Tomatoes: The Crop That Keeps You on Your Toes

Tomatoes: The Crop That Keeps You on Your Toes

There’s no crop that keeps me on my toes quite like tomatoes. They start out slow, almost polite — a few green leaves, a thin stem, a promise of something good to come. They sit there for weeks in the cool spring soil, looking like they might not make it at all. And then, once the sun really sets in and the nights stay warm, they put the pedal down.

If you’ve been growing tomatoes for a while, you know this dance. If you’re new to it — welcome to the chaos.

Here are a few mid-season reminders from someone who’s currently in the trenches:

• Stay on top of trellising. I can’t say this enough — get out there and tie them up. Miss a week and suddenly your tidy row is a sprawling jungle with plants sprawled in every direction. And once they’re on the ground, they’ll invite all sorts of trouble: pests, disease, and fruit that rots before you even see it. Whether you’re using stakes, cages, or a full-on trellis system, keeping them upright means better airflow, healthier plants, and easier harvesting later.

• Keep an eye out for hornworms. Those fat, sneaky green caterpillars can strip a plant overnight. They blend in so well you’ll swear they weren’t there yesterday. Look for chewed leaves, stripped stems, or little black droppings on the leaves — that’s your sign. When you find one, pick it off. (Pro tip: if you’ve got chickens, toss it to them. It’s like handing out candy.)

• Harvest often. Once those first fruits ripen, get out there and pick. The more you harvest, the more the plant produces. Leaving ripe fruit hanging too long tells the plant its job is done — and nothing shuts down production faster. Plus, leaving them too long invites splits, pests, and the birds who think you’ve set out a buffet just for them.

And a bonus tip? Water deep and steady. Fluctuations in watering — too much one week, none the next — cause cracks. Keep it consistent and you’ll be harvesting a better crop.

And then, before you know it, you’ll be swimming in them — which is when the real fun begins: caprese salads piled high with basil, roasted trays headed for the freezer, sauce simmering on the stove, and bags of extras quietly left on your neighbor’s porch because you’ve run out of jars and counter space.

Tomatoes can be a handful, sure. But they’re also the taste of summer — bright, sweet, a little tangy — and worth every bit of effort.

P.S. Drowning in tomatoes? Stop by the farm stand. We’ll trade recipes, swap storage tips, and commiserate about that one variety that split the second you looked at it sideways.

Missed getting tomatoes into the garden this year? Don’t worry, we've got you! Tomatoes have officially begun showing up in the farm stand.