about biting into your first tomato each summer. Whether they’re heirlooms tucked into a cheesy tomato pie or simple ruby-red slices squished between two pieces of mayo-slathered white bread, that first taste is incomparable. Tomatoes thrive in the heat of balmy Southern summers, so our insatiable cravings for them are only natural. It’s no wonder, then, that tomatoes are one of the first plants novice gardeners attempt to grow on their own. While they aren’t especially difficult to grow, knowing the basics is essential to a successful crop of juicy, summertime tomatoes. If there’s anyone who knows how to grow tomatoes, it’s Master Gardener John Coykendall of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, and Jessica Armstrong, Assistant Manager
