Tomatoes are a juicy summer staple that is a popular crop to grow as they can easily produce a big harvest, as long as gardeners avoid certain mistakes when planting them.
When homegrown under the right conditions, tomatoes can taste much better than the fruits you find at the supermarket, plus there is nothing more satisfying than growing your own food.
It is easy to have lush and thriving tomato crops in your garden but it requires avoiding some of the most common planting mistakes when you are first sowing them.
The experts at Jobe’s Organics, a fertiliser store, have warned that while tomatoes may be an easy crop to grow, there certain tomato gardening mistakes can be “grave” and kill the plant before it even reaches the ground.
They said: “There are still plenty of tomato-growing woes gardeners might experience that could be avoided with the proper preparation and knowledge.
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Most common tomato planting mistakes – and how to avoid them
1. Planting tomatoes too early
Many gardeners begin planting tomatoes indoors now in late February or early March to extend their growing season and increase the chances of a quicker, bigger and more successful harvest in summer.
However, tomatoes should also be sowed indoors right now and should only be transferred to the garden when the risk of frost has passed, which is around late May to early June.
Planting them outside too early will not be warm enough for the tomato seeds to germinate and grow properly, which means your tomato fruit harvest may come out weaker or even distorted.
The Jobe Organic experts said: “Don’t rush tomatoes into the garden as soon as spring starts. Prematurely putting plants into the ground can cause blossom drop, where the blossoms fall off before the fruit even forms.
“Tomatoes may also become misshapen, puckered, or scarred at the blossom end if the weather gets too cool at night.”
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2. Planting tomatoes in the wrong place in the garden
Tomatoes need a warm climate to grow in, but their soil needs to be cool with plenty of moisture. If planting in soil which is too dry, it can stunt the tomato plants’ growth while also making them much more susceptible to disease.
The Jobe Organic experts said: “Choose a relatively open spot on your plot where your plants can receive eight hours of sunlight per day that can also accommodate well-drained soil.”
The best way to plant tomatoes to prevent diseases, pests and weeds is to retain their moisture, which can be done with mulching.
The Jobe Organic experts said: “To help control weeds, prevent disease spread, and allow water to seep deep into the roots, layer mulch two to four inches deep around the plant.
“Then, pull the layer back about two inches from around the stem itself, forming a small well around the base of the plant.
3. Planting tomatoes too close together or too close to certain vegetables
Tomatoes need plenty of airflow to make sure they grow to be strong and healthy crops, and one big mistake gardeners make is planting them all too close together.
Not only does this mean the tomatoes can fight for more nutrients, but it can cause too much shade from neighbouring foliage which will result in a weaker harvest yield.
The Jobe Organic experts said: ”In general, space out determinate tomato plants about 18 inches to two feet apart, leaving each row four feet apart. Place indeterminate tomatoes two to three feet apart with rows left five to six feet apart.”
However, for more specific spacing out instructions it is best to read your seed packets.
It is also important to never plant tomatoes close to potatoes or peppers as there is a higher chance of soilborne diseases.
The Jobe Organic experts said: “It’s best to avoid planting tomatoes where potatoes or peppers have grown within the past couple of years.”
Tomatoes, peppers and potatoes are all members of the Solanaceae family, which makes them susceptible to similar diseases.
It is also best to avoid soil peppers or potatoes that have previously grown in as it can nutrients tomatoes need to grow, leading to poor growth and yield.
