6 Tomato Care Tips Gardeners Wish They Knew Sooner

The amount of gardening info at our fingertips these days is as exciting as it is overwhelming, and this is especially true if you’re still in the early years of planting veggies.

Tomatoes, in particular, seem to inspire a long list of questions. To prune or not to prune? How much space? Does the soil really matter? 

We turned to two of our favorite gardening experts who happen to know a ton about tomatoes. Here’s what they said they wish they knew back when they first started. 

The Spruce / Colleen & Shannon Graham

According to Nikhil Arora of Back to the Roots, he wishes he knew more about how to keep his plants happy. 

“Something I wish I knew before I started growing tomatoes is the importance of proper support and pruning techniques,” he says.

From cages to stakes, different varieties have different support needs, and this is something your local garden center should be able to help you with. The same goes for proper pruning shears and techniques based on your plant.

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If Cullen Boudreaux of American Meadows could go back in time, she’d tell herself that tomatoes need to be protected from swings in temperatures. 

“These can prevent them from setting fruit,” she says. “Protect them from cold drafts if they are inside, harden your seedlings off before planting outside, and make sure not to plant them out until nighttime temperatures are at least 55 degrees.” 

I wish I knew how much more delicious a freshly picked tomato is than one from the grocery store—that makes it all worth it.

The Spruce / K. Dave

One thing Donna Letier of Gardenuity wishes she knew from the start was how