- 1). Till the soil in an area of your garden that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily. Start tilling in mid to late winter, at least six weeks before you intend to plant. This will give the manure time to decompose and spread out into the soil.
- 2). Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of horse manure over the surface of your garden area. Add 2 to 3 inches of organic compost as well. Run the tiller again to mix in these amendments to enrich your soil and increase drainage.
- 3). Plant tomato plants in your prepared soil bed after the final frost of the season has passed, generally in early to mid spring. Bury 2/3 of the stem of the tomato under the soil. Spacing depends on the type of tomato you have; dwarf plants can be planted as few as 12 inches apart, while larger plants should be spaced up to 3 feet.
- 4). Water the soil well so that it is thoroughly moist but not soaked. Spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch around the base of the plant to help the soil maintain moisture and battle weeds. Make sure you keep the mulch at least 6 inches away from the stem itself, to avoid burning the plant.
- 5). Install a tall, wooden stake next to your tomato plant to provide support. Once the plant reaches 4 to 6 inches tall, tie the stem to the stake with loose nylon cord to encourage it to grow up the stake. You will need to tie off the stem every 4 to 6 inches to keep it in place as it grows taller.
- 6). Water the soil around the tomato plants any time the top 1 inch of soil feels dry to the touch during hot summer weather. In cooler weather and when they are not producing fruit, the plants will require less water.
- 7). Fertilize the tomatoes with 1 tsp. of nitrogen fertilizer per plant once the tomatoes are the size of golf balls. This will encourage a boost of growth to produce large, healthy tomatoes. Depending on the species of tomato plant, it will be ready for harvest within 45 to 90 days.
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