START WITH A HEALTHY PLANT
Whether you start from seed or buy a transplant at your local garden center, making sure it is set up to be as healthy as possible from the start is crucial.  We have created a seed treatment called Benefit Quick-Germ.  This has incredible results whether you put it on the seed or use it when you transplant your plants to your garden.  A sprinkle in the area of the seed or the starter is all you need. 

SUNLIGHT, SUNLIGHT, SUNLIGHT

Tomato plants need 10+ hours a day of direct sunlight.  Whether you have them in rows in your garden or growing them in raised beds, they need direct sunlight.  Don't plant them next to a tree line or shaded areas and you should be good to go!

DON'T OVER WATER

One of the biggest issues people face when gardening is over watering.  Tomatoes do best when they have 1-2 inches of water PER WEEK.  You will notice your tomato plant leaves starting to turn yellow or your plant will start developing root rot if they are over watered.  We recommend watering them once a week and hardening the plant so the plant then when the heat of summer hits will know how to go out and find water in the soil.  If you water them daily, they will become dependent on water and start to wilt if they don't have it consistently.

SUPPORT THE PLANT

Tomato plants once they start to grow will need support.  Tomato cages or fencing need to be added for support of the plant as it grows but also as it sets fruit as that adds a substantial load to each branch.  You can also add tomato ties to hold up the branches as well.

TRIM LOWER BRANCHES

To reduce the chance of disease getting to your plant trim the bottom branches.  They are the most likely to get disease and also if they set a fruit most likely that fruit has direct contact with the ground causing rot to the fruit.

PINCH THE SUCKERS

The suckers on a tomato plant are the small branches that come out of any Y of a branch.  Below is a picture of what needs pulled when you see them as they "suck" nutrients from the plant.

FERTILIZE AT THE RIGHT TIME

The main reason the Benefit Garden line was developed was to make feeding your plants simple and effective.  Benefit is a foliar applied fertilizer which increases the efficiency as compared to dry fertilizer that is mixed with the soil.  Our line of products are to be applied to the plant once a week at the different stages of plant development so the plant gets exactly what it needs at the right time. 

"TICKLE" THE BLOOMS

Tomato plants are self pollinating so if you tickle each yellow bloom they will set a fruit.  This will increase your production guaranteed on all of your plants.