15 Tips for Successfully Growing Tomatoes Outdoors
Growing tomatoes outside can be a bit tricky, but it’s far from impossible. At TGH, we’ve been gardening for years, and only recently started using a greenhouse. Before that, all our tomatoes were grown outdoors.
With the right care, outdoor tomatoes can produce just as well as greenhouse ones. In this guide, we’ll share our top tips to help you avoid common problems like blight and boost your harvest.
How to Grow Tomatoes Outdoors
Tomatoes need four main things: light, warmth, water, and airflow. While light and heat can be limited in cooler climates, water and air are easy to find outdoors — giving outdoor growing some clear advantages.
Picking the right tomato varieties for outdoor growing is just as important as how you grow them. Tomatoes originally come from warm, humid areas like Peru and Bolivia, but many modern types have been bred to handle cooler conditions.
10 Best Tomato Varieties for Cool Climates
Fast-growing tomatoes are often best for outdoor planting, especially in cooler areas. Here are some reliable varieties:
1. Gardener’s Delight – A classic salad tomato with good pest resistance.
2. Ferline – Disease-resistant and early ripening.
3. Patio Plum – Compact, great for containers and small spaces.
4. Ailsa Craig – Great flavor, produces later in the season.
5. Indigo Rose – Striking dark fruits, sweet flavor.
6. Black Cherry – Deep color, rich taste, good for sauces or salads.
7. Banana Legs – Yellow plum tomato, unique flavor, needs space.
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9. Super Marmande – Large beefsteak variety, quick to ripen.
10. Golden Sunrise – Bright yellow fruits, ideal for containers.
15 Tips for Outdoor Tomato Success
1. Pick disease-resistant types – Especially helpful against blight.
2. Start seeds early indoors – Late February is ideal.
3. Harden off seedlings – Gradually get them used to the outdoors.
4. Buy hardened seedlings if you can – Ready to plant right away.
5. Plant in full sun – At least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
6. Plant deeply – Helps roots grow stronger and deeper.
7. Leave space between plants – Improves air flow and reduces disease.
8. Use companion plants – Basil, marigolds, and nasturtiums help repel pests.
9. Support vining tomatoes – Tie them up weekly.
10. Use cages for bush (determinate) types – For gentle support.
11. Start feeding at flowering – Boosts strength and fruit growth.
12. Water wisely – Check the soil before watering; don’t overdo it.
13. Prune smartly – Cut excess foliage to reduce disease risk.
14. Check for pests often – Catch problems early.
15. Remove leaves when fruit ripens – Sunlight helps speed ripening.
Final Thoughts
Growing tomatoes outside isn’t as hard as it seems. If you follow these simple steps, you’ll enjoy a healthy, productive tomato crop even without a greenhouse. Just remember, you can’t control the wind — but you can prepare your plants to thrive despite it