One of the many plants gardeners grow over the summer and into fall is tomatoes.

Guthrie County Master Gardener Barb Giger says that tomatoes need a lot of water, so watering twice a day is recommended to keep them growing optimally. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio a few other ways to help your tomatoes grow well.

“So they’re going to be happy that it’s warm, but they might need a little bit of shade. You want to make sure that they’re watered really well. And then also be watching for any diseases or insect pests, because extra stressors are always a problem.”

Giger mentions that the less stress tomatoes and other plants face when growing, the better their overall health. To help with the shade needed, she explains that if your plants are potted, they can easily be moved to the best location. If plants are in the garden, there is a garden variety of thule that can be used to create shade, but not take away all the sun that the tomatoes will need.