We have been growing tomatoes in the same location for the last seven years. The trick with tomatoes is to stay out of their way- give them good soil, space, and lot’s of sun- allow them to dry out between waterings.

• The Location
• Sun! Find a spot, whether it be a balcony, a spot in the garden, or your roof, that has solid sun exposure, and heat. We grow ours against the back fence, where the sun beats all day.  If you have partial shade, the plants will be smaller, with less fruit, but still excellent.
• Air: place the plants with enough space for air to circulate about the plants when they have grown large.  It is better to have fewer happy, healthy plants, than an 0verlapping mess of vines. If they grow over each other near the end of their cycle, that is fine.
• Water
• For the first five days, keep the plants wet constantly. After that, allow the plants to dry between waterings. Then, do a deep root watering every few days, depending on heat, and drainage. Your plants will let you know if they are getting thirsty.
• Remember to plant with a good bowl of soil for each plant, independent of the others. You will use much less water, the plants will be happier, and the weeds are kept to a tight area.

• The Bed
• Raised beds are all the rage- we do not actually use them.  The key is to start with good soil, turned-in to the native soil. We use organic compost (from Lyngso Garden Supply in Redwood City), and Diestel Organic Turkey poop- 3:1 ratio.  Other than that, we do not touch the soil with fertilizer, or (heaven forbid) weed killer- we weed, and water.
• To turn or not to turn, after the first year.
• I have always turned my beds every year, bringing in new soil each time, until this year. I read a theory that one should leave the beds alone- nature finds the best balance for the strata of soil, and the worms and bugs find the depth that works for them, and that when the bed is turned, nature’s balance is disturbed. It sounds good. So far, I can say one thing changed this year: we have at least thirty volunteer tomatoes breaking out from last year’s garden. It may well be a sign that leaving the beds alone, and bringing in a small amount of new soil for each plant-hole, is the way to go. Will know more at the end of the cycle…
• Support
• Simple wire frames work well and are very inexpensive; unfortunately, they are also a bit ugly, and do not last long- that said, we still use them, and straighten them out until they are useless. We also use broad lattice frames; in our cage, we hang the lattice from the ceiling of the cage once the plants have reached the top of the wire frames; at other places, we simply lean two poles against the fence, and attach pipe brackets, through which we slide the ends of the lattice- it makes an excellent system.

Choosing plants. We like indeterminate plants- that way you have a longer period of fruit production. Also, if you choose plants with differing maturation times, you will have ripe fruit over a longer period.

We also like to make sure that we have some heirloom plants every year. We love the plants, and keeping a variety of strains alive is an uphill battle against corporate farming and their drive for uniformity.  Variety is a good thing.