Growing tomatoes in ground

[AKgardener]

I would like to know the best way to grow tomatoes in ground.. fertilizer what and how much spacing and so forth I’ve really only grown in pots but I’m making my bed a permanent tomato bed and it will only have 1 variety because all my other trials will be in pots ..thank you for your time and advice..

[maxjohnson]

Er, there is no best way, the possibility is limitless, and it depends on your personal preference, situation, how much money and effort you want to spend. The main key is good soil, compost and organic matters, if you are doing it organically anyway. I don't have a permanent tomato bed because sometimes you grow tomatoes in one bed too many times there are diseases that may linger in the soil, with that said I'm lazy and space is limited so I'm pretty guilty of growing in the same space consecutively.

The other key is good tall and durable structure but that depend on what growing style you are employing.

If you are doing multi-stemming. Some consideration are:
-Florida weave method with two T-Posts on each side and running strings across.
-Cattle panels support by T-Posts.
-Two tall wood planks (or conduits) on each side and one long and durable one running across the top, and drill in some hooks where you can suspend the strings down from.
-Running a steel cable across the top and put on "tomato roller hooks". (my least favorite method)
-Tall and expensive cages.

Single stemming: a very tall stake or suspended string.

How much space is really depending on your growing style. Single stemming, I'd probably give it 18in. The more stems you want to allow the more space you need. Good airflow should not be underestimated. Personally I grow one plant per raised bed which is usually 5-6ft wide, that's just me. Maybe you want to experiment first, do a comparison between multi-stem and single stem for the same variety and see which you prefer.

In term of fertilizer the possibility is endless. Obviously you want to get fertilizer with NPK ratio that are geared more toward tomato where the Nitrogen percent isn't too high. I personally use Osmocote pink bag (15-9-12) for almost everything, but mainly for containers. Osmocote lacks calcium, so I also have to buy CalMag liquid bottle, which is very potent and lasts long when diluted as instructed, and water with it a few times a season, although twice a month is probably safer. If I didn't have Osmocote or is forced to do organic, there are a lot of slow release organic fertilizers to choose from. I personally don't feel the need to over complicate it unless you are trying to do something special like going for a record, for ground growing I care more about the health of the soil.

If you don't want to rely on fertilizer or as much, it take time to build up the soil depending on how good it is. The bed that I'm growing my single Opalka in (seen in my gro-log this year), no fertilizer added for a year and a half now, except the little amount that came with the seedling cup. Last year I added one bag of leaf compost and piled on several inches of fall leaves. And in spring added some straw mulch. Harvested 20lbs so far and expect to get at least close to 40lbs by end of season. I won't deny the possibility of getting more harvest if you grow 4 Opalka plants in the same space but with single stem method. YMMV.

[Ken4230]

I would like to know the best way to grow tomatoes in ground.. fertilizer what and how much spacing and so forth I’ve really only grown in pots but I’m making my bed a permanent tomato bed and it will only have 1 variety because all my other trials will be in pots ..thank you for your time and advice..

@maxjohnson That is the most complete answer that I have seen in the short time I have been on TJ. To add a little to your post, I think that I would start now amending the soil with some high quality compost. And when you think you have it perfect, amend some more. I used to put a 6-8" layer of mulched leaves on the garden as winter aproached. Broadforking might be neccessary depending on your soil.As @maxjohnson said money is the key.

Raised beds are relatively weed-free, not so in ground. The more weeds you have, the less productive your garden will be. Preparing a new in ground plot is both labor and money intensive, so I wish you luck. All the old gardeners I knew would broadfork their garden every 2 years so I think it would greatly improve the overall condition and aeration of your new plot.

[Whwoz]

Would agree with @maxjohnson about no one way to grow in the ground.

First thing that I consider is air flow. I tie everything to a single stake per plant, unpruned, so all leaders left on plant. Need good airflow and low humidity for this otherwise foliage disease could run rampant. I have started using short cages for dwarfs, which work well with the rugose leaved plants with there thicker, less flexible stems. I plant at 600 mm/2 foot centres, two rows to a bed, staggered planted at basically 90 degrees to the prevailing winds. Probably need to go to 750 mm/2.5 feet for larger plants.

Feed the soil and if in doubt get a soil test. Add organic matter, start a compost heap of you can.

Be aware that your single bed may become contaminated with soil/air borne pathogens so may require a change in location down the track.

[bower]

In a cooler climate or season, soil temperature is an important consideration for tomatoes in ground.
One way to address that is to hill the soil and use black plastic mulch. Do the prep early enough that the soil is warmed before your tomato plant goes in.

[FatBeeFarm]

@maxjohnson Amazingly complete and great answer!

[AKgardener]

Wow thanks everyone that really says it all

[Paulf]

My method...very short version because a complete analysis would ...or at least could be book length.

My tomato garden is about 50'X50'. Every year (because of the known make-up is called Loess sugar clay soil with a natural 8+ pH) get a professional soil test and the entire area is fertilized as recommended. Since nitrogen recommendations are not included and the residual is indicated, extra N is added to keep the entire garden in balance.

I grow between 20 and thirty varieties yearly depending on how I feel; generally only one plant per variety. Spacing is at about four feet for each plant so that there is plenty of room between plants for both air flow and walking space. Growing heirlooms/OP plants means this much space is necessary because of how large and tall the plants get. Every year the planting map is moved as much as possible but there is always some overlap, but disease has not been a problem. See below.

I do not prune anywhere except if the bottom leaves touch the ground (mulch and that will be covered). At first planting the young seedlings are supported by wooden stakes, old broom handles I got a deal on years ago. Then a cage made from concrete reinforcing mesh is installed around each plant. Expensive? NO. Twenty years ago a 50 foot roll was purchased for what is now very little. Cut and formed into a 2 ft diameter cages, these have been used and reused for twenty years with no loss of life; I expect they will outlast me. Every year they get disinfected with bleach solution to keep pathogens at bay.

Most important to the health of the plants is a good mulching program to keep the tomatoes healthy (keeping the leaves from contact with soil borne pathogens), cool in summer heat, warmer in the spring and retaining moisture from sunshine and wind. I use a double or triple layer of newsprint with a 6-8 inch layer of weed free straw on top. Amazing how much healthier a garden is with excellent mulch. Then that mulch gets tilled into the soil at the end of the season to add organics.

As stated, there is no one method, no perfect way to grow tomatoes. I prefer in-ground planting for best size, production and ease of care. And I am always open to new methods or ideas. I love to see what others do so I can use a "better" way to grow tomatoes. I love to share what I do so any questions, fire away.

[AKgardener]

I’m taking all these comments and running with it!! Something has to change for me I’m tired of trying in pots getting beautiful plants with little to no production and I will take that responsibility cause I feel I’ve could of done better or what ever needs to be successful..

[Ken4230]

I’m taking all these comments and running with it!! Something has to change for me I’m tired of trying in pots getting beautiful plants with little to no production and I will take that responsibility cause I feel I’ve could of done better or what ever needs to be successful..

It really pains me to say this since I grow almost no hybrids, but if you are looking for mainly production, hybrids are probably the way you should go.
Big Beef, Better Boy and the determinate Red Snapper are all highly productive with decent taste. These I have grown and know about, others you can research and decide.

As @Paulf suggested, mulch and other considerations will be a key to a successful garden. I mulch my raised beds and containers heavily and prune aggressively. Good luck with whatever you decide because it's hard to beat a big juicy tomato that you have grown yourself.

[AKgardener]

I have big beef sitting in a box I honestly would love more than 3 tomatoes on a plant at this point haha..I best be getting on it at this point..

[MissS]

When I started my new in ground beds, I used cardboard on the bottom to suffocate the grass. I used manuare, compost, leaves, peat moss and whatever else I could find to build soil on top of the cardboard base. Careful with the manuare as it can contain Grayzon which will play havoc with your plants.

In the fall I prep my beds with bone meal, gypsom or lyme, and blood meal. This year I am trying Langbeinite as my potassium source. I usually use greensand for this every couple of years. For minerals I will use kelp meal, azomite or basalt
rock. I add another handfull of bone meal to the hole when planting and some mycos. Then the beds are good to go. The plants may need a pick me up cocktail mid-season and for that I use an organic liquid feed. (Not saying that the chemicals are bad, they work fast, but I don't use them).

[Ken4230]

I have big beef sitting in a box I honestly would love more than 3 tomatoes on a plant at this point haha..I best be getting on it at this point..

Big Beef is Brenda's favorite tomato, red round and baseball sized. I grew tired of purchasing new seeds every year and have been trying to stabilize it.
Now at F5 and hoping to keep all its other attributes. The taste has definitely improved, seems to be fully ripe a little later. Wont know until later if it is still heat tolerant and disease resistant. Haven't counted, but a guess would be at least a hundred or more tomatoes off 6 plants.

With all the rain, I have been picking at first blush. Will be glad to send you some as soon as the next batch dries. Sending all I had ready to @Vanman tomorrow plus some other old heirlooms that I have grown for years. Both Big Beef and Better Boy have been extremely productive for me, only reason I grow them is for Brenda. I like sweet black and yellow tomatoes, so that's mainly what I grow.

[JRinPA]

Try that mountain rouge if you go hybrid...sound like people like it...down here around 40N.

With plants in the ground, your soil structure is very important. We have good rich clay here but it will compact if you rototill, so I don't rototill. I use a broadfork.
I add lots of compost to my rows, particularly fish and shredded leaves.
I start tomato plants late because I don't want to care for them in for too long in the spring, but, I KNOW I would get earlier tomatoes from older plants.
I trench my plants when I can, so the roots stay in the warmer soil and the plants take off quick and get lots of nutrients.
Sometimes I use black mulch, sometimes grass, sometimes nothing. I always have good plants.
But we get plenty of strong sun...it only about 2-3 weeks when it is too strong and the flowers want to fail.
I certainly like trellising of one sort or another to keep the plants up off the ground.

I just don't know enough about growing up north, particularly pacific coast. You say Alaska...pretty big state if I remember correctly. LOL.

I'd probably want to erect a clear hoop house over the tomato bed to keep it warmer, but thin plastic houses are bad in cool nights, I've learned. And they will all weaken the already weak sun you have up there. I think?

[AKgardener]

Ya alaska is a big place land of the midnight sun literally and can’t forget the old folk tale’s that go along with what roams the woods at night!! Haha that’s another topic but yes where I’m at it the weather is wonky..I will try these varieties next year that you all have mentioned as well as amendments for the new bed.. again I can’t thank you enough I try not to be a bother but I’m just wishing in a wishing well

[zeuspaul]

Prepare your soil to at least two feet, three feet would be better. You want a well drained soil, sandy loam is good. If you have a lot of clay add sand if available. Water deep, drip is a good way to go.

[slugworth]

people with segregated plants- soil exposed gardens are petering out here.
Jungle planting, the plants are still nice and green.
I did a grip and rip on my sprawling nice green plants weeks ago because
rats were eating the green tomatoes.Plants I left with exposed soil to the sun
look like the wicked witches feet under the house.
Soil temp is super important even with cooler nights now.
I still have bloody butcher plants in a clump that are doing well.

[slugworth]

53.5 °F Now
Feels Like 50.8 °F

[Tim DH]

Hi AK,
If you are going to grow into the same ground year on year, my advice would be; Learn how to graft. It won't be necessary for the first few years, but sooner or later its likely to be a crop saver, so it would be best to learn how to do it before that day arrives. I've had good results with FortaminoF1 which, as far as I can work out, is mostly produced for the Scandinavian market, so should suit you too.

Tim DH

[AKgardener]

Thank you @Tim DH I plan making it my permanent tomato bed I can’t keep doing pots it’s just not working for me my husband is building a cover over the top of the bed to help with all the rain .