Gardener: Tips for terrific tomatoes

If there's one universal edible that most people grow, it's the tomato. Even occasional gardeners will put a tomato in a pot and eagerly await the harvest. And it's no wonder — picking these juicy gems and eating them fresh off the vine produces some of the best summer moments.

But there are some caveats about growing tomatoes. Keep these tips in mind for growing healthy, juicy tomatoes.

Start with great soil. Well-amended soil, full of rich compost and other organic material, can be your secret weapon to having the best tomatoes around. There is no manmade substitute for good old-fashioned compost. A few years back, I let a tomato plant grow in my compost bin. The plant never got diseased, and became heavy with abundant large red tomatoes. This plant produced tomatoes right up until the first frost, and their taste was outstanding.

Plant only healthy tomato plants. By starting with disease-free plants, you have a better chance of keeping them that way. There are many disease-resistant varieties available. Known as hybrids, these plants have been developed to make them more resistant to common diseases. Although you can't beat the taste of heirloom tomatoes, they are more susceptible to disease problems. However, there are ways to minimize the risks.

Pick a sunny spot. Tomatoes should receive full sun, in order to produce compact plants with bountiful fruit; this means at least six hours each day. Those of you with less sun to work with should not despair. Your tomato plants will become a bit spindly because they are looking for sunlight. Try determinate varieties that get to a certain height and stop growing. Most smaller varieties are determinate.

Plant deeply and far enough apart. Don't plant your tomatoes too close together or you'll be inviting disease. They like plenty of room to grow and need enough space so that light and air circulation around the plant is abundant. Dig a hole about twice as wide as your pot. Ideally, most should be planted 2 to 3 feet apart. Don't be afraid that you'll plant your tomatoes too deeply. Tomatoes will root along the stem. The larger the root system, the stronger the plant. You can bury a tomato plant up to the top set of leaves. I leave about two sets of leaves showing above the soil level and strip off the rest of the leaves below that when planting. This step will ensure a larger root area and a more vigorous plant.