Updated June 2025 Now that you’ve got your tomato planted, there are other things to keep in mind, like how to minimize its upkeep. One way is by spreading mulch, such as a layer of compost, straw, or grass clippings, around—but not quite up to—the base of the plant. Mulch functions as a weed barrier,…

Updated June 2025 People are understandably disappointed when the plants they’ve carefully tended and nurtured fail to produce the bountiful crop they dreamed about all winter. Growing tomatoes in the north can be tricky for one main reason: our uniquely humid midsummer climate. The month of July in most northern climates is notable for extended…

Post updated May 2025. If you’ve had a chance to attend the Gardening Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, you may have run across the hugely popular presentation on growing tomatoes given by Joey and Holly Baird of the Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener website. The Bairds grow more than 100 tomato plants each year, and have created more…