How to plant tomatoes

Tomatoes are the world's most purchased vegetable (or fruit, to botanists!) but it's only when you grow your own tomato plants that you can really appreciate the taste of a ripe tomato.

Choosing the right spot for your plants is an essential step that will affect how your plants grow and eventually produce tomatoes.

While the basic technique will be the same for most growers, home gardeners or professionals, there will always be small variations. However, the advice provided in this article should help you to grow tomatoes successfully.

Required skills 

Just about anyone should be able to grow tomatoes. No particular skills or knowledge are required.

Time required

15 minutes per plant

Number of people required

1 person

Steps

1. Where and when to plant

2. Soil preparation

3. Planting

4. Setting up plant supports

1. Where and when to plant

It's always best to wait until there is no risk of frost before planting your tomatoes in the garden. Any sub-zero temperatures will destroy your plants. As a general rule, you can plant from around the end of May to the start of June.

If you're planting in a greenhouse, you should get a head start of about three weeks. Choose a spot that gets full sun and try to select a piece of land that has not been used for tomatoes or potatoes for at least four consecutive years.

2. Soil preparation

Tomato plants require a lot of energy to grow. The soil must therefore be rich in humus and nutrients. Start by using a spade or shovel to dig holes measuring about 20 cm in width and 30 cm in depth. Place the earth in a small pile. Mix about half of this pile with the same volume of compost; you can either use your own compost or an organic shop-bought version.

Mix the two materials by hand or using a small shovel. This mixture will be going back into the hole.

Space your holes around 60 cm apart. If you want to plant several parallel rows, leave about 80 cm between rows to be able to navigate easily around them.

3. Planting your tomatoes

Preparing your plants

Try to select short, stocky plants with stems at least the width of a pencil. Water well to ensure the root ball slides out of the pot easily.

Remove about three or four leaves from the base of the plant so you're left with about 20 cm of clear stem above the roots.

Putting your plants in the ground

Place a large handful of your earth and compost mix in the bottom of the hole followed by the tomato plant. The first leaf should be roughly in line with the soil. The more of the plant that goes in the ground, the better it will be able to support itself as the buried part will produce roots that will help to feed the plant.

If the hole is not deep enough, you may want to place the roots in the hole sideways to bury as much of the stem as possible. The top part of the stem will start growing upwards in a matter of days. Fill the hole and lightly pack the earth around the foot of the plant making sure to leave a small trench around it to help with watering.

Mulching and watering

Water immediately using about half a watering can per plant, even if the soil is already wet. Mulch the plants to help you water less frequently and to prevent the plants from drying out too much between waterings (which tomatoes do not like!). This will also help to slow down weed growth. For this, you can use things like straw, flax shives, coconuts shells or buckwheat hulls.

4. Setting up plant supports

Plant stakes should be inserted in the ground to provide a support for the plant as it grows. These supports may be straight or spiral-shaped and come in materials like metal, plastic, bamboo or other types of wood. The plant stakes should stick out about 1.3 to 1.7 metres from the ground depending on the mature height of your chosen variety.

Tomato plants in the south of the country are likely to get a bit bigger than those in the north. Be sure to insert the stake deep enough so that it won't lean under the weight of the fruit. Similarly, place it about 5 cm from the stem so the roots don't get damaged.

Some gardeners prefer to insert their stakes before planting so as not to damage the roots later on; this is advisable for plants grown in large pots that have a wider root system.

Tips for planting tomatoes

It's often recommended to add a few nettle leaves to each plant hole as these mineral-rich plants will release nutrients to the tomatoes as they decompose. To do so, simply tear up about a handful of leaves and place them in the bottom of the hole. Cover with a little soil before planting your tomatoes. Finish by filling in the hole and water as detailed above.