Newly Revised How to Grow Better Tomatoes Booklet

I've been promising people for a few weeks that I will revise my Grow Better Backyard Tomatoes Booklet, and now I've finally done it.  I even made it a whole separate page.  Click here to go there.

If you think that it's basically the same as my previous versions, don't think that.  There are a lot of new tips and techniques in there, different from previous years, that will help all of you grow better tomatoes.

There is also a whole separate section (near the bottom of the document) that is dedicated just to growing tomatoes in pots.  If you've ever wondered how to grow tomatoes in pots, please read that.  Growing in pots is trickier and requires know-how and extra effort. 

I'm dedicated to helping people grow better tomatoes, so please feel free to forward the page to your tomato lovin' friends. 

If you have additional questions after reading the page, don't hesitate to email me at loveapplefarm@gmail.com to inquire further.

Good luck to everyone on a great tomato season.

Comments

[BG]

Cynthia-

Thanks for the tomato tips!!! I'm sure it is a busy time on the farm and I really appreciate the time you have taken to put out this booklet in time for all of us to use the info this season.

[Diane]

Cynthia:
Your new booklet is awesome. I plant in wine barrels due to the major gopher problem I have. I will be following your instructions to the letter this growing season (with booklet in hand, if need be). Thank you so much for including container growing info this go-round as I have pretty much been "winging" it. I have transplanted my seedlings into 1-gal containers and they are growing so big I feel like I should have put them directly into 5-gal containers, they are even flowering already!! Obviously, following your planting wisdom pays off!!! I can't wait to plant all 20 on May 1. (How do we find out when our last expected frost is? I live in Boulder Creek). Thank you so much for all your guidance and wisdom!

[Love Apple Farm]

Diane: I think you can safely plant on May 1st in Boulder Creek. You might even get away with doing it on April 15 if you wrapped some clear plastic around the outside of your proper tomato cages in your wine barrels.

[Katrina]

Took your fabulous veggie class last week and cannot wait for the chick class! You have so much knowledge it's almost frightening, but the great thing is that you generously share it in a clear, uncomplicated, and useful way. Thanks!

[Lise]

Wow! Great, concise revision - it is ALMOST as good as taking one of your classes. Aspirin spray, home-made cages - I better get away from the computer and get busy outside. My favorite part of your booklet is how you ended it - alway learning. Good gardeners are endlessly learning, and you inspire us to keep trying new things.

[alex]

Thank you so much ! I need to try grow my own tomatoes!

[Darcy Horton]

Cynthia, I loved your early tomato class. I just planted my babies today along with a fish head, worm castings, aspirin, and the rest of the wild ingredients. It was so much fun dumping all that stuff into the ground before I planted! Had to check your updated instructions on the web site to make sure I had everything. Can't wait to see the results. Thanks again for all that you do.

[Matron]

Wow! a whole blog dedicated to tomatoes! I'm in heaven. Look forward to reading more.

[Babeth]

Thanks so much for this how to grow beautiful tomatoes. I just miss so much my backyard at this moment :-(

[Carol]

Cynthia,
Thank you for sharing these helpful tips. I ordered some trichogamma wasps and may order more beneficials later! I am looking forward to a great season of tomatoes!

[Melamalie]

What fantastic info, and it's short enough that it can be read quickly!
Thank you!
Melanie

[Robbyn]

I'm an heirloom tomato fanatic, and you can imagine my delight in finding your site here! I recently added it to our blogroll post at our site; hope that's ok!

[Seamaiden]

Hi! I used your booklet last year for my four heirloom tomato plants (Tall Joe, Wide Joe, The Plague Victim and... you know, I don't think I ever named the remaining one) and they did really well, even though they were grown on my balcony. I did have trouble with aphids, but followed your advice about the natural (plant derived) spray and that helped... This time I'll be ready if the bugs descend upon me! I'm about ready to plant five of your new plants (Tigerella, Faux Earl etc.) and am using the castworm casings for the first time..I was surprised do read about the casings tea- I'll have to try fertilizing them with that later.

-Sea in Mountain View

[Carol P]

Thank you so much for all the information. I have 4 'babies' waiting for their place in the garden, and since I am near the coast I am glad I picked medium sized tomatoes instead of the beefsteak! I am going to put three of them in my garden which is a community garden about a mile from home, and one in a pot on the deck. I am looking forward to following the recipe since I have had minimal luck with container tomatoes before!

[Herbo]

Hi there,
With a love of tomatoes I am always looking for ways to improve my produce. I have been growing them for over 11 years without using nasty chemicals, so any new ideas that I can pick up along the way are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for a great site

[Jeph Remley]

LOL I didn't expect to have a "shout out" here on your blog comments from my gardening co-conspirator Mary!! Our significant others have learned to just roll their eyes and deal with whatever whacky new gardening thing we're trying. Last week it was taking two wooden shipping crates our Library Special Collections & Archives was getting rid of, and combining them with old windows replaced on Mary's house, and turning them into cold frames... That very first night, my (eh hm) 72 potted-up tomato plants spent the night in their new home outdoors (up until we had a few nights of freezing later in the week).

And I say "72 potted-up tomato plants" because I have more needing potted up thanks to you, Cynthia!

I'll definitely be trying many of the cool tips you offer here. I need to print out a copy, maybe laminate it (ok, that's going too far) and take it out in the garden with me.

My dad taught me the trick for making tomato cages - works GREAT! And if you make them in three different sizes (say cutting lengths of 5', 5 1/2' and 6'), you'll have three slightly different widths of cages that you can store within each other over winter.... Takes up 1/3 of the space than if you made them all the same size, and your tomatoes really won't care - give it a try!

You've definitely got me tempted to get my hands on some of the more expensive worm castings... I bought a jug of the Terracycle Worm Castings fertilizer, and have been adding it to many of my plants, but then read an article (Organic Gardening? Mother Earth News?) about how it's one of the most expensive fertilizers (per ounce of nitrogen?) that you can get... Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks again for such a great site and all the incentive to grow even more good stuff!

[Mark]

Thank you so much for Mr. Brown. He's is doing great in his new home. Properly prepared as per your wonderful instruction.

And thanks for all this information to help a "newbie" insure that all goes well and we have a bountiful crop.

My girls are already fighting over who gets the first taste.

Best Wishes,

Mark

[Matron]

Thank you so much for all that useful information on how to grow better tomatoes. I have been a passionate veggie grower all my life and there are still new things I am learning. Good tip about the calcium, I will crush my eggshells now!

[Carolyn Jung]

Your guide is the next best thing to having you actually come to my garden to care of my tomato plants for me! Thanks for all the valuable tips.

[Elaine]

Hi Cynthia,

I also think you have a fantastic website and I love your tomato growing instructions.

Any chance that your 'master' tomato growing class will be held in Sept.?

I will be attending the Kendall-Jackson Tomatofest on Sat. Sept. 6 (10-4)--I sure would love to take a class on the 7th. Any chance you were thinking of having it then???

Best wishes, Elaine

[Luigi DeMartini]

Hi Cynthia:
Your passion for growing tomatoes is overwhelming and very contagious. I have been growing heirloom tomatoes for about 7 years and I have learned more from you than in all the books I've bought. I love the 'fish heads' and you.
Luigi

[Khanh Pham]

I would like to know what day in April is the best time to put tomato in the ground in north San Jose.?

Thanks,

[Love Apple Farm]

Khanh: Probably the best time in April to plant tomatoes in North San Jose would be no sooner that April 15. It's not the day temperatures that hurt them, it's the chilly night time temps in April that can affect them adversely.

[Jodi Avery]

Cynthia,
ALL my tomato seeds germinated,and they look fabulous! Deciding which ones to keep will be difficult. My friend, who also attended your class, had the same success with the exception of "Tigerella." I just got my Ronniger's potatoes and checked your guidance. Thank you for sharing your hard-earned wisdom!