Five Unsuitable Locations for Cultivating Tomatoes
Laying the Groundwork for Luscious Tomatoes: Top Five Planting Mistakes to Avoid
Swap the monotonous for the mouthwatering as you cultivate healthy, bountiful tomato plants this season. Avoid these common blunders to set your tomatoes up for success, ensuring a summer brimming with tasty, ripe tomatoes!
1. Shying Away from Sunlight
Steer clear of planting your precious tomatoes in a dim, shaded area. Avoiding the sun won't only result in stunted, spindly plants but will also limit fruit production. Strive for a sun-soaked spot, accommodating at least six hours of sheer daylight.
If you're short on full sunlight, consider sweet, petite cherry or grape tomatoes for a more forgiving growth environment that requires just four to five hours of bright sunlight.
2. Soil Snafu
Tomatoes are prone to fungal and bacterial diseases in wet, heavy soils. Conquering soggy soil—compacted and poorly drained—prevents the promotion of disease and root rot. Improve soil drainage or utilize containers for a healthier root system.
3. Recycling the Same Spot
Avoid replanting new tomatoes in the same location every year, as disease residue can linger in the soil for multiple seasons. Take the smart path and move your tomato plants to a fresh patch of earth every three to four years. Rotate them with crops like corn, cabbage, and broccoli, whose disease profiles differ from tomatoes.
4. Cozy Buddies with Nightshades
Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants—all nightshade family members—can transmit the same diseases, such as blight, wilt, bacterial spot, and anthracnose. Steer clear of planting these crops adjacent to each other to curb the spread of disease.
5. Squeezing into a Cramped Pot
Tomatoes are hearty, heavy feeders requiring ample space for their roots to grow. Opt for pots that are at least 12 inches wide for healthy tomato cultivation—indeterminate tomatoes tend to fare better in a 10-gallon pot, measuring roughly 16 inches across.
Insights:- Keep tomatoes away from nightshade plants like potatoes, peppers, and eggplants, as they share susceptibility to blight and other soilborne diseases.- Mature dill releases compounds that inhibit tomato growth, so plant your dill when it's still young.- Fennel secretes allelopathic chemicals that suppress tomato growth, so ensure a wide berth between the two crops.- Corn attracts tomato fruitworm, or corn earworm, which can damage developing tomatoes.- Tomatoes grow best when paired with pest-repelling companions like marigolds, basil, or onions.- Rotating tomato planting locations annually helps prevent soilborne diseases.
Southern Living recommends planting annual herb gardens like dill and fennel early in the season, but ensure they're separated from tomatoes since mature dill releases compounds that inhibit tomato growth, and fennel secretes allelopathic chemicals that suppress tomato growth.
Plant marigolds, basil, or onions near your tomatoes for a bountiful season, as these companions help repel pests, preventing damage to your precious tomatoes.
Home-and-Garden tips suggest keeping corn at a distance from your tomato plants, as corn attracts tomato fruitworm, or corn earworm, which can damage developing tomatoes.
To avoid soilborne diseases, rotate tomato planting locations annually. Other crops, such as corn, cabbage, and broccoli, make suitable replacements.
When planting tomatoes in containers, ensure they have enough space for their roots to grow. Opt for pots that are at least 12 inches wide, and contact-friendly tomatoes like cherry or grape tomatoes will do well in smaller pots.
Avoid planting tomatoes near other nightshade family members like potatoes, peppers, and eggplants, as they can transmit the same diseases, such as blight, wilt, bacterial spot, and anthracnose.
