1. Choose a bright, airy spot: Plant tomatoes where they will get at least 10 hours of light in summer. And leave room between plants for air to circulate.
2. Rotate even a little: Alternate your tomato bed between even just two spots and you diminish the risk of soilborne diseases such as bacterial spot and early blight.
3. Pass up overgrown transplants: When buying tomato seedlings, beware of lush green starts with poor root systems. They will languish for weeks before growing.
4. Bury the stems: Plant your tomato seedlings up to the first true leaves. New roots will quickly sprout on the stems. More roots means more fruits.
5. Water deeply but infrequently: Soak your tomato bed once a week, or every five days at the height of summer. Water directly on the soil, not on the leaves.
6. Pinch the suckers: Prune off these non-fruiting branches. This directs the tomato plant's energy into growing bigger, better fruit.
7. Plant again: Three weeks after you plant tomatoes in your garden, put in another set so all of your harvest doesn't come at once.
