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Cheers to My Personal Tomato Favorites
Every tomato gardener eventually reaches a point where the question changes.
It’s no longer, “Can I grow tomatoes?”
It becomes, “Which tomatoes do I always want in my garden?”
This chapter is my …
growing tomatoes
Tomatoes for Salads, Sandwiches, and Snacking
Some tomatoes are destined for jars and freezers.
Others never make it past the garden gate.
These are the tomatoes that get eaten standing up, juice running down your wrist, before you’ve …
Growing Tomatoes for Flavor
If you ask gardeners why they grow tomatoes, they’ll say things like freshness, abundance, or self-reliance. But if you listen carefully—really carefully—you’ll hear the truth underneath it all:
They’re chasing flavor.
Not …
Tomato Diseases and Disorders
If pests feel like uninvited guests, diseases and disorders feel more personal.
They show up quietly.
They look alarming.
And they often send gardeners spiraling toward worst-case conclusions.
Here’s the reassuring truth:
Most tomato “diseases” …
Growing Tomatoes Hydroponically
If growing tomatoes in soil is a conversation with nature, growing tomatoes hydroponically is more like a carefully managed partnership.
Every input matters.
Every adjustment shows results.
And when it’s working, it can …
Growing Tomatoes Indoors with Soil and Grow Lights
Let’s begin with a little honesty, because tomatoes deserve it—and so do you.
Growing tomatoes indoors with soil and grow lights can work.
It can be deeply satisfying.
It can even be productive.
But …
Growing Tomatoes in Containers
If there’s one myth I’d like to retire for good, it’s this:
“You need a big garden to grow great tomatoes.”
You don’t.
Some of the most productive, flavorful tomatoes I’ve ever grown …
Growing Tomatoes in Raised Beds
Raised beds are where many gardeners fall in love with tomato growing all over again.
They’re tidy.
They’re efficient.
They warm up early.
They drain beautifully.
And perhaps most importantly, they give you more control—over …
Growing Tomatoes In-Ground
I’m still convinced that nothing quite matches a tomato grown with its roots deep in real earth.
There’s something deeply satisfying about growing tomatoes directly in the ground.
No containers to tip …
Seeds, Seedlings, and Starts
I’ve started tomatoes every possible way, sometimes wisely, sometimes experimentally, and occasionally a little too early.
Every tomato season begins with a decision that feels small at the time—but echoes all …
