- 1). Determine the type tomato plants you are using. If you are using the vine variety, plant one per square foot within your square-foot garden. If you have a bush tomato plant, nine plants can be planted per square foot.
- 2). Choose the site where you plan to make your square-foot garden. Make sure that the area receives a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight every day.
- 3). Test the soil you are using to ensure that it has an acidic pH of between 6.2 and 6.8. In order to make the pH level in the soil more acidic, you need to add lime to the soil. If the pH level is too high, add sulfur. The type of soil should be a deep, loamy, well-draining soil.
- 4). Plant the tomatoes deep enough into the soil so that the roots are completely covered. The soil should come up to the plant's first set of true leaves.
- 5). Plant additional rows if you are planting the vine variety. You should have a total space of 1-by-4 feet with one plant planted in each of the four square-foot plots.
- 6). Fertilize the soil with nitrogen fertilizer 3 to 4 inches below the root of the plant and surrounding the plant. No other fertilization is needed.
- 7). Water the soil once per week to encourage growth. Established plants need 1 inch of water per week.
- 8). Cover the soil with mulch in order to maintain moisture. Black plastic is widely used because it warms the soil in the spring.
previous post