Q&A for How to Prepare the Soil for Tomato Plants

Adding compost and horticultural grit may help. You can even check your local nursery and see if they sell soil that is specific to tomatoes.

Tomatoes prefer well-drained, loamy, and fertile soil in order to thrive. Clay-heavy soil isn't good for growing tomatoes, since it can get waterlogged and compacted.

I wouldn’t do that, vinegar can kill plants. For example, I used apple cider vinegar to take care of an insect problem I had on my pepper plants one year, and it flat out killed them in less than 24 hours. Any vinegar that is used on plants must be diluted into a gallon of water.

Yes. However, coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, so don’t add too many, and don't do it too often. Make sure to use “used” coffee grounds; don’t add fresh, dry ones. Fresh coffee grounds can kill plants. Egg shell calcium and shredded banana peels will also do wonders for your soil.

Some pH kits will indicate a need for lime in the soil. For best results, add lime to the soil in the late fall or early spring.

No, as long as the conditions are favorable, they can be planted during any season.

Do not use plastic pots as the roots hit the plastic and burn in hot weather. You also want to line your pots with shredded newspaper as it protects roots and stops pots drying out as quickly.

Yes. They deter pests above and underneath the plants. They kill nematodes underground while they repel pesky bugs above.

You can plant a kind of legume (like peanuts). Legumes improve the soil. You can also put baking soda or egg shells down to improve the soil.

Yes, but keep them well-caged or staked off the ground to get the best sun advantage and keep it trimmed to two main stalks.

Tomatoes are self pollinating, so you only need one plant. Tomato flowers are pollinated by the movement caused by wind and insects, or if needed because of a lack of wind and insects, by gently shaking the plant.

Buy some borage seeds and start them in the house about 6 to 8 weeks ahead of time, then plant one borage plant by each tomato. It totally drives away most bugs and at same time it benefits the growth and flavor of the tomato plant. You can trim off the larger leaves of borage as it grows and use them as mulch, it is loaded with trace elements, and also the borage as it blossoms is a bee magnet and benefits the pollination of all your other plants as well! Also plant one or two onions or garlic plants by each tomato plant, the smell confuses the bug and it usually stays away!

It depends on how wet. If it’s flooded, then no. All vegetables need moist soil to grow well, however without proper drainage, the soil is flooded constantly and your plants will experience root rot and die.

With your index and middle finger, press 2-4 cm into the dirt.

Yes, tomatoes are fine there, but they will need water. They can tolerate droughts, but they prefer monsoon seasons better as they get water more often. Never grow tomatoes where they have previously been cultivated as diseases may lie in the soil.

I use Epsom salt, it's great for your tomato plant! One tablespoon mixed in a gallon of water every two weeks. Also, one cap full of fish fertilizer in this mixture works very well.

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Yes, but keep them inside until the last frost has passed in early spring.

You can plant in clay, but you need to amend the soil so that it doesn't compact down. Dig a hole for the plant at least twice its size, then add in aged cow manure and put one raw egg in the bottom of the hole. I also add a teaspoon of Epsom salts. I filled in my holes with a mixture of compost (or outdoor plant soil), and I like to put the black fabric for gardens around my plants, so I cut a piece to cover the hole, then made an x in the center to put the plant through. You also need to provide a support for them to grow on - a couple of sticks, a cage, trellis, etc. When amended, clay soil is actually a really good medium to grow in.

For a 12" plant, place 8" (leaves and all) underground. Leaves will become roots. Also, try not to damage the little "hairs", as they will also become roots.

You can help your tomato plants produce big, healthy tomatoes by making sure they have all of the nutrients, water, and care that they need. Check the soil's nutrient content by testing it, be sure to water the plants regularly, and remove any weeds or insects that you see in your garden.

You can dig a hole in wet soil, but when you're tilling the soil to plant a garden, wait until the soil is dry so you can break up the dirt more easily.

Of course you can! If you're growing them in a greenhouse, it may be best to plant them in pots or containers. Check out our article on growing tomatoes in pots by looking up Grow Tomatoes in Pots.

There could be a variety of reasons why your plants failed. Check the nutrient content and pH of the soil to make sure it can support the plants before you try to reuse the soil.

A 2-8-4 NPK ratio is a little low for fruiting. Look for fertilizers that are designed for tomato plants for the best results!

All you have room for as long as the plants are 2 feet apart in a row, and the rows are at least 50 inches apart.