Growing Tomatoes on a Budget? Here's Where to Splurge and Where to Save

If you're growing a garden, there's a decent chance you're growing tomatoes. They're the most popular crop, and one that has a massive payoff in flavor.

Of course gardening is rarely as easy as tossing some seeds in the ground and walking away. Tomatoes, in particular, need a little extra TLC and a little extra gear, especially if you want to get the most out of your plant.

But how much is too much? Once you dip your toe into the world of tomato growing accoutrements, you'll discover that the sky's the limit on what people will sell you. They'll insist, naturally, that you need all of it.

You probably don't, though. And you especially don't need the most expensive tomato fertilizers or slings specially designed to support ripening fruit.

To help you out, here's a breakdown of the tomato garden products it's worth splurging on a little bit, and the ones you can feel fine saving on.

Where to Splurge

I've tried my best to find a "cheap" splurge for each one of these, because we're growing tomatoes here, not buying an engagement ring.

Strong Plants

This is possibly the most important one. No matter how much you coddle your tomato plants, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle if you don't start strong. Starting strong means buying disease-resistant, healthy seeds or seedlings from a reputable seller. (Burpee is great!) You can buy all of these as seeds or live seedlings.

High Quality Soil

Not all soil is created equal, and even good soil isn't necessarily right for the job you have in mind. If you're growing in a container, you really need potting soil, which drains better and will keep your potted container from getting waterlogged. Grow outdoors in a bed, and you can get that cheaper garden soil.

No matter what, don't just dig up dirt from outside to fill a container – that's a sure way to rot your roots. And if you want to grow tomatoes in the ground, get your soil tested first. A lot of soil contains lead and other heavy metals and shouldn't be used to grow edibles.

Proper Fertilizer

Tomatoes are heavy feeders, and while they will probably survive fine without it, regular feeding may be the difference between an okay harvest and a bumper crop. Opt for a vegetable or tomato fertilizer. This will ensure you get lots of fruit and not just endless green vines.

Rich Compost

Just like with the fertilizer, high-quality compost can be the thing that makes a good tomato crop. You don't have to break the bank, but opt for something a little richer and you'll notice a difference.

Sturdy Support

If you've read my other writing about tomatoes, you know that I have a long-standing beef with cheap wire tomato cages. Tomatoes spend all summer growing heavier and more unwieldy – you don't want them collapsing under their own weight at the height of production.

My personal favorite is the modular cage below. It's sturdy, it's adjustable, and it collapses down to fit in your shed at the end of the year. Plus it's cheap!

Where to Save

Now we get into the nice part of the article, where you can breathe a sigh of relief and actually save a little money.

Seed Starting Trays

Seed starting trays like this one from Amazon are super convenient, and they're really not that expensive. But you don't need one to have success starting tomatoes from seed indoors. You can start seeds in an egg carton, or you can make a seed snail from bubble wrap. Heck, you can even start seeds in an ice cream cone! Your tomatoes will probably come out the same.

Containers

You don't even need to diy this one. Want to grow tomatoes in containers? Have a container? You're good to go!

Just make sure your container is big – tomato plants can get massive. And make sure there's at least one drainage hole. If you want, you can buy special tomato containers with a built-in trellis, but it's really not necessary.

Mulch

Anything can be mulch! Wood chips, grass clippings, straw. You can always buy mulch, but it's not a necessity.

Ties

Ties are something you might not think you need when you first plant a tomato. After all, it looks so small. But as the tomato plant grows, you'll probably need to attach it to its cage or trellis, just to keep it moving in the right direction. Commercial ties like this one from Amazon are super cheap. But if that's still too much for you, try using pantyhose or ribbon. As long as it's flat, so it doesn't cut into the soft flesh of the plant.