Now is the perfect time to get your tomatoes planted in Austin! Tomatoes need at least six to eight hours of sun a day to produce well and full sun is best.  So find a good location for your red darlings!

They need well-drained soil with a pH around 6.0 to 6.8. Think about placing mulch to keep the ground moist and cool.  It’s a also a good idea to fertilize with compost and nitrogen based fertilizers a few times after planting!

Summers get very hot here in Austin and tomato plants need a lot of care.  I’ve had the best luck with Celebrity and Early girl varieties.  I find it’s okay to start picking them when the begin turning red.  If left too long on the vine, birds and insects can get them.  A sunny window sill is a great place to keep them for a few days.

Tomato planting resources can be found here.  The Urban Gardener also has a great blog with beautiful pictures!

Happy Gardening from your family at 12 Oaks Dental!

Written by Deborah Burroughs