Everyone has a story, right? THIS is my tomato story. I struggled for years being able to grow tomatoes. Everyone else was doing it so well. Tomato jealousy? Maybe. Do you ever feel this way? Can you grow tomatoes?
I happened on a few things that finally helped me get it right. Three actually. Hopefully, my trials will help this process be a bit easier for you.
First, get a head start on the hot summer. I grow in hardiness zone 7B. The US Hardiness Zones do not account for heat in the summer, only winter low temps. Those maps DO NOT take into account the hot summer we have in North Texas combined with very direct sun. We’ll get back to that direct sun thing in a bit. Anyway, it gets hot, fast. Tomatoes need every chance they can get to put on fruit before it’s 100+ degrees Fahrenheit for 30 days straight. I start my tomatoes indoors around Valentine’s Day to give them a headstart. The method I use is a little unconventional but it works great. I make 3/4-inch soil blocks with a Ladbrook soil blocker. About a month after that, I move the seedlings to a 2-inch soil block (see those healthy roots in the pics below!) I plant outside when the nighttime air temperature is 60 degrees or warmer.
Check out my other blog “Indoor Seed-Starting How Tos” on tips for starting seeds indoors and the setup you’ll need to accomplish it effectively.
The second thing I figured out that helped me is to know the difference between determinate and indeterminate. Determinate varieties will put on fruit after a certain amount of time, then die. Indeterminate varieties will grow and put on fruit all summer long, until the first frost. I grow indeterminate now. Fall tomatoes are THE BEST! and my tomatoes plants grow over 12 feet tall. You can usually find whether the seeds are determinate or indeterminate on the seed packet.
I would grow determinate instead of indeterminate varieties if I wasn’t able to grow in the shade. This brings me to my third point. Grow in shade! It is said that “direct sun” on a label means 3 hours of sunlight a day in North Texas. My hoophouse has a shade cloth over the top that provides 50% shade. You can buy shade cloth at your local home and garden store or call your local extension office. Sometimes they give it away. The tomatoes from a determinate variety would be harvested and the plant done, by the time the terrible July and August weather hits. Indeterminate varieties have to have shade.
I hope this helps you grow tomatoes. This year, we are growing the following indeterminate varieties: Amish Paste, Celebrity, German Striped, and Brandywine. Happy growing!
