Tomato Growing: Intermediate Techniques for Better Harvests

Introduction

You've successfully grown tomatoes and want to take your skills to the next level. This intermediate guide covers seed starting, advanced variety selection, pruning techniques, and methods to extend your harvest season.

Starting Tomatoes from Seed

Growing from seed opens up hundreds of variety options not available as transplants.

Why Start from Seed?

• Access to 3,000+ tomato varieties vs. 20-30 as transplants
• Grow heirloom varieties passed down for generations
• Save money (seed packet = dozens of plants)
• Complete control over growing conditions
• Earlier start to the season

Timing Your Seed Start

Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last expected frost date.

Seed Starting Setup

Essential equipment:

• Sterile seed-starting mix
• Cell trays or small pots with drainage
• Humidity dome or plastic wrap
• Heat mat (speeds germination significantly)
• Grow lights (14-16 hours daily)
• Small fan for air circulation

Seed Starting Process

1. Moisten seed-starting mix until it holds together when squeezed
2. Fill cells and press down lightly to remove air pockets
3. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep, 2-3 seeds per cell
4. Cover and place on heat mat at 75-85°F (24-29°C)
5. Remove cover when seeds sprout (5-10 days)
6. Move to lights immediately after sprouting
7. Thin to one seedling per cell after first true leaves appear

Pro Tip: Keep lights 2-3 inches above seedlings and raise as they grow. This prevents leggy, weak stems.

Potting Up

When seedlings have 2-3 sets of true leaves:

1. Prepare 4-inch pots with potting mix
2. Water seedlings before transplanting
3. Bury stem up to lowest leaves
4. Return to lights, begin fertilizing at 1/4 strength

Advanced Variety Selection

Understanding Variety Categories

By Size:

• Currant/Grape: Under 1 oz, prolific producers
• Cherry: 1-2 oz, sweet, ideal for snacking
• Saladette/Plum: 2-4 oz, meaty, great for sauces
• Slicers: 4-8 oz, classic sandwich tomatoes
• Beefsteak: 8 oz to 2+ lbs, meaty giants

By Growth Habit:

• Determinate: Bush type, sets fruit once, great for canning
• Semi-determinate: Compact but produces longer than determinate
• Indeterminate: Vining, produces until frost

By Genetics:

• Heirloom: Open-pollinated, saved 50+ years, unique flavors
• Hybrid (F1): First-generation cross, disease resistance, uniformity
• Open-pollinated: Stable variety, seeds breed true

Recommended Intermediate Varieties

Disease Resistance Codes

When shopping for seeds, you'll see letters indicating resistance:

• V: Verticillium wilt
• F/FF: Fusarium wilt (races 1 and 2)
• N: Nematodes
• T/TMV: Tobacco mosaic virus
• A: Alternaria
• St: Stemphylium (gray leaf spot)
• TSWV: Tomato spotted wilt virus

Note: For regions with known disease pressure, prioritize varieties with relevant resistance codes.

Pruning and Training Techniques

Why Prune Tomatoes?

• Larger, earlier ripening fruits
• Better air circulation (reduces disease)
• Easier to manage and support
• Directs energy to fruit production

Understanding Suckers

Suckers are shoots that grow in the "V" between the main stem and branches. They become new stems if left to grow.

Pruning strategies:

1. Single-stem pruning: Remove ALL suckers for maximum fruit size
2. Double-stem pruning: Allow one sucker below first flower cluster
3. Minimal pruning: Remove only suckers below first flower cluster

How to Remove Suckers

• Small suckers (under 2 inches): Pinch with fingers
• Larger suckers: Use clean pruning shears
• Remove in morning when plants are turgid
• Don't remove leaves unless they're diseased or blocking airflow

Lower Leaf Removal

As plants mature, remove lower leaves that:

• Touch the soil
• Show disease symptoms
• Block airflow
• Are completely shaded

Warning: Never remove more than 25% of foliage at once. This stresses the plant and can cause sunscald on fruits.

Succession Planting

Extend your harvest by planting at different times:

Strategy 1: Staggered Transplanting

Plant new seedlings every 2-3 weeks from last frost until 12 weeks before first fall frost.

Strategy 2: Mix Early and Late Varieties

Strategy 3: First and Second Crops

In long-season areas (zones 8+), plant a spring crop and a fall crop.

Season Extension

Extending the Spring

• Wall o' Waters: Create warm microclimate for transplanting 2-4 weeks early
• Cold frames: Start hardening off earlier
• Row covers: Protect from late frosts
• Black plastic mulch: Warms soil faster

Extending the Fall

• Pinch growing tips: 4 weeks before frost, redirect energy to ripening
• Remove flowers: Stop fruit set 4 weeks before frost
• Row covers: Protect from early frosts
• Harvest green: Ripen indoors when frost threatens

Indoor Ripening

Green tomatoes ripen best at 65-70°F with moderate humidity:

• Place in single layer, not touching
• Add a banana or apple for ethylene (speeds ripening)
• Check daily and remove ripened fruits
• Can take 2-4 weeks depending on maturity

Soil Building and Fertility

Understanding Tomato Nutrient Needs

Organic Fertility Program

At planting:

• Compost (2-3 inches worked in)
• Bone meal (phosphorus)
• Kelp meal (trace minerals)

During growth:

• Compost tea or fish emulsion every 2-3 weeks
• Side-dress with compost monthly
• Foliar feed with seaweed extract

Calcium for Preventing Blossom End Rot

Calcium uptake depends on consistent watering. If you have persistent BER:

• Add gypsum or agricultural lime to soil
• Use calcium foliar spray
• Maintain mulch and consistent irrigation

Companion Planting

Beneficial Companions

Plants to Avoid

• Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli): Compete for nutrients
• Fennel: Inhibits tomato growth
• Corn: Attracts shared pest (corn earworm/tomato fruitworm)
• Nightshades nearby: Increases disease pressure

Saving Tomato Seeds

Only save seeds from open-pollinated and heirloom varieties (not hybrids).

Fermentation Method

1. Choose fully ripe, disease-free fruit
2. Scoop seeds and gel into a jar
3. Add equal amount of water
4. Cover loosely and let ferment 2-3 days
5. Stir daily until mold forms on surface
6. Add water and pour off floating debris
7. Rinse clean seeds in strainer
8. Dry on paper plate or coffee filter
9. Store in paper envelope in cool, dry place

Seeds remain viable for 4-6 years when stored properly.

Conclusion

These intermediate techniques—seed starting, strategic variety selection, proper pruning, and season extension—will dramatically improve your tomato harvests. The key is experimentation: try new varieties, test different pruning methods, and keep notes on what works in your specific garden.

Ready for more? Our Advanced Guide covers intensive production methods, organic pest management, and building long-term soil health.