main stem and branches. They usually will not fruit, but will still take a lot of energy and nutrients from the plant. As I see them forming, I will cut or break them off when they are still small.
I tend to have issues with bug infestations with my tomatoes each season. Keep a good eye on your plants to catch early signs bugs creating a home and act early to avoid effecting its production for the season.
- Here is an article for learning about pests that can destroy your tomatoes: https://www.tomatobible.com/tomato-pests/

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