- Choose a variety whose days to maturity fit your growing season. Determinate plants stay more compact; indeterminate vines keep growing and need taller support.
- Harden off indoor-grown seedlings before planting. Wait until frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed, then transplant on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon.
- Plant at the same depth as the pot or a little deeper. Tomatoes can form roots along buried stem, but a fixed 45-degree angle is not required.
- Install a sturdy cage or stake at planting time so roots are not damaged later.
- Water at soil level and keep moisture reasonably even. Mulch after the soil has warmed to reduce splashing and moisture swings.
- Use a soil test before adding fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can produce a leafy plant with fewer tomatoes.
Pick tomatoes when they show the colour and firmness expected for the variety. Sound fruit that has begun changing colour can finish ripening indoors if frost threatens. Do not eat leaves or stems, and discard spoiled fruit. Wash tomatoes under cool running water just before eating or cutting them.
Botanically, a tomato is a fruit because it develops from a flower and contains seeds. In the kitchen it is usually treated as a vegetable—which is a perfectly good excuse for both sides to claim it.