In this month’s Food Gardening Magazine, you get everything you need to know about growing tomatoes at home—the most popular home-gardening food item, with 86% of American households growing this versatile fruit. And with more than 7,000 varieties of tomatoes, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the possible choices of which tomatoes to grow.

We’ve got you covered! You get all the tips, techniques, and advice about how to start and maintain an awesome tomato garden. And we cover growing tomatoes for beginners and skilled gardeners alike.

Plus, you get specific advice about growing tomatoes outside—including growing tomatoes in pots, containers, or planters; growing tomatoes in raised beds; and growing tomatoes in small spaces. And if growing tomatoes indoors is your thing, you learn about growing tomatoes indoors hydroponically; growing tomatoes indoor with lights; and growing tomatoes indoors year-round.

This gardening guide about tomatoes is your #1 guide for being the best tomato gardener you can be! You should refer to this gardening guide whenever you have questions about your tomato garden—from planning to planting and from maintaining and nurturing to harvesting and reaping the rewards in your kitchen.

First, you get a complete Introduction to Tomatoes—including the history and background of this terrific fruit. Yes, tomatoes are, botanically speaking, a fruit! Find out about a Supreme Court case that declared tomatoes to be fruit. And get all the history about the origins of the tomato and how this once-despised food item became popular in Europe and the United States.

Then, you get Feature Articles about Tomatoes that include:

• Types of Tomato Plants—learn the difference between standard and hybrid tomatoes. And find out exactly what constitutes an heirloom tomato.
• How to Avoid Cross-Pollination of Heirloom Tomatoes—discover the best ways to avoid cross-pollinating your heirloom tomatoes, complete with pictures to help explain the methods.
• Classifications of Tomato Plants—do you know the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomato plants? And why it matters for your planting needs? Find out the answers now.
• A Word About Varieties of Tomato Plants—varieties of tomatoes explained! Get a quick summary about the varieties to grow for your eating pleasure, plus some valuable tomato-harvesting tips.
• Choosing to Grow Tomatoes from Seeds or Seedlings—find out what it takes to grow your tomato plants from seeds, or whether you’re better off starting your tomato garden from seedlings.
• Growing Tomatoes in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds—everything you need to know about growing your tomatoes on your property. Find out which type of garden is best for your needs and situation.
• Starting with the Right Soil for Your Tomato Plants—get specific advice about the best soil for growing your tomatoes. Plus, a list of good and bad “companion” plants—make sure you don’t plant some of these items near your tomatoes!
• The Right Sunlight for Your Tomatoes—ensure that your tomato plants get just the right amount of sunlight with this advice. Avoid exposing your tomato fruit to too much sunlight! Find out how in this article.
• Should You Fertilize Your Tomato Plants?—if and when you should fertilize your tomato plants, fully explained. Plus, specific fertilizer types for your soil that are perfect for growing tomatoes.
• How—and When—to Water Your Tomato Plants—watering your tomato garden should be easy. Here are the best methods for ensuring your plants get the right amount (not too much and not too little) of water. Plus, discover the best times of day to water your tomato garden!
• How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Tomato Diseases—this is your guide to ensuring that your tomato plants don’t suffer from common plant diseases. Prevent diseases in the first place—plus, best tips for treating any affected tomato plants.
• What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Tomato Plants—easy tips for eliminating pesky pests from your tomato garden!
• The Right Way to Weed Your Tomato Garden—find out the best ways to ensure you stop weeds in the first place! Keep your tomato garden weed-free with this advice.
• Tomato Rot: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Blossom-End Rot—make sure your tomato harvest is bountiful and avoid tomato rot that can really spoil your fruit.
• Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Tomatoes—get the full list of essential gardening tools and equipment for growing tomatoes … and for almost all of your gardening needs.

Next, this premium gardening guide highlights six popular tomato varieties to help you choose the varieties you want to grow—this is just a sampling of the many varieties available:

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Roma (or Plum) Tomatoes
• San Marzano Tomatoes
• Red Beefsteak Tomatoes
• Green Beefsteak Tomatoes

And all your tomato-gardening efforts are made more satisfying when you have quick and easy-to-make recipes, to ensure your harvest is enjoyed by everyone you serve at your home. Food Gardening Network is all about providing delicious recipes for making yummy dishes. Try these recipes and enjoy your tomato harvest:

• Cherry Tomato Salad
• Balsamic Bruschetta
• Fresh Tomato Salsa
• Salsa Seafood Soup
• Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Stewed Tomatoes
• Fried Green Tomatoes

Next, you’ll learn all about the health benefits of tomatoes with Nutrition Facts about Tomatoes and Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Tomatoes. Learn about all the wonderful and beneficial attributes of tomatoes—and how you can use tomatoes to boost your overall health.

And to be sure you have everything you need to grow your own tomatoes, we’ve included a Resources about Tomatoes section—so that you can easily find additional tools and information about tomatoes.

Finally, our Glossary section gives you the explanation of key tomato-gardening terms and concepts—so, you’re never in the dark or confused about important tomato-gardening ideas.

Check out this premium gardening guide now—The Everything Tomato Guide—All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating Delicious Tomatoes—and you’ll really learn everything you need to know about tomatoes!

Norann Oleson, Victoria Arnold, and Samantha Pulcherz contributed to the creation of this gardening guide.