High Yield Tomato Plants: 50-80 lbs per Plant

Home grown tomatoes are simply the best. They offer much more flavor than those sold at the grocery stores and even at many markets. Growing your own tomatoes is a great way for you and family to enjoy lots of fresh (and organic!) tomatoes and save money too!

Learn how to get 50-80 lbs of tomatoes from every tomato plant. Planting a garden can be a lot of fun but get a harvest is really what it is all about. Follow these steps to dramatically improve your tomato harvest.

1. Buy the right plants for your area. Talk with the Master Gardener association or university agriculture extension in your area.
2. Lay plants on their side so the tips will grow upwards.
3. Dig a trench and bury all but the top 3 inches.
4. Add 1/4-1/2 cup slow release fertilizer, like cotton seed meal, Osmocote, etc., to the trench.
5. Build a 5 foot high 2 foot diameter cage around each plant.
6. Cover cage on the sides and on top with “floating row cover” (a light polyester material) or plastic to protect from wind and weather until plants are large and strong and weather is warm.
7. Weekly apply water soluble fertilizer, like Rapid Grow or Miracle Grow, through a hose-end fertilizer applicator on the leaves.
8. When plants have set their first cluster of fruit, side dress with two to three tablespoons of ammonium sulfate and water well.
9. Pick tomatoes when 30% ripe to avoid the birds from eating them.
10. Do not put tomatoes in the refrigerator. Keep on the kitchen counter.