Before you consider planting tomatoes, it’s very important to know the average last frost date for your area plus the current daytime and nighttime low temperatures.
I recomand a book “Growing Calendar 2017: Remember When To Plant Your Vegetables, Fruits And Herbs” that will be a great guide for the beginner gardener, taking you in a step by step process that you will have to cover in order to get a healthy harvest from your garden.
Where to plant tomatoes
Finding a sunny location is the most important consideration when planting tomatoes. Eight hours of direct sunlight is ideal.
Here are a few ideas if your location is sunlight deficient:
Plant tomatoes near a reflective wall.
Plant tomatoes on a southerly or southeasterly slope.
If growing tomatoes in containers, rotate the containers to sunnier spots if possible.
Step-by-step guide to planting tomatoes (source: GrowGardenTomatoes)
- Choose your sunniest location.
- Fertilize the soil a few days before using tomato fertilizer.
- Moisten the soil if it’s very dry.
- Remove any blossoms from seedlings.
- Space plants 12- to 18-inches if staked, 3-feet apart if unstaked, in rows 3-feet apart if staked, 4-feet apart if not.
- Make a 3- to 4-inch trench, remove leaves and bury 6-inches of stem in the trench, or upright if transplanting from a larger pot.
- Fill the trench with soil then water with a fertilizer solution.
- Place a label marker near the plant to identify the variety.
- Prepare to use frost protection practices if cold nights threaten.
For more questions about soil, best time of day for planting tomatoes, how deep to plant tomato seedlings, watering, check out this Garden Guide to Growing Great Tomatoes: How to Grow Great-Tasting Tomatoes in Any Backyard, Garden, or Container. This is a book for everyone who loves to laugh, loves to eat, and loves to grow beautiful tomatoes.
Source/photos and more info on GrowGardenTomatoes
