Simple Tips for Successful Tomatoes
1 - Choose a site that receives as much sun as possible
2 - Choose a variety that does well in your area
3 - Avoid overcrowding
4 - Avoid over-fertilizing
5 - Avoid over-watering
If I could only tell you one thing about caring for your tomato plants it would be not to "over-love" them. Most of the problems people have written me about are often from crowding, applying too much fertilzer and/or too much water.
Choose a site that receives as much sun as possible
Though tomatoes can grow in reduced light, production of fruit will be inhibited. Plants grown in low light conditions will often be spindly. Flowers may form but often drop with low light conditions. Plants located in more sun tend to stay drier which can help reduce the potential for some diseases
Choose a variety that does well in your area
Consult others gardener in you area, nurseries or county extension agencies to help select what varieties do best for your area. Other considerations when selecting are disease resistance or days to maturity.
Avoid over-crowding
Crowding plants together can reduce light levels and encourage disease problems by reducing air flow. One needs to look at what kind of variety they are growing (determinate vs indeterminate) and what method of growing they will use (ie. staked vs. caging) to determine the appropriate spacing.
Avoid over-fertilizing
One should fertilize. This is a "over-loving" issue: just because a hammer works doesn't mean a sledghammer will work better. In most situations one only needs to fertilize around transplanting time and once after fruit set has begun. Those growing on sandy soils may require extra fertilizer. Blossom drop, excessive foliage and even some diseases can be signs of too much fertilzer.
Avoid over-watering
This is the other "over-loving" issue. Watering is important, especially when establishing plants. However, once established, tomato plants need only about a 1" of water a week. Watering should be done such that it encourages deep roots by thoroughly wetting a soil deep then allowing for a period of dry. This means its better to water for 3-4 hours once a week rather than watering them for 30 minutes everyday. Over-watered fruits will often taste that way, watery. Foliage that stays damp is also more prone to disease.
