It’s Tomato Time!

From choosing the right variety to outsmarting squirrels, Westlake Ace Hardware shares tips for growing a bumper tomato crop this summer.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 30, 2026) – Few things in life are as satisfying as walking out to your own garden and picking a sun-warmed tomato right off the vine. Whether you’re working with a big backyard plot or a single container on the deck, it’s easier than you think. And with the right know-how, it’s one of the most fun summer projects a family can tackle together. Follow these helpful tips from Westlake Ace Hardware for growing a tomato crop worth bragging about.

“Growing tomatoes is something nearly everyone can do, and it’s a fantastic activity for the whole family,” said Jennifer Schadegg, director of merchandising for Ace Retail Group, parent company of the Westlake Ace Hardware brand. “With a little planning and the right supplies, you’ll be picking vine-ripened tomatoes from your own backyard all summer long.”

Choosing the Right Variety

• Classic/Regular-Sized (Better Boy, Beefsteak, Early Girl): These are the garden staples most people picture when they think “tomato.” They are meaty, great for slicing, and taste wonderful fresh off the vine. 
• Cherry & Grape (Red Grape, Sugar Rush, Supersweet 100, and Sunsugar): These varieties are incredibly prolific and easy to grow. Perfect for snacking, salads, and getting kids excited about gardening. Just give them plenty of room, as they love to spread out.
• Patio/Container (Tumbling Tom, Patio, Bush Early Girl): Compact and bred specifically for smaller spaces, these container varieties are great for raised beds, balconies, and decks.

Planting: Location, Timing and Soil

• Tomatoes are sun-lovers, so give them at least six hours of direct sun every day. More sun means more fruit, so the sunniest spot in the yard wins.
• Wait until after the last frost and overnight temps are holding above 50 degrees F before transplanting outdoors.
• Before planting, mix compost or a quality garden soil into the top 12 inches of your bed. Tomatoes do their best work in slightly acidic soil, so pick up an inexpensive pH test to make sure you’re in the sweet spot (6.0–6.8).
• Strip the lower leaves and bury up to two-thirds of the stem. Roots will form all along the buried portion, giving you a stronger, more drought-tolerant plant.
• Give full-sized plants 24 to 36 inches of breathing room to keep air circulating and disease at bay.

Raised Beds, Containers, and a Clever Hack

• Raised beds warm up faster in spring, drain well, and give you complete control over soil quality. Fill with a quality raised bed soil mix and you’re off to a great start.
• Containers are perfect for patios and decks. Use at least a five-gallon container with drainage holes, and plan to water more frequently since containers dry out faster.
• Bag planter hack: Lay a bag of fertilizer-enriched potting soil flat, cut a few drainage holes in the bottom, flip it over, and cut planting holes in the top. Instant, inexpensive planter with nutrients already built in!

Staking and Caging

• Cages are the easiest way to go. Set heavy-gauge cages over young plants early in the season and they’ll do the heavy lifting all summer long.
• Stakes are a solid option for vining varieties. At planting time, secure stems with five- to six-foot wooden or metal stakes and tie stems loosely as the plant grows.

Watering and Fertilizing

• Water consistently at the base of the plant, aiming for one to two inches per week. Irregular watering is the main cause of blossom end rot and cracked fruit.
• Fertilize at planting with a balanced tomato fertilizer. Once flowers appear, switch to a lower-nitrogen, higher-potassium blend to push energy into fruit rather than leaves. Feed container plants every two weeks.

Disease and Insect Prevention

• Blight is the most common tomato troublemaker. Keep foliage as dry as possible, remove affected leaves right away, and apply a copper-based fungicide during stretches of wet weather.
• Pick hornworms and other insects off by hand and knock aphids loose with a strong blast of water. Neem oil or insecticidal soap handles anything more persistent.

Pruning for a Better Harvest

• Remove suckers by pinching off the small shoots that sprout in the “V” between the main stem and a branch. It redirects the plant’s energy from growing leaves to growing fruit.
• Strip the leaves from the bottom 12 inches of the plant to improve airflow and reduce the risk of disease.
• About four weeks before the first fall frost, pinch off any new flowers so the plant focuses on ripening what’s already there.

Keeping Squirrels Away

• Bird netting or hardware cloth is the most reliable defense. Get it in place before fruit starts to color up.
• A cayenne-based spray applied directly to the fruit will send most squirrels looking elsewhere. Reapply after rain.
• Harvest early and pick tomatoes at the “breaker” stage, when color is just starting to develop, and let them finish ripening on the kitchen counter. Squirrels can’t steal what’s already inside.

Harvesting

• Most varieties are ready to pick 60 to 80 days after transplanting. Fruit left too long on the vine attracts pests.
• To pick a tomato, twist and pull (or snip with clean pruners) and store at room temperature.