Planting Depth Will Vary...

When planting your new tomato babies, make sure to bury the plants up to the second set of leaves. This will encourage the plants to form roots all the way up the stem and make them much less likely to blow over, and will form a good foundation for the plant later on. This is especially true if the plants are a little leggy from lack of sunlight or heat.

Companion Planting - Protect Your Tomatoes From Infestation

For a better, healthier tomato crop keep the bugs at bay with some companion planting. Use herbs with strong odors - such as basil and lemon grass, and flowers - such as marigolds and nasturtium. Plant these close to your tomato plants and the bugs will find something else to prey on. The basil and lemon grass can also be cut as you harvest the tomatoes, both for cooking - and to keep the size in check! The extra flowers will also help to make your garden look pretty in the middle of summer.

Choose Your Tomato Plants Wisely

There are so many different choices of tomatoes these days that it is hard to choose the right one for the job. Make sure to read the tomato information on the seed packets if you are starting seeds indoors early, and on the plant pot or tab inserted in the side of plants. Choose the plants for their light, water, and care requirements, then for pest and disease tolerance. Make sure the tomatoe plant variety will be the best choice for the end use. Salad tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, and canning tomatoes are among some of these choices. Remember that most tomatoes will have to have support as well, so plan on a trellis or other method to train or tie the plants to keep them off the ground and away from bacteria, disease, and bugs that may lurk there.