Tomato Growing Guide🍅: Spacing, Pruning, and Watering Tips for Big Harvests

Introduction

Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding summer crops — versatile, productive, and perfect for both patios and raised beds. Whether you’re growing in a LifeSpace Garden or using GardenWells sub-irrigation kits, steady hydration helps produce tastier fruit, healthier plants, and fewer stress-related issues.

When to Plant Tomatoes

• Spring: Start seeds indoors in March or April, then transplant when nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 10°C. Check our March Gardening Guide for tips on starting seeds indoors.

• Outdoor Transplants: Move tomatoes outside in late May to early June once frost risk is gone. See the May Gardening Guide for transplanting tips.

• Peak Growth Season: June and July are critical for strong establishment and fruiting — visit the June Gardening Guide and July Gardening Guide for pruning, watering, and feeding strategies.

Choosing the Right Tomato Type (With Pruning Tips)

Determinate (Bush) Tomatoes

• Growth Habit: Compact and controlled — stops growing once fruit sets.

• Best For: Small patios, balconies, and CondoFarms planters.

• Trellising Needs: Minimal; a short stake or cage works fine.

• Pruning Tips: Keep pruning light. Remove damaged or yellowing leaves only — heavy pruning reduces yields since all fruit ripens at once.

• Harvest Window: Large, single harvest ideal for sauces and preserving.

Semi-Determinate Tomatoes (The Middle Ground)

• Growth Habit: Larger than determinates but less sprawling than indeterminates.

• Best For: Medium-sized SIP beds and raised gardens.

• Trellising Needs: Moderate support with sturdy cages or trellises.

• Pruning Tips: Remove lower leaves for airflow and prune a few suckers below the first flower cluster to boost fruit size and reduce disease risk — but keep upper canopy growth for maximum yields.

• Harvest Window: Produces in waves, with multiple harvests.

Indeterminate (Vining) Tomatoes

• Growth Habit: Continuous vertical growth all season until frost.

• Best For: Large SIP setups or raised beds with space for trellising.

• Trellising Needs: Strong support — heavy-duty cages, vertical trellises, or Florida weave systems.

• Pruning Tips: Regularly pinch suckers (new shoots where leaves meet stems) to focus energy on fruiting. Remove lower leaves to improve airflow and reduce disease. For single-stem training, allow one main leader; for double-stem systems, keep one additional sucker.

• Harvest Window: Continuous production all summer long.

Selection Tip:

• Small balconies or CondoFarms planters: Choose determinate.

• Medium SIP gardens or raised beds: Go with semi-determinate.

• Large gardens or trellised SIP systems: Choose indeterminate for season-long yields.

Square Foot Gardening Spacing

• Spacing: 1 plant per square foot in SIPs or containers

• Depth: Plant seedlings deep, burying stems up to the first leaves

• Support: Install trellises or cages at planting to avoid root disruption later

How to Plant Tomatoes

Starting Indoors

• Start seeds 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.

• Use 14–16 hours of light daily with grow lights.

• Harden off seedlings outdoors for 5–7 days before transplanting.

Transplanting Outdoors

• Transplant when nights consistently stay above 10°C.

• Give plants plenty of airflow and sun exposure.

• Top-water gently for 7–10 days until roots reach the SIP moisture zone.

Watering Your Tomatoes

Tomatoes thrive with steady, deep hydration:

• Use your WaterStem to monitor levels: when the Hummingbird rises, your reservoir’s full; when it drops, refill.

• Before establishment: Top-water daily until roots anchor deeply.

• After establishment: Refill reservoirs every 1–2 weeks depending on weather.

• Mulch heavily to conserve moisture and reduce splash-related diseases.

• For hot-weather watering strategies, check the June Gardening Guide.

Feeding Your Tomatoes

Tomatoes are heavy feeders, and SIPs deliver nutrients efficiently:

• Add compost or a slow-release organic fertilizer at planting.

• Use liquid feeds every 2–3 weeks during flowering and fruit set.

• For midsummer feeding schedules, see the July Gardening Guide.

Harvesting Tomatoes

• Timing: Most varieties ripen 60–85 days after transplanting.

• Best Flavor: Harvest fully colored fruits slightly soft to the touch.

• Continuous Picking: Frequent harvesting encourages steady production.

• For late-season tips, visit the September Gardening Guide.

Common Issues & Fixes

Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Best companions (with cross-links):

• Basil → Enhances flavor and deters pests. Start seeds in April or direct-seed in May.

• Marigolds → Repels pests and supports pollinators. See June Gardening Guide for pollinator support tips.

• Borage → Draws pollinators, improves tomato health. Companion in May plantings.

• Nasturtiums → Trap aphids and attract beneficial insects. Start in April for better coverage.

• Chives → Light pest deterrence planted along bed edges.

• Lettuce → Perfect for shaded planting beneath tomato canopies — see June Gardening Guide for layering tips.

Avoid planting with:

• Potatoes → Higher blight risks; tips in the July Gardening Guide.

• Fennel → Inhibits tomato growth.

• Corn → Shares pests; best to separate.

Layout Tip:

• Determinate: Basil + marigolds along edges for compact patio gardens.

• Semi-determinate: Include nasturtiums beneath cages, prune lower suckers for airflow.

• Indeterminate: Use basil + nasturtiums low, borage & trellised tomatoes high for airflow and pollination synergy.

Product Tips

• Small-space growers: Use CondoFarms self-watering planters for compact tomato varieties.

• DIY gardeners: Upgrade raised beds with GardenWells kits for effortless irrigation.

• High-yield setups: Build with custom self-watering raised beds for large-scale production.