The coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest aren’t necessarily the best for growing tomatoes.  We may have lots of summer daylight, but it’s a relatively short season bookended by wet weather and cooler temperatures.  My first year growing tomatoes in this region was pretty sad.  The plants produced lots of fruit, but they just didn’t ripen.  In the years since, I’ve learned a few things so that now I’m almost drowning in the sweet, luscious fruits every summer.  If you live in a short growing season area, these tips are likely to work for you, too.

• Get an early start. Plant seeds about 6 weeks before the last frost date, either indoors or in 60 degree + greenhouse with heat mats.  Or, take the easy route and purchase healthy starts in 5 inch or 1 gallon pots.  Get your plants in the ground within a week or two after the first frost free date and/or when the soil temperatures are at least in the 50’s.  If the nights get unexpectedly cool, use a row cover cloth or plastic to help insulate them. 

• Feed your plants often. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so plan to add additional fertilizer throughout their growing season.  As mentioned elsewhere on this site, I’m a fan of Dr. Earth’s Organic Tomato, Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer. I mix some into the soil before planting according to the directions, and sprinkle a small handful around the base of each plant every 2-3 weeks up until August.

• Prune to let light in. Once the plants are setting fruit, it’s time to make sure enough light is penetrating throughout the bush.  Sunlight = ripening and if the fruit is too shaded, well, plan on eating a lot of green tomatoes. By strategically removing specific kinds of leaves, you can increase your odds of red fruit success.  Which leaves are they?  You can identify them along the stem just beneath the “sucker” shoots.  See photo.  I learned this trick from my gardener pal, Ben, and after several years of practice, I can honestly say removing these specific leaves does not limit the vitality of the plants, or their fruit production.  I’ve done this with determinate and indeterminate varieties alike. Note, sunscald on the fruit hasn’t been an issue for me in this area, but could be in areas where there is intense heat and not enough leaf cover to help shield the fruits, so don’t go too crazy removing leaves if your plants will be exposed to extreme heat and sun.

• Have a staking system in place.  Whether you are growing in pots or in the ground, your plants will need support for the weight of the fruit.  It can be so disappointing to lose a branch of promising fruit to a broken or bent stem. Trust me, I’ve been there.

• Big Tip: Stop watering in late summer. For tomato growers in the PNW, stop watering the plants in mid to late August to force them into ripening their remaining fruit. Yes, it can be hard to watch the plants you’ve nurtured all summer begin to wither, but it will produce a better harvest. Plus, it beats the alternative of ending up with green, mushy fruit to clean up once the rains return. 

One of the joys of summer for me is eating and sharing fresh, off-the-vine tomatoes. Sweet 100s, Sungolds, romas, heirlooms…they are all a delight. If you have tips or tricks that bring you tomato harvest triumph, I would so appreciate your sharing them so more people can successfully grow this bit of summer happiness.