How to Make Tomato Plants Produce More Fruit: Simple Techniques and Great Results

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Growing tomatoes brings me back to the early days in my grandma’s garden. I vividly remember the summers of my childhood when she’d meticulously tend her tomato plants, ensuring that every tiny factor was in place for a bountiful harvest. Her tomatoes were the sweetest, juiciest fruits I’d ever tasted, and I was convinced there was magic in her gardening gloves.

As I grew older and got my hands dirty in my own garden, I realized the magic was actually rooted in her vast knowledge and gardening wisdom. And I loved learning her secrets. Now, I’m sharing that wisdom with you so you can learn how to make tomato plants produce more fruit.

Choose the Right Tomato Plant Variety

Choosing the right tomato plant variety is the first step in getting more tomatoes per plant. There are hundreds of tomato varieties, and some naturally produce more fruit than others. Look for ‘high yield’ varieties like ‘Celebrity’, ‘Early Girl’, or ‘Sweet Million’.

You also want to choose tomato plants that thrive in your climate. Speak to your neighbors and find out which varieties they have the most luck with. If you have a short season, go with early-cropping varieties. If you’re in an area prone to downy mildew, choose a variety that’s resistant to that disease and that thrives in your hardiness zone.

Whether you go with determinate tomato plants or indeterminate tomato plants, cherry tomatoes or beefsteak types, the key is to choose ones that do best in your region and specifically your local microclimate.

Harden Off Tomato Plant Seedlings

Hardening off your tomato seedlings is a vital step in transitioning them from their sheltered indoor start to the great outdoors. This process, which usually spans over 7 to 14 days, acclimatizes your plants to outside conditions, minimizing transplant shock and promoting a healthier, more productive growth. Essentially, you’re gradually exposing your seedlings to outdoor elements, beginning with a couple of sheltered hours and steadily working up to full-day and overnight exposure. And it’s much the same as hardening off pepper seedlings.

Here are the basics of hardening off tomato seedlings:

1. Start two weeks before transplanting: Once outdoor temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, begin the hardening-off process.
2. Start slow: Place your seedlings outside in a sheltered, shady spot for an hour or two on the first day.
3. Increase exposure gradually: Over the next days, extend the outdoor time and introduce them to direct sunlight bit by bit.
4. Watch the weather: Protect seedlings from harsh weather conditions by bringing them inside as needed.
5. Adjust watering: Outdoor conditions might dry out your seedlings quicker, so monitor and adjust watering as needed.
6. Try overnight exposure: Towards the end of the hardening off period, leave your seedlings outside overnight, making sure temperatures remain mild.

Test Your Soil

Testing your garden soil is a crucial part of optimizing your tomato plant’s health and productivity. Why is this so important? Well, tomatoes, like all plants, need certain nutrients to grow and produce fruit. And they have a particular fondness for slightly acidic soil with a pH range of 6.2 to 6.8. By testing your soil, you’re gaining vital information about its current pH level, as well as its nutritional composition. This knowledge will guide you in making necessary amendments for your soil to meet the needs of your tomato plants.

Make Soil Amendments

Making soil amendments based on the results of your soil test can significantly impact your tomato plants’ health and productivity. The goal is to provide an optimal growing environment that meets your tomatoes’ specific nutritional needs. And while there are many commercial products available, you can also use natural methods and products to improve your soil’s quality. Below I’m sharing some of my favorite amendments for tomatoes, but you can also get a lot more info and options in my ultimate guide to DIY fertilizers.

1. Compost: This is the gardener’s gold. Compost introduces organic matter into the soil, improving its structure, moisture retention, and nutrient content. You can make compost at home from kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and eggshells, or yard waste like leaves and grass clippings. Incorporate a generous amount of well-rotted compost into your planting area a few weeks before you plant your tomatoes.

2. Aged Manure: Like compost, aged manure improves soil structure and adds nutrients. Chicken, cow, or horse manure can be great choices, but ensure it’s well-aged or composted to avoid burning your plants or introducing weeds.

3. Bone Meal: Bone meal is an excellent source of phosphorus, essential for tomato plants to produce more fruit. Sprinkle it around your tomato planting area and mix it into the top few inches of soil.

4. Worm Castings: Also known as ‘black gold’, worm castings are another natural fertilizer that can enrich your soil with nutrients. Worm castings also improve soil structure and help with moisture retention.

5. Green Manure/Cover Crops: Planting cover crops like legumes or buckwheat in the off-season can significantly enhance soil health. They can add nutrients (like nitrogen in the case of legumes), improve soil structure, and prevent soil erosion. Till them into the soil a few weeks before planting your tomatoes.

6. Wood Ash: If your soil is too acidic, wood ash can help raise the pH. It also adds potassium and calcium, important nutrients for tomato growth. However, use wood ash sparingly and only when necessary, as it can significantly affect soil pH.

7. Epsom Salts: Epsom salts contain magnesium, a nutrient that tomatoes need for optimal growth. A sprinkle around your tomato plants can help if your soil is deficient in magnesium, but remember – a little goes a long way.

Prepare the Growing Space

An old gardening adage says, “Give a plant the right home, and it will grow itself,” and there’s quite a bit of wisdom in those words. The preparation of your growing space is a crucial step in how to make your tomato plants produce more fruit. In fact, how you prepare the growing space can set the stage for the whole growing season.

Before planting tomatoes, it’s essential to clear the designated space of any weeds. Weeds compete with your tomato plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight, so ensuring they’re removed gives your plants the best chance of thriving. This might require a bit of elbow grease, but your efforts will pay off in the long run.

Next, look out for any rocks or other debris that could obstruct the roots of your tomato plants. Remove these to allow your plants’ roots to expand freely within the soil. This is a particularly important step if you’re converting a lawn or non-gardening space into a garden bed.

Once you’ve cleared the area, it’s time to loosen the soil. The roots of your tomato plants need to be able to penetrate the soil easily to access water and nutrients. Loosening the soil with a garden fork or tiller improves its structure, facilitating better root growth and water movement. This can also help mix in any soil amendments, like compost or manure, that you’ve added.

Lastly, let’s talk about sunlight. Tomatoes love the sun, and a sunny location with at least six hours of sunlight a day is ideal for growing robust, high-yielding tomato plants. The warmth from the sun helps the plants photosynthesize more efficiently, leading to better growth and, ultimately, more fruit. When choosing a spot for your tomatoes, aim for the sunniest part of your garden.

Plant Tomatoes Deep

One of the lesser-known tips on how to make tomato plants produce more fruit is to plant them deep. Tomatoes have a unique ability among garden plants: they can grow additional roots along any part of their stem that’s buried in the soil. This trait is an adaptation to their native environment, where they would spread along the ground, rooting at intervals and seeking out water and nutrients.

When you plant your tomatoes, instead of just placing them at the same level they were in the pot, consider burying up to two-thirds of the plant, including the lower leaves. This might seem counterintuitive—after all, most plants would suffocate if planted too deep. But tomato plants grow best as depth. This extra depth can be a boon, giving them more access to the water and nutrients they need to grow and produce fruit.

Dig a hole deep enough to accommodate two-thirds of your tomato plant. If your tomato plant is quite tall, you might opt to dig a trench and lay the plant sideways, gently bending it upwards so the top third of the plant is above the soil. Don’t worry, the plant will naturally grow towards the sun.

Before placing the plant in the hole or trench, remove the lower leaves from the part of the stem that will be buried. Once the tomato plant is in place, backfill the hole or trench with soil, pressing it gently around the base of the plant.

Give Your Tomatoes Plenty of Space

Proper spacing is essential. Tomato plants need good air circulation to prevent disease, and adequate space for roots to spread. Depending on the variety, allow 24-48 inches between each plant.

Give Your Tomato Plants Support Early On

If you’ve ever grown tomatoes before, you know that these aren’t plants that stay small and tidy. As they grow, tomato plants become heavy with foliage and fruit, and they can quickly become unruly if left unsupported. Providing sturdy support for your tomato plants early on avoids damaging their roots later and can increase yield and fruit quality.

When choosing your support, remember that tomatoes can become quite large, so choose something sturdy. Stakes, cages, or trellises serve as excellent support systems for your tomato plants. By offering a structure for the plant to grow upon, you’re reducing the risk of the branches bending or breaking under the weight of the fruit. This structural support can save the plant energy it would otherwise use to mend broken branches and instead direct that energy towards producing more tomatoes.

And, of course, supporting your tomato plants can help keep the foliage and fruit off the ground, reducing the likelihood of diseases and pest problems.

Protect Tomatoes From Frost

A sudden frost can spell disaster for your tomato plants. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, and be prepared to cover your plants or bring them inside if a frost is predicted. Tomato plants are cold-sensitive, and even temperatures under 50°F (10°C) are cold enough to stunt growth and reduce yield.

Provide Consistent Water

The watering needs of tomato plants are simple in theory, yet many gardeners struggle to get it right. Consistent, deep watering is crucial for tomato plants to thrive and produce a healthy crop. Tomatoes, like many plants, prefer their soil to stay evenly moist, not waterlogged, and certainly not dried out. This consistency helps the plants absorb the nutrients they need and supports steady, healthy growth.

1. Water Deeply: When watering your tomatoes, water deeply to encourage the roots to grow down into the soil. This helps the plants become more resilient in dry conditions, as they can access water deeper in the soil. Aim to moisten the soil to at least 6-8 inches deep.

2. Water Consistently: Try to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Depending on your local weather and soil type, this might mean watering once every two to three days, or it could be as often as once a day in hot, dry climates.

3. Water in the Morning: Watering in the morning gives the plants time to drink up before the hot sun evaporates the water. It also helps keep the foliage dry, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.

4. Water at the Base: Whenever possible, water at the base of the plants rather than from above. This technique helps direct the water to the roots where it’s needed and keeps the foliage dry, reducing the risk of disease. Drip irrigation is useful here.

Use Mulch

Mulch helps retain moisture, regulates soil temperature, and suppresses weeds. Organic mulches like straw or shredded leaves can also break down over time, enriching your soil.

Encourage Pollinators

Bees and other pollinators play a crucial role in tomato fruit production. Planting flowers in your garden can help attract these beneficial creatures, aiding in the pollination process.

Pollinate By Hand

If you’re growing tomatoes indoors or have noticed a lack of pollinators, you can pollinate tomato flowers by hand. Use a small paintbrush to transfer pollen from the stamen (male) to the pistil (female) of each flower.

Use Companion Planting

You all know by now that I am a huge advocate of companion planting. Some may say I’m a little bit obsessed, but honestly, it works! It’s so good for building soil health, for maximizing plant health and fruit yield – it’s so simple and really amazing! When it comes to boosting your tomato yield, companion planting can be an effective strategy, aiding in pest deterrence, growth enhancement, and even flavor improvement.

What to Plant With Tomatoes

There are several plants that make excellent companions for tomatoes in the garden:

1. Basil: This aromatic herb is a classic companion for tomatoes, not just in the kitchen but also in the garden. Basil can help repel tomato hornworms and other pests, and some gardeners swear that growing basil alongside tomatoes even improves the flavor of the tomatoes.

2. Carrots: Carrots and tomatoes are good neighbors in the garden. The carrots help loosen the soil as they grow, allowing tomato plant roots more room to expand. Plus, the feathery tops of carrot plants can provide a bit of shade for young tomato plants, reducing stress on the plants during hot weather.

3. Marigolds: These bright, cheerful flowers offer more than just aesthetic appeal to tomato growers. Marigolds are well-known in the gardening world for their ability to deter a variety of pests, including nematodes, which can damage the roots of tomato plants.

What Not to Plant With Tomatoes

On the other hand, some plants are not suitable companions for tomatoes and can actually be detrimental to their growth:

1. Potatoes: Both tomatoes and potatoes belong to the nightshade family, and they are susceptible to many of the same diseases. Planting them together increases the risk that if one plant gets infected, the disease could quickly spread to the others.

2. Fennel: Fennel is known to be allelopathic to many plants, meaning it releases substances into the soil that can inhibit the growth of other plants. For this reason, it’s best to keep fennel away from your tomatoes.

3. Kohlrabi: This member of the cabbage family has been observed to stunt the growth of tomato plants when grown in close proximity.

Provide Plenty of Natural Fertilizer

Regular applications of a natural, high-quality fertilizer will feed your tomato plants the nutrients they need to produce a bumper crop. Look for a fertilizer high in phosphorus for best fruit production. As mentioned above, check my post on DIY fertilizers for easy, effective, natural options.

Prune Tomato Plants Properly

Pruning can help direct more of the plant’s energy towards fruit production. Remove any suckers – small shoots growing from the joints of two branches – and leave the main stem and a few strong branches.

Harvest Tomatoes Frequently

Regular harvesting encourages more fruit production. Pick tomatoes as soon as they’re ripe to keep your plants productive.

Keep Tomato Plants Healthy

Monitor your plants closely for any signs of disease or pests. Healthy plants will be much more productive than stressed or sick ones. Rotate your crops annually to prevent diseases from building up in the soil.

FAQs

A single tomato plant can produce 10 to 15 pounds of tomatoes per season. But with proper care and conditions, some varieties can yield up to 20 to 25 pounds!

Yes, they do! Coffee grounds can be used as a mulch or composted and used as a soil amendment. They add organic matter and nitrogen to the soil, but use sparingly to avoid making the soil too acidic.

It’s a good idea to prune the lower leaves to improve air circulation and prevent disease. However, leave the upper leaves as they’re essential for photosynthesis.

While nitrogen is essential for leafy growth, too much can result in a bushy plant with few tomatoes. Tomatoes need a balanced fertilizer, with phosphorus and potassium promoting fruit production.