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Tomato Dirt #334: The best soil for tomato plants is …
May 01, 2025

Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 15, 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.


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The good folks at Burpee understand. They’re gardeners, too. And they have their favorite tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and herbs.

That’s why they’ve created their special Mix & Match offer. You can create your own custom 3-plant bundles of herbs and vegetables – and save money in the process.

Let’s say you want to grow Brandywine, Super Sweet 100 Tomatoes, and Sweet Emerald Giant Peppers. You can create your own bundle of those 3 varieties and purchase them at the bundle price!

Bundled plants come in multiples of 3. The more bundles you buy, the more you save. Buy two or more bundles and save an additional 20%. Check out the Mix & Match offer.


Check for tomato growing tips each day on our Facebook page


You’re invited to like Tomato Dirt's Facebook page and get plenty of tomato growing tips.

And please share our page with other gardeners you know!

Hop on over to Facebook and click “Like” right now, while you’re thinking about it.


FEATURE: The Best Soil for Tomatoes Is …


Image: Tomato Dirt

The best soil for tomato plants is well-draining, nutrient-rich loamy soil that is slightly acidic (pH around 6.0 to 6.9).

And that recipe is the same whether you’re growing tomatoes in an in-ground garden, in raised beds, or in containers.

When it comes to container tomatoes or raised bed tomatoes, you can choose a high-quality commercial mix specially formulated for tomatoes.

But in a garden plot, adding bags and bags of potting mix?

Way too expensive.

Here’s the dirt. The best soil for tomato plants has 5 characteristics. It’s loamy, nutrient-rich, well-drained, slightly acidic, and well-aerated.

Here are a few cost-effective tips to help make sure you’ve got the best soil for tomato plants in your very own garden. Keep reading …


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Tomato Growing Tip: The Best Soil For Tomato Plants Has ...


Image: Tomato Dirt


Get more tips for growing tomatoes on our Tomato Growing Tips Pinterest board.


Create Your Own Compost and Save Money


Compost: there’s a reason it’s called “black gold.” Adding compost to your soil is the single best thing you can do for your plants.

And you don’t need to pay top dollar for this amazing soil enricher. You can create your own compost right in your backyard using simple kitchen and garden refuse.

The best way to do that is by using a compost bin.

Building and maintaining a compost pile is the surest, easiest way to become a better gardener. And it’s great for the environment.

Not only will you be producing the best possible food for your garden, but by watching leaves, eggshells, orange rinds, and grass clippings become transformed into rich compost filled with earthworms and other soil creatures, you'll help re-use resources that you might otherwise throw away. Check out different kinds of compost bin models offered to Tomato Dirt readers from our friends at Burpee’s – and choose the one that works best for you.


More Tomato Planting Tips

How to Plant a Tomato Plant Step By Step When to Plant Tomatoes: A Helpful Guide10 Tomato Transplanting Mistakes to Avoid Best and Worst Companion Plants for Tomatoes

That’s it for now. More next time.

Until then, happy gardening!




Kathy with Tomato Dirt
www.tomatodirt.com
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