Dana Rene Bowler / Star staff Ventura 03/19/08 Heirloom tomatoes in Southern California. Dana Rene Bowler / Star staff

Contra Costa Times file photo For healthy plants and more tomatoes, amend the soil and plant seedlings deeply.

Getting the most out of a tomato garden takes water, sunshine, some fertilizer and a few tricks of the trade. These tips will help get you started.

Know your tomato

Check the plastic ID tag that came with your seedling. Does it say "determinate"? That means that the mature plant will be bushy, requiring little or no staking. "Indeterminate" tomatoes typically have a vinelike growth pattern that benefits from being trained over a cage or trellis.

Know your climate

Gardeners in cooler climes may have better luck with "early" varieties like Siberia, a determinate tomato that reaches maturity in just 48 days, or Isis Candy (indeterminate, 67 days). It's also a good idea to stick with varieties that produce tomatoes that are no larger than a baseball, or that are described as doing well in containers.

Another trick: Seek out a fenced area that is sheltered from cool breezes and/or plant your tomatoes near a south-facing wall that will reflect sunlight — and heat — back onto your tomatoes as they grow.

Gardeners in warmer inland areas can grow just about anything, including comparatively "late" tomatoes like Big Rainbow (indeterminate, 80 to 85 days) and Beefsteak (indeterminate, 90 to 100 days).

Feed the soil

Before planting, amend your soil with compost and/or trace minerals in the form of greens or an organic plant food like Dr. Earth for vegetables. A mild fertilizer like fish emulsion or one in which the first number is lower than the second (such as 5-10-10) may be used sparingly during the growth period. Avoid boosting the soil's nitrogen level, which may encourage the growth of leaves at the expense of fruit. Amend the soil when planting, and again when the plants begin to flower.

Some gardeners swear by homemade amendments. One calls for mixing 1/4 cup Epsom salts with 1/2 cup powdered instant tea and 2 cups worm castings (available by the bag at most garden centers). Sprinkle a handful of the concoction around the bottom of each hole before planting.

Go deep

Dig a hole deep enough to sink the tomato in to just below its lowest leaves. Additional roots will grow from the buried portion of the stem, creating a stronger root system.

Take a pinch

To ensure that maximum heat and light reach the plant, pinch out the suckers, or leafy growths emerging from the "armpit" between the stem and the main branches. Start at the bottom of the stem and go up until you reach the branch just below the first set of blossoms, if present. Do not pinch suckers beyond this point.

Stake your claim

Planting day is the time to install cages, trellises, stakes and other support systems for your tomatoes. If you wait too long to do so, you run the risk of damaging stems and blossoms.

Turn on the water works

Be consistent in your watering, which is best done in the style of drip-irrigation, slowly but deeply.

Water every three or four days at first, then less frequently once tomatoes start growing. Avoid overwatering. Tomato plants inevitably will turn yellow in places; more water won't fix that, Tomatomania founder Scott Daigre said.

Relocation

Next year, plant tomatoes in a different spot to avoid any diseases, like verticillium wilt, that may be lurking in the soil.

Help wanted

For assistance in dealing with garden pests and diseases or for more planting tips, call the Master Gardener Helpline at 645-1455. Hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.