How to Grow Tomatoes in the South
- 1). Choose the right time of year to plant. Tomatoes grow well in the warmth, but will not set flowers when the temperature is above 85 F. In hot climates, this usually means you can grow tomatoes twice a year: from January to April, and from September to December. Good tomato varieties for warm climates such as the South include Heatwave II, Moneymaker, Sioux, Sun Gold (a cherry tomato) and Viva Italia (a plum tomato).
- 2). Choose the right location for your tomatoes, one that gets six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. In this spot, use a spade to dig a hole that is deep enough to almost completely bury the plant when it is vertical. You will want most of the plant under the soil. This generates roots all along the buried stem, allowing it to absorb the maximum amount of water and nutrients and resulting in a stronger plant as time goes on. Work some organic matter into the soil to increase its acidity. This will also help the plant access nutrients in the soil, making it less susceptible to nematodes.
- 3). Remove your tomato plant from its plastic pot carefully. If its roots have begun to wind around tightly, gently pull them apart with your fingers so they will grow outward once they are in the ground, instead of continuing to grow in a circle. Place your plant in the deep hole you just dug and replace the soil around it, leaving just the top set of leaves exposed on top of the soil. Gently firm the soil around these top leaves and water the surrounding soil thoroughly.
- 4). Center the tomato cage on the soil so that the ring at the top is directly above the top leaves. Press the legs into the soil as far as they will go. As the plant grows, it will reach up through various levels of the cage. The cage will support the weight of the branches and the fruit, and air will freely circulate around them, making for a healthier plant.
- 5). Spread mulch around the base of the plant. Because the South gets very hot, the soil will lose moisture more quickly if the ground is not mulched.
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