Planting tomatoes: Why February is so important

vegetable garden
Planting tomatoes: How the little powerhouses get from the windowsill to the bed

Whether in the garden or on the balcony – anyone can plant tomatoes. The star explains how the tiny seeds develop into delicious powerhouses within four months and what the ice saints have to do with it.

They are called “Harzfeuer”, “Moneymaker”, “Red Zebra” or “Deutscher Fleiß” – tomatoes are not only among the most popular vegetables among Germans. They also have imaginative names, are incredibly diverse and very healthy. Experts believe there are more than 10,000 varieties of the frugal nightshade plant around the world. And the best thing is: the low-calorie vitamin C bombs can easily be grown and raised on the balcony or in your own garden. It’s not just fun – the fruits from our own harvest also taste tastier than imported goods from abroad ripened in the greenhouse.

Here we explain how, with a little patience, the right timing, a few seeds and a bit of luck, you don’t have to buy tomatoes in the supermarket this year.

Planting tomatoes: From the windowsill into the bed

Admittedly, buying tomatoes at the weekly market or supermarket is much more convenient than taking them from tiny seed to ripe fruit yourself. And it’s better to start a little earlier than too late. Because tomatoes have to be grown early – unless you choose young ones that have already been pre-grown Plants from garden shops.

The three most important tips for preferring tomatoes

As a rule, after eight to ten days, the first seedlings fight their way through the soil into the sunlight. To prevent them from dying or hindering each other’s growth, the tomatoes should be pricked out after about three weeks, i.e. distributed into individual plant pots. Because they are very sensitive to cold, the tomato plants have to stay in the apartment or in a small greenhouse on the balcony for a few weeks afterwards. They do not need fertilizer during this time. To do this, they should continue to be watered regularly. Trick: a short dry phase immediately before sowing gives root growth an additional impulse. There is a complete package with 12 varieties for balconies and beds.

Tip: For the balcony, experts recommend using bush tomatoes (e.g. “Miniboy”). They grow compactly and rather low and are considered extremely productive.

Get outdoors: But be careful of the ice saints!

The young tomato plants are not allowed outside until mid-May at the earliest – more precisely after the Ice Saints, which, according to an old farmer’s rule, bring cold polar air and repeated ground frost to Central Europe in the approaching summer. In 2024, Petrus has scheduled the Ice Saints in Germany again for May 11th to 15th. If the plants are already outdoors, the cultivation could have been in vain. By the way, in 2022 and 2023 the Ice Saints avoided Germany. But you shouldn’t rely on it.

Tomatoes are so-called heavy feeders. They remove a lot of nutrients from the soil. These must be regularly supplied to the plants outdoors in the form of fertilizer – ideally organic. When using ready-made fertilizers from the garden center, careful attention should be paid to the dosage and the soil in your own garden should be taken into account. Sandy soils require significantly more additional fertilizer than, for example, clayey soils. Professionals enrich their tomato beds with ripe compost in the fall, creating a perfect base for the plants that go into the ground in mid-May. The seedlings should be planted so deep in the soil that the upper edge of the pot ball is covered with around five centimeters of soil. The ideal distance between plants is 50 to 60 centimeters. They then need to be watered vigorously. There is the right soil for your tomatoes here.

Important: Tomatoes should be planted in a fresh bed every year. Why? Because soil pests multiply rapidly when plants are in the same place every year.

As easy to care for and popular neighbors By the way, herbs such as are suitable basil (There is a seed set for the herb garden here), but also Carrots, radishes, spinach, garlic, lettuce or celery. Experts suspect that the spicy smell of tomato leaves can scare away pests. Potatoes, peas and fennel, on the other hand, should be kept away from tomatoes.

With full power to fruit: Proper care is everything

A green thumb, a lot of love and a few little tricks. That’s all you need for a rich tomato harvest. Once the plants have formed flowers, they should be treated with one every two weeks if possible Tomato fertilizer be supplied. Basically, it is important that the plants do not get too big. As a rule, no more than five to seven inflorescences ripen per plant. Excessive, so-called stingy instincts, can be cut or broken out without hesitation. The leaves below the first fruit cluster are also superfluous and deprive the lower fruits of sunlight.

Tip: Apart from bush tomatoes, all tomato plants require what is called climbing aid. The spiral rods should be inserted into the ground when planting outdoors. The main shoot is constantly twisted through the coils to fix the plant.

Depending on the variety, the first outdoor/garden tomatoes are ready to harvest at the end of July at the latest, i.e. around four months after being grown on the windowsill at home. We wish you “Bon Appetit!”

Sources: Plantura; ndr.de; mein-schoener-garten.de

Transparency note: This article was first published in April 2020.

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