[Tomato Dirt #201] Don’t Mulch Your Tomato Plants Too Soon

Back to Back Issues Page

[Tomato Dirt #201] Don’t Mulch Your Tomato Plants Too Soon
May 07, 2020

Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 10, Number 9

Dear Tomato Dirt reader,

Welcome back to Tomato Dirt! A couple times a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with tips about growing tomatoes and using them.

How to Grow Anything: 75% Off for Tomato Dirt Readers

Join horticulture expert Melinda Myers in learning How to Grow Anything and get step-by-step gardening tricks for growing vegetables, herbs, and fruit … now 75% off for Tomato Dirt readers. And check out other online courses at Bluprint for special discounts, too! Learn more here.

Tomato Dirt is on Pinterest

Join us on Pinterest! Browse our 100+ boards (and growing) for all kinds of tomato inspiration and practical information: growing tomatoes, tomato seeds, cold frames for tomatoes, tomato books, tomato greenhouses, , indoor tomatoes – even crafts to do with a tomato theme. Happy pinning!

FEATURE: Don’t Mulch Tomato Plants Too Early

Image: USDA

Once you set your tomato plants in your garden, it can be tempting to make the plot look nice by adding mulch.

Resist the temptation to mulch your tomato plants. Wait until the soil has warmed – about 3-5 weeks after setting plants in the garden.

Why?

Tomatoes like heat. The soil needs to heat up as much as possible before adding layers.

Early in the season, the ground is still cool (especially in northern regions or where the temperatures dip at night). Mulching traps in the cold. If you mulch early. you'll also delay blossoms, which delays fruit development, which leads to a later harvest.

Bottom line: wait …or you’ll be waiting extra long to eat fresh tomatoes.

Find out more tips and how-tos for mulching your tomato plants … and be sure to check out our Mulching Tomatoes board on Pinterest for more companion planting ideas.

Best Tips for Growing Tomatoes: Bestseller in 89 Countries

THE tomato-growing Bible and best-seller in 89 countries: How to Grow Juicy Tomatoes.

Two horticulturalists combine forces to give you advice about the right way to prune, fertilize, water and stake tomatoes. You’ll be able to diagnose pest and disease problems using step by step priceless information, illustrated with 260 full color photos.

Get the book and you’ll also get 6 free bonuses, including the Family Tomato Cookbook and a database of 1300 varieties of tomatoes.

More details here.

FREE Kitchen Gardener Planner for Tomato Dirt Readers!

Our friends at Gardener’s Supply offer this FREE Kitchen Garden Planner so you can use square-foot gardening techniques to create your own super-productive veggie garden, no matter how much or how little space you have. Customize a pre-planned garden or create your own using their cool online tools! Check it out here.