How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Pole Tomatoes

Many of the most recognizable tomatoes are pole varieties. ‘Brandywine,’ ‘Cherokee Purple,’ and ‘Sun Gold’ are all pole types! These climbers may extend over six feet long when given support. They’ll clamber up trellises and arbors to produce a pillar of green leaves, yellow flowers, and bulging fruit.

Pole tomatoes are often indeterminate, meaning they produce fruit as long as the weather remains warm and sunny. With proper watering, fertilizing, and care, you can enjoy endless harvests from spring through fall. Some lucky growers, like those in Florida and Southern California, can grow tomatoes year-round!

Native Area

Pole tomatoes originated in Peru and parts of South America. Growers and farmers of the Inca Empire cultivated the plants we know today from wild ancestors. They helped give rise to the ripe red fruit we know and love today.

Nowadays, tomato plants grow all over the world! Cultivated varieties are popular wherever growing seasons are long, warm, and sunny. Pole types work best in warm climates with long summers, as they need time to mature and fruit. Determinate and bushy tomatoes are better for cold climates with short springs and summers. 

Characteristics

Pole tomato plants have long, flexible stems with green skin. The stems, leaves, and flowers have a dense coating of white fuzz. You’ll see the hairs when you look at the plants up close. 

Off the stems sprout yellow blossoms that mature into tomatoes. They form in clusters on short stems that attach to the main ones. When bumblebees or other pollinators visit these flowers, they shake them and cause pollination to occur. 

Tomatoes have perfect, or bisexual, blossoms. This means they have both male and female parts, and they can fertilize themselves when bumblebees are in short supply. Simply shake the blossoms to help pollinate them. 

Pole tomatoes are often indeterminate or endlessly growing. They thrive when the weather is warm and sunny and can reach up to ten feet tall when supported. Give them cages, stakes, or similar support, and they’ll clamber upwards until the first frost arrives in autumn.  

Planting

There are multiple ways to get tomatoes in your garden. Find potted seedlings available in garden centers, nurseries, and plant shops in late spring and early summer. If you have a short growing season, it’s a good idea to plant seeds indoors for easy transplanting after the last frost date. 

Growing From Seed

There’s typically more variety in tomato seeds than potted seedlings, as you can choose your favorites rather than what the local nursery has in stock. Seed starting is ideal for gardeners with a short growing season, but it’s also valuable for growers who want rare, hard-to-find cultivars. Indoors, start the seeds two to three months before your last average frost date.

Start by preparing pots for the seeds. Any type of pot will do, though some ideal types are quart pots, cube pots, and cell trays. I like to use large pots, like five-inch cube pots. Small pots constrict the roots in a shorter time than large ones, and the seedlings will require transplanting shortly after they germinate.  

Fill the pots with a seed starting or potting mix, then water the soil so it’s moist but not soggy. After watering, plant seeds an eighth to a quarter inch deep. Plant two or three seeds per pot in case one or two of them don’t sprout.

Seedlings need bright light and warm temperatures to thrive. Consider using grow lights to boost the brightness indoors, and heat mats to warm the pots so the seeds quickly germinate.

Transplanting

Whether you grow seedlings indoors or find potted ones at a local nursery, you’ll need to transplant them into your garden. Start by preparing holes for planting. How deep to dig depends on your planting method of choice. You have a few different options for planting tomatoes—choose the one that works best for you and your garden. 

You may bury the stems, lay them on their sides, or plant them normally. If you live in a hot region with recurring heat waves, you’ll want to plant the roots deeper than normal. Strip the lower leaves and bury the stems with soil; new roots will sprout from the buried stems.

Lying the stems on their sides is a unique method that keeps roots close to the upper portions of the ground. This is perfect for areas with short or cool growing seasons, as the upper portions of the ground are warmer than those below. 

After planting the seedlings, cover the soil with compost and water well. Place stakes or cages near the maturing plants to give them support while they grow. You may need to clamp them with plant tape or ties to ensure they don’t fall over. 

How to Grow

These nutrient-hungry crops need plenty of water, sunlight, and nutrients to thrive. Though they require more time and maintenance than other fruits and vegetables, their incredible flavor is well worth the effort! Homegrown tomatoes taste nothing like store-bought ones—they’re more flavorful, juicy, and sweet than their counterparts. 

Light

Pole tomato plants grow best with full sun. They need six or more hours of daily direct sunlight for maximum tomato production. Without enough sunlight, the plants will grow slowly, poorly, or not at all.

Shaded tomato plants are prone to more pests and diseases than sunlit ones. Plant them in a sunny spot that doesn’t get shade during the summer. If you already planted them in the shade, try pruning tall trees and shrubs near them to let in more light. 

Water

Consistent watering is key to successful fruit formation! With varying water levels, tomato fruit may split, crack, or rot on the ends. You want the soil to be consistently moist while the plants are in the ground.

Proper watering is crucial in keeping container plants happy, as they’re subject to drying out quickly on hot days. Small pots may need daily watering during the summer! Large pots require less watering, as the soil stays moist for long periods of time.

For best results, check the soil every few days to ensure it’s properly moist. Use drip irrigation, hoses, or overhead sprinklers. Whichever method is easy and efficient for you is your best watering method! 

Soil

The best soil for tomatoes is a loamy mix that’s well-drained and nutrient-rich. Loam is a term that describes an even mix of clay, silt, and sand. Most gardens have a variation of loam, whether it’s sandy loam or loamy clay. 

If the soil is soggy and dense, adding compost will increase drainage. If the soil is free-draining and too sandy, compost is also helpful! Compost increases nutrients, water retention, and drainage capabilities of existing soils. Layer it two to three inches thick in your raised beds, containers, and planters. 

Temperature

Like other summer crops, pole tomato vines need plenty of warmth and sunshine! Though they love the heat, heat waves and excessively high temperatures can cause issues for your budding tomatoes. Temperatures above 90°F (32°C) cause flowers to stop forming and drop from the stems. 

On the flip side, cold temperatures are dangerous for mature plants. Avoid temperatures lower than 55°F (13°C). Starting in autumn, move plants indoors, take cuttings, or save their seeds to grow them the next year.

Fertilizing

In average and nutrient-poor soils, fertilizing is key to a successful crop. Use organic fertilizers to avoid damaging the soil food web, an intricate ecosystem of fungi, bacteria, archaea, worms, and grubs. The soil food web is crucial for long-term growing success, as it breaks down nutrients into forms that plant roots can access. 

Use an organic fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Tomatoes need more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen, so choose a mix that’s low in nitrogen. The numbers on the packaging tell you the nutritional content. An ideal number for tomatoes is 3-4-6, or 3% nitrogen, 4% phosphate, and 6% potash. 

Some garden soils may have all the necessary nutrients for a healthy crop. They’ll require less fertilizer than normal to avoid growing issues. If you’re unsure, a soil testing kit is a great way to discover the nutritional content before you fertilize. 

Maintenance

Tomatoes are high-maintenance! Don’t be fooled by their deliciousness and juiciness. It’s important to stake them when you plant them to provide support for their climbing stems. Continuously attach the stems to the supports to keep them upright and vertical. 

Aside from staking, adding compost is a beneficial maintenance task that protects and feeds tomato roots throughout the season. Add more after it sinks and dwindles to a thin layer, keeping it between two and three inches thick. 

Propagation

There are two options for propagating pole tomato varieties that you enjoy growing and eating: taking cuttings and saving seeds. You’ll need to take cuttings of hybrid varieties to continue enjoying them, and you may save seeds of heirloom varieties to grow them the next spring. 

Cuttings

Taking cuttings is a great way to make clones of your favorite plants. Instead of hassling with drying and storing seeds, you can replicate your favorite tomato varieties and continue growing them over the winter. Cuttings need warm temperatures and bright light to thrive. This propagation method works well in mild climates and for growers with lots of indoor or greenhouse space.

Start by finding healthy stems with green, spotless leaves. Suckers, the sprouts between stems, are perfect for this method. Slice off four to eight-inch portions and strip them of their lower leaves. Leave two to three leaves attached on top. 

Place the cuttings in jars of water, or plant them in pots with moist potting soil. Keep the soil moist throughout the process, and wait for a few weeks while new roots sprout. You’ll know they’re ready for planting when you tug on them and they resist pulling. 

Grafting

Yes, grafting tomatoes is possible! Attach the tops of weak varieties to the bottoms of strong rootstock varieties for a Frankenstein tomato plant. This method is excellent if you like old, heirloom tomatoes but want to avoid pests and diseases. 

Using a grafting cutter or a sharp knife, carve tomato stems into grooves that interlock with each other. Make a V or W shape, then fit the tops of your favorite varieties with the bottoms of the rootstocks. Wrap the interlocking stems with plant or grafting tape, and place the tomatoes under a humidity dome until their wounds heal together.  

‘Fortamino’ is a superb type that works well as a rootstock, and ‘Estamino’ is another good type. Using a grafted rootstock is ideal for growers in hot climates, as it bolsters the plants against high summer temperatures and excessive heat.

Saving Seeds

Seed saving is a super way of saving money on seeds. Instead of buying from catalogs, you’ll have a ready supply of seeds in your pantry! This works well for heirloom and open-pollinated tomatoes, as they sprout true to seed. True to seed means the seedlings that grow will resemble the parent plants. 

Saving tomato seeds is a bit different from saving seeds of other crops. You must first ferment the seeds to dissolve their protective coating. Save them from the fruits, place them in a cup of water, and let them sit for three days to a week. Stir them once or twice a day.

You’ll notice mold forming after a few days—this is a good sign! The mold is a sign that fermentation is working. Remove the mold, rinse the seeds, and strain them. Dry them on a mat, then store them in jars or envelopes until you’re ready to plant them. Keep them in a cool, dry, and dark location like a pantry or drawer.

Harvesting and Storage

Harvest ripe tomatoes continuously to promote more flowers and fruit to form. Snip large types off the vine with some stem attached, and pick off cherry varieties with your fingers. If they aren’t fully ripe, leave them out in your kitchen at room temperature until they are. Store fresh tomatoes in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use them.

Canning, preserving, and sauce-making are other ways to preserve your harvest for later days. Store tomato sauce in the freezer, and keep pressure-canned mason jars full of tomatoes in your pantry. 

Common Problems

Pole tomato cultivars face a litany of problems! They attract fungal conditions, caterpillars, and spider mites. Keep them healthy to prevent infections and infestations, as a healthy plant better resists external pressures than a weak one. 

Pests

You may see one of the following pests on your pole tomato stems:

• Aphids
• Cabbage looper
• Cutworms
• Flea beetles
• Potato beetle
• Red spider mites
• Slugs
• Stink bugs
• Tobacco hornworms
• Tomato fruit worms
• Tomato hornworms
• Whiteflies

Prevent, manage, and treat pests using an integrated pest management strategy. Consult your local extension office for regional recommendations that’ll work well on the pests in your area. Sometimes a heavy blast of water, a diluted neem oil, or a biocontrol agent like Bt is all you need.

These simple treatment options won’t harm pollinators and beneficial bugs in the garden. Consider using these low-impact treatments before attacking the area with chemical sprays. 

Diseases

Like the many tomato pests, there is a wealth of diseases that harm growing tomato plants. Prevent these conditions by keeping tomato leaves off the ground. Proper watering, mulching, and fertilizing will also prevent these conditions from occurring. 

Overhead watering can spread some conditions, like blight and powdery mildew. Consider using a different irrigation system if diseases are rampant in your tomato crop. 

Frequently Asked Questions