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Growing Tomatoes
Fran Elliott
6/3/20263 min read
Growing Tomatoes
By Fran Elliott, Sabine Master Gardener
Well it's that time of year to put our tomatoes in the ground, whether it be in a pot, a raised bed, or a regularly tilled garden. Here are a few things to know before starting this process.
There are two different growth types of tomatoes and over a thousand different varieties. The two main growth types would be determinate (bushy, one large harvest) and indeterminate (vining, continuous harvest). The determinate grow to be about three or four feet tall and produce their fruit, usually, over a three to four week harvest season. A good example of these are Roma tomatoes, which are great for canning tomato sauce. Tomato cages work great for determinate tomatoes and you can plant them about 2 feet apart.
Indeterminate tomatoes usually grow from five to eight feet, but can get taller; these tend to last all summer and into the fall if protected from our August heat. They perform better if supported with a trellis, a tall cage or wrapped on a string. You can also try tying them up to a bamboo or wooden pole. These tomatoes are best planted about three feet apart.
Another thing to consider before purchasing your plants is whether you want an heirloom, open pollinated, or hybrid variety. Heirloom and open-pollinated varieties are “true to type”; the seeds can be saved for use the following year and produce the same kind of plant. Hybrid tomatoes have been bred for disease resistance and are known to produce heavy yields.
Determinate and indeterminate tomatoes need full sunlight (6-8 hours per day). They do not grow well in saturated soils, so build a raised bed or plant the tomatoes in containers if drainage is poor. Prior to planting tomatoes, fertilize the soil. Fertilizer can come in many forms. Organic matter including compost or aged manures are acceptable forms as well as synthetic fertilizers such as 13-13-13 and 8-24-24. Tomatoes can be grown on most garden soils in the state, but a fertile, well-drained soil with high organic matter is best. The LSU Ag Center recommends about a pound or pint of a complete fertilizer (8-24-24 or 13-13-13) per 20 feet of row. If your soil is highly fertile, reduce this rate by about half. Apply the fertilizer in a furrow 6 to 8 inches below plant level. Apply an additional sidedressing of nitrogen fertilizer (calcium nitrate or ammonium sulfate) at the first and second fruit set.
When planting it is best to pinch off bottom leaves of plant, therefore giving you more stalk. The extra stalk placed in the ground creates more roots making the plant stronger. Adding a tablespoon of bone meal fertilizer allows for nutrients that go directly to root growth, flowering and fruit. Bone meal has phosphorus and calcium. Place the plant in the earth with just a little of the stalk above the ground water then cover with dirt all that would be above ground is a little stalk and top leaves.
For extra protection plant basil and marigolds with tomato as this will help protect them from harmful insects and worms, especially the dreaded hornworm.
All that is left to do with planting is cover with mulch such as pine shavings, wood chips, or even newspaper. This allows the ground to hold moisture and cuts back on weeds. When your plants get a foot or so tall cut off the bottom leaves that are touching the ground. This is also a part of disease management and pest control.
Indeterminate tomato plants can be pruned. The best approach is to pinch off the sucker that grows between the main stem and the side shoot. After all, you want all of the energy the plant has going to the fruit, not the leaves. This also helps create an airflow helping to prevent disease. Determinate tomato types do not need anything but minimal pruning, perhaps just cutting the bottom leaves that touch the ground.