Whether you are just starting your first tomato garden or your an old pro at it there are always tips and tricks that can make your effort more successful. Here are 5 tomato growing tips that I have found make a big difference in the health and quality of your tomato plants.

When buying tomato plants always look for plants that have not begun to flower or fruit, that have straight sturdy stems and dark leaves. Be certain to let you plants harden off before you put them in the ground. This will avoid any shock transplanting will have on them. Make sure the threat of frost is past before setting your tomatoes out.

When planting your tomatoes, it is important to bury them deeply. Because tomatoes can grow roots all along their stem, you can either bury them up to the top leaves, or plant them horizontally. The extra roots that will grow will make your tomato stronger.

Staking your tomato plants is very important. Since tomatoes are a vine they will not grow upright on their own. Having the vines lay on the ground will make them more prone to insect attacks and disease problems. Do not skimp on the stakes, as your plants will get tall and heavy. Put the stakes in the ground at the same time you plant to avoid damaging the roots.

Maintenance of your tomato plants is critical. Having a consistent watering schedule will help avoid blossom drop and having the fruit split. Lessen the amount you are watering your tomato plants once the fruit begins to ripen. By reducing your watering at the fruiting stage your tomatoes will concentrate sugars in the fruit. Don’t hold back to much on the water though because the plant will stress and wilt. If the plant becomes stressed it can cause it to drop blossoms and possibly it’s fruit.

Prune off any suckers that grow between the branches. These only use energy that could be going into growing bigger plants. You can also remove some of the leaves, this will help the fruit to ripen by allowing more sunshine to reach it. Just be sure you don’t remove so many leaves that the plant can’t sustain itself. The leaves are what provide sugars for the roots and fruit, if you remove to many your tomatoes will suffer.

If you love tomatoes, caring and nurturing your plants will give you higher yields of fruit and make your tomato garden the envy of the neighborhood! These are just a few tomato growing tips I hope will help you have your best tomato crop ever.