31 Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes Every Time!

So are you ready to get your tomatoes planted? Be sure to read these top Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes before you start!

Do you want some Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes this year?? Growing plump and delicious Tomatoes just got a whole lot easier with this HUGE List of Tomato Plant Tips and Tricks! These clever tips for growing perfect tomatoes are just what you’ve been looking for!

If you’ve been wondering how to grow tomatoes at home, you’ve just hit the jackpot! These tomato growing secrets and expert tips will have you producing your very own gorgeous tomatoes in your backyard and growing bigger tomatoes at home in no time!

Are you ready to get those hands in the dirt? Let’s get started!

Related: Get Free Walmart Gift Cards + 15 More Money Saving Tips for Frugal Garden Supplies!

Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes

What Types of Tomatoes to Grow:

Ruth said: “Try growing a heritage brand tomato. Our plants were massive and the amount of tomatoes was crazy!!! And super delicious. I’ll never grow “regular” tomatoes again. 🙂 ”

Easy tip: If you’re new tomatoes, I’d suggest beginning with starter plants. Down the road you can always try starting your own indoors and growing them from seed, but starter plants will give you a head start on growing, and allow you to focus on everything else you need to do to establish a healthy, mature plant.

Frugal Tip: Pick up your Tomato Seeds or Starter Plants from Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Walmart using FREE Gift Cards!

How to Get a Free Home Depot Gift Card + 21 More Store Hacks!

How to Get a Free Lowe’s Gift Card + 23 Clever Shopping Hacks!

Get Free Walmart Gift Cards + 15 More Clever Tips to Buy Free Garden Supplies

Tomato Planting Tips:

Sandra said: “Put foil around the bottom of your tomato plants, and the sun will reflect the bottom of the tomatoes and your tomatoes will be an even red.”

Courtney said: “Tums or Rolaids near the roots before and during the season help prevent blossom rot.”

Lisa said: “I like to grow tomatoes in DIY upside-down tomato planters out of old milk jugs!”

Keeping Pests Away from Tomatoes:

Laura said: “Coming from a long line of farmers, the best tip I ever heard for backyard growing was planting marigolds at the base of tomatoes… it’s a natural pest repellent! 🙂 ”

Kati said: “Line your growing space with Mesh Hardware Cloth, if you have critter problems like ground squirrels or gophers. You can get it at Home Depot and online at Amazon.com. It’s better than chicken wire, and will still allow roots to grow through!”

Mesh Hardware Cloth

Anita said: “When we plant tomatoes, we cut the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket and put it on the ground around the plant. Then when you water the tomatoes, the water doesn’t run off of them, and it protects the plant from grounds insects and animals. If the cold weather hasn’t left yet, put the lid over the plant at night to protect it from frost or cold.”

Growing Tomatoes in Raised Beds:

Planning on growing your Tomatoes in a raised bed? Check out this easy step-by-step tutorial for how to make raised bed gardens…

DIY Raised Bed Garden

Growing Tomatoes in Containers:

Cathy said: “If you are planting in a container, you should mix 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 composted cow manure (I like Black Kow brand), and 1/3 peet moss. Also, put a handful of epsom salt in the hole when you plant. I also plant marigolds about 1 foot from them. I use big containers (20 gallon) smart pots. My tomatoes were big as your hand, and my plants were 6 feet tall last year. If you plant in the ground, dig out a big hole, and put back 1/3 cow manure, and 2/3 soil, and added the epsom salt. The epsom salt keeps it from having blossom end rot.”

Do You Need a Tomato Cage?

Easy tip: Yes… most tomato varieties you plant will require a tomato cage. You can try to make do with stakes or trellises, but cages are the easiest way to help your plants thrive. After planting, just center your cage around the plant, and press firmly down into the soil. Now as your plant grows, the cage will help guide it upwards, while supporting its weight. Cages can be used both in raised garden beds and container pots…

Jennifer said: “If using Tomato Cages, use old pantyhose/knee high nylons to support the growing plants. It’s something my family has always done.”

Tomato Cages

Watering Tomato Plants:

Amanda said: “Water consistently at the same time every day. This way they won’t split and will grow nice and big.”

Frugal Tip: Skip the watering can, and make your own budget-friendly watering jug! It’s quick, easy, and works like a charm!

DIY Milk Jug Watering Can Trick

Chris said: “Tomato plants don’t like their feet wet at night. Water in the early morning if possible. This lets them drink up and stay hydrated during hot days.”

Rhonda said: “My ex-husband dug a hole in front of his tomato plants and put a 1/2 gallon milk jug with holes punched in it. He would then put a mixture of miracle grow and water in the jugs. He had tomatoes as big as a dinner plate and they were so good! Then, he also used a soaker hose instead of water from a hose or a sprinkler.”

Soaker Hoses

Natural Fertilizer for Tomatoes:

Make sure to keep that soil happy and healthy with compost and natural fertilizers! Check out these soil tips and tricks here…

What to Put in a Compost Bin at Home {Composting 101}

Stacey said: “I mix epsom salts with the dirt, about 1 part to 3 parts. It makes your plant produce a lot of tomatoes. I did it for the first time last year and it was amazing how much fruit my plant produced. I just planted again this year and did the same. Had always wondered why epsom salts was sold in the garden area.”

Tracie-Marie said: “I grew tomatoes last year and mixed epsom salt and egg shells. I put the mixture both in the hole before planting and once a month I replenished around the base of the plant. The results… I had so many tomatoes I had to give half away.”

Debbie said: “I crush egg shells and put them in the hole. I also sprinkle them around the base of the plant throughout the season. They give the plant much needed calcium and keep the slugs away (slugs have soft bellies and the jagged edges of the shells deter them or split them open).”

Natural Soil Fertilizer Tricks

Ron said: “Epsom salt when planting helps with fast germination of the seeds. You can also mix 2 or 3 tablespoons of it, along with a dissolved aspirin, into a gallon of water. Then spray the plants when they start to bloom and it will create a massive amount of blooms. Blooms = tomatoes!”

Kari said: “I put powdered milk in the hole before planting. That way the plants get calcium. The calcium helps prevent the bottom of the tomato from turning black with bottom rot.”

Erin said: “What we did this year was to dig the hole about 8″ to 12″ or deeper, put in fish heads (other parts work too), a few aspirins, crushed egg shells, and some ground bonemeal. Cover that up with a few inches of dirt and put the plant on top of it. Our tomato plants are just HUGE this year and dripping with blooms.”

Charlene said: “I put banana peels in the hole when planting.” {see more: Natural Soil Fertilizer Tricks}

April said: “Easy peasy: You need soil, manure, and lots of sun and water.”

Marty said: “Tomatoes will grow better all winter long in a plastic pot, as long as you keep sunlight on them 5 or 6 hours a day. Plus, they do love Epsom salts mixed in the soil along with humus… manure too!”

Christa said: “I read that placing a tablespoon of sugar into the hole before placing the plant in the hole is supposed to make them super sweet! I’m going to try it this summer!”

Anne said: “When I planted at the lake last year, I put Epson Salt and Banana Chips in the hole, a Marigold for bugs and the ground was laced with handfuls of egg shells. I had a very good yield.”

Recipes Using Fresh Tomatoes:

Wondering how to put all of your tomatoes to use? Here are a few of my favorite Tomato Recipes…

25 Rose Gardening Tips for Beginners to Pros!

22 Watermelon Gardening Tips {How to Grow Perfect Melons}

45 Zucchini Growing Tips {How to Grow Perfect Zucchini}

Homesteading 101! {The Ultimate Guide for Homesteaders Today}

55 Backyard Chickens for Beginners Tips {Raising Chickens 101}

Thrifty DIY Weed Killer Trick

215+ Easy Gardening Tips for Beginners {+ Pro Tricks}

Want even more Frugal Inspiration for around Your Home? Check out these Creative Tips:

Creating Curb Appeal on a Budget

Brilliant Ways To Save More Money Around The House

Now that you’ve got inspired with all of these Tomato Plant Tips and Tricks, don’t miss any of the fun!

So don’t miss out… stay connected with The Frugal Girls here for more fun and frugal tips…

So do YOU have any Tomato Gardening Tricks or Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes?

Share with us in the comments below!

Comments

Rebecca Dillon says

February 26, 2020 at 11:05 am

Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing.

- Heidi says
  
  February 26, 2020 at 11:18 am
  
  You’re very welcome, Rebecca… so glad you found the tips helpful! 🙂
  
Sandra says

March 30, 2016 at 11:20 am

We are. Going to try planting tomato’s in straw bales this year , should we still use Epsom salts? How about egg shells?

Carmella John says

October 10, 2015 at 9:27 am

How do you plant tomatoes in South Florida which is in a sub tropical zone (10).I was a successful gardener in New York but down here seems to be so hard that I gave up. Does anyone have any tips? Is it better to plant them in pots?

Gonam Moodley says

April 13, 2015 at 11:25 pm

Thank you all for the tips… I need all the help to get a better crop.

Tami says

April 6, 2015 at 11:32 am

We live in the SW where it’s hot, hot, hot. We have a couple of tricks: First, create a compost pile and use it when preparing your soil to retain water. Second, water at ground level to keep moisture off of the foliage. Third, use a homemade organic pesticide to keep critters away. (My recipe is: half an onion, 6 cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of Murphy’s oil, and 4 or 5 cups of hot water. Blend, strain, and funnel into a spray bottle. Spray plants (veggies, flowers, trees) once a week – I swear by this stuff! The bugs hate it and it doesn’t bother the bees) .

dorothy l. dudding says

February 25, 2015 at 12:00 pm

When I plant my tomatoes I will plant a tomato then right next to it I dig a hole about a foot deep and bury
a gallon milk jug that I have drilled 4 holes around the bottom edge then several other holes about 4in higher
on the jug to allow the water to escape…..keep the lid on the jug and you can insert a garden hose as well as
any fertilizer …as the water enters the jug it mixes the fertilizer…then replace the lid to keep out dirt. ..by using this method you water almost a foot deep instead of it running off the top of the ground….I too use Epsom
Salts, egg shells and composted horse and cow manure I bury my tomatoes almost up to the first true
leaves…I wrap a 3×4 piece of Reynolds wrap around the stem to keep the cut worms from cutting them off.

kassy says

April 5, 2014 at 2:30 pm

NEWBY !!!!! I’M SO EXCITED

Karen Weir says

June 6, 2013 at 7:05 am

Tomatoes love sunshine, enough water and good soil But, they also like calcium and magnesium. So, I put crushed eggshells in the soil. ( I save them year round in the freezer.) I also plant them with a calcium tablet that has magnesium in it. That is why epson salts is so good for tomatoes and roses. It is full of Magnesium. PS The egg shells also keep slugs away from Hostas !