Even though tomatoes are one of my favorite crops, late summer garden fatigue can make me lazy. I let some of my plants go a little too wild last year and eventually, it affected the fruit. Here are some tips I recommend you follow when planting seedlings and throughout the growing season.
Tips for Growing Tomatoes in Raised Garden Beds
1. Put them away early and carefully
Depending on how high your loft bed is, the subsoil below may not be very forgiving. I bent many tomato cages by accidentally trying to push them into the soil around the new plants. Instead, carefully press each "leg" of the cage into the soil, one at a time, until the entire cage is dug deep enough. When it comes to new plants, your seedlings may be so small that it seems silly to put a cage around them right away. Best not to wait. Once the plant starts to grow, you risk breaking a limb or damaging the plant inadvertently.
Every year, I have to make sure I have enough space in my raised garden bed to grow tomatoes. I love growing a variety of varieties, from small cherry tomatoes that can be stuffed into my mouth like candy, to large tomatoes that can be sliced for summer burgers.
Even though tomatoes are one of my favorite crops, late summer garden fatigue can make me lazy. I let some of my plants go a little too wild last year and eventually, it affected the fruit. Here are some tips I recommend you follow when planting seedlings and throughout the growing season.
1. Put them away early and carefully
Depending on how high your loft bed is, the subsoil below may not be very forgiving. I bent many tomato cages by accidentally trying to push them into the soil around the new plants. Instead, carefully press each "leg" of the cage into the soil, one at a time, until the entire cage is dug deep enough. When it comes to new plants, your seedlings may be so small that it seems silly to put a cage around them right away. Best not to wait. Once the plant starts to grow, you risk breaking a limb or damaging the plant inadvertently.
2. Never water from above
Since your raised garden bed may be full of plants, avoid using a garden hose and simply spray everything, hoping the roots will get wet. This can be time-consuming, but it's worth watering the roots of each plant to avoid splashing the leaves (which can spread soil-borne diseases) and to make sure each plant gets good water. To save time and water, consider installing an irrigation system that delivers water directly to the base of your plants.
3. Pinch, pinch, pinch!
Get rid of those suckers (new growth that appears between stems and branches) as soon as possible. Just pinch them out with your fingers. You don't want to have to cut off an unruly branch later. It also helps the plant focus more on the fruit.
4. Rotate your tomato crop
Raised beds make crop rotation easy because you can keep track of where everything is from year to year. Rotating plants every two to three years is a good idea for several reasons. The first is because different plants absorb nutrients from the soil differently. Also, some pests and diseases can overwinter in the soil. For example, the Colorado potato beetle, which loves nightshade leaves, likes to linger in the spring, waiting for your tender new plants.
It's also a good idea to move an entire plant family, so if it's time to move your tomatoes to a new garden, it's best to avoid growing other nightshades in the same spot.
5. Tidy up at the end of the season
When you pull out used plants in the fall, be sure to throw immature or rotted tomatoes into the compost, rather than letting them rot in the garden. You may find yourself pulling up baby tomato seedlings in the spring!
