10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Tomatoes

More than 90% of gardeners grow tomatoes – and for good reason. Tomatoes are one of the most beginner-friendly foods you can grow, not to mention all the delicious salads and pasta sauces they’ll provide. They also have a long growing season, will produce a high yield and are easy to care for once they take to the soil. But before you get started, you can save yourself a few headaches if you take the time to read about some of the most common mistakes gardeners make when growing tomatoes and how to avoid them.

1. Not planting seedlings deep enough

When you plant partially-grown tomato plants (rather than seeds), you need to make sure they are buried a lot deeper than you might expect. This helps them to grow strong and sturdy as they get taller. For some species, you should even plant ⅔ of the full plant under the ground. This may be surprising, especially if there are already tomatoes showing on the bottom portion of the plant, but you will thank yourself later when you have a tall, sturdy, fruitful plant growing in your garden.

2. Not using stakes

If you grow tomatoes, you’ll want to have a system for staking them. This means that every plant you grow needs its own separate metal or wooden stick or cage buried next to it in the ground, allowing the tomato plant to climb as it grows.

This will help keep the plants strong and prevent breaking, especially in rough weather. It will also help the leaves grow higher off the ground, which is better for the plant to avoid diseases and other issues.

You can find tomato stakes at gardening centers or make your own. Anything sturdy, like long, thin pieces of metal or wooden dowels, will work well.

If you don’t stake your tomato plant, it will still grow, but it will grow sideways along the ground and the tomato fruit will be much more susceptible to diseases. Low-lying plants are easier for insects and slugs to reach, and they like to chew on leaves and tomatoes. Staking will keep the plants healthy, strong and high enough to protect a good portion of the yield.

See more: How to Stake Tomato Plants

3. Not planning to keep the bugs away

If you’re growing your tomato garden outside, bugs will be a fact of the process. But if you go into it expecting them, you can have a strong plan in place for all of the different crawling creatures that might cross your path.

The most common bugs that feast on tomatoes are aphids, mites, caterpillars and different kinds of worms. The best way to discourage bugs from eating your entire garden is to make sure you space the plants and don’t overcrowd them.

Stakes and cages are helpful in dissuading insects. You can also try adding some companion plants that help to keep pests away or encourage the good bugs that eat the pests to visit your garden.

Some of the best plants that discourage bugs are mint, marigold, chives and cabbage. Some bugs are good for your tomato plants, especially ladybugs, which eat aphids and other small insects. If you are feeling creative, you can even build a ladybug house that will encourage ladybugs to move in.

You might want to mix a spray that will keep bugs away, too. For an organic pesticide that doesn’t harm your plants, you can take a quart of water and mix in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and a few drops of dish soap, then spray the mixture around your garden.

See more: Common Garden Pests and How to Get Rid of Them

4. Not giving your tomatoes some friends

The best plants to plant with tomatoes include calendula, chives, black-eyed peas and sage because they repel various insects. Oregano, parsley and cilantro actually increase positive insects, too.

Zinnias, sunflowers and lavender will help to increase pollination around your tomato garden. Basil and carrots nearby will make your tomatoes healthier.

You don’t need all of these plants near your tomatoes, but even just choosing one and popping it in the soil nearby might have many benefits for your crop. If you aren’t sure where to start, pick one plant that you would like to grow anyway. Maybe you’ve got plans to make recipes with your tomatoes and basil, or maybe you just love the beautiful pop of color zinnias provide. Whatever you decide, your tomatoes will thank you for planting some friends nearby.

5. Not giving your plants enough space

When tomato plants are only seeds or seedlings, it’s easy to make the mistake of planting them too close together. Each species has a different best practice for spacing, and you should be able to check pretty easily on the back of your seed packets. If you aren’t sure, a good general rule is to keep them about 1 or 2 feet apart.

If your tomatoes are too close together, they will need to fight for water and nutrients. It’s also easier for bugs or diseases to pass between the plants. To get the healthiest plants with plenty of tomatoes, you will want to make sure there is plenty of airflow between them.

6. Planting too late or too early

You can plant your tomatoes at any point during the growing season, but timing can make a world of difference. The best time to plant tomatoes is late winter indoors and wait until they are at least 6 inches tall before bringing them outside, or after your last frost outdoors. If you waited longer, it’s fine to try planting them later and practice for next year, but never start them before the last frost date in your region. This is the last day the temperature could go below 32 degrees and kill your young plant and could fall any time between February 6 and April 3 depending where you live.

7. Not giving your tomato plants enough sunlight

It’s not impossible to grow tomatoes in a little bit of shade, but it will make a world of difference if you’re able to plant your garden in the sunniest spot possible. If you’re not sure where the sunniest spot is in your space, and you have some time, try mapping the sunlight for a set period of time. First just break your yard, porch or garden into sections, then plan out how many times you will check each area. Take note of when there is full sun, dappled sun or shade in each spot. Wherever you are able to track the most sunlight is most likely going to be your best spot for planting tomatoes.

8. Watering the leaves instead of the ground

One of the most common mistakes that beginners and even seasoned gardeners make with tomato plants is watering the top of the plant and letting the water trickle down to the soil instead of watering directly into the roots. It’s better to aim your stream of water at the bottom of the plant for several reasons. One is because the water could evaporate before it ever reaches the roots. Additionally, splashing the leaves with water too often can encourage pests or lead to diseases. From time to time, it’s okay and even beneficial to wash off the leaves, but most of the time you should be watering the roots directly.

9. Not watering container tomatoes often enough or not letting them drain

It’s easiest to grow tomato plants directly in the ground, but if you prefer a container garden, you need to keep a few things in mind. Tomatoes in containers can dry up faster than tomatoes planted in soil. This means you need to stay on top of watering them regularly – even daily or twice a day if possible. You also need to make sure that no matter the material your container is made of, it has plenty of drainage. If the container is plastic or another thin material, you can add your own draining system by drilling holes in the bottom.

See more: Complete Guide to Tomato Varieties and How to Use Them

10. Not having enough light for indoor tomatoes

It’s more challenging to grow tomatoes indoors, but it can absolutely be done. You just need to make sure you choose an area by a window that has lots of sunlight and remember to keep your curtains or shades open as much as possible. If tomatoes don’t get enough light early in their season, they may not be able to provide fruit later in their growth cycle. Or worse, they may grow fruit that you can’t actually use or eat. If you are going to venture into indoor tomato farming, just make sure you find as sunny a spot as possible.