How to Make a Tomato Bed

Start the tomato bed preparation just before the last frost in spring. The early bed preparation gives soil some time to rest before planting. Choose a level site with full sunshine and good air movement, and clear all rocks, weeds and litter.

Dig into the top 6 to 10 inches of soil, and mix it to aerate it and loosen the base. Remove old roots and rocks as you find them. Use this step to even out any low or high spots in the site.

Lay 3 inches of organic matter like compost, leaf mold or well-rotted manure on the site and turn it into your tilled soil. Repeat this process with another 3 inches of organic matter. The addition loosens the soil, raises soil level and adds nutrition and moisture-retention for easier growing.

Turn starter 6-24-24 or 8-32-16 fertilizer into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil for better starting nutrition and root establishment. Water the entire site for 10 to 20 minutes to settle the soil and dissolve the fertilizer, then let the soil rest for several days.

Plant tomato seeds or seedlings when the soil temperature rises to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant each seed or seedling at 24 to 36 inches in the row, with 4 to 5 feet between rows. Put the tomatoes on a schedule of 2 inches of water every week and lay 1 inch of organic mulch over the soil around them.