How to Use Tires to Grow Big Tomatoes

Place the tire on the planting site, centering it on the point you wish to plant the tomato. Draw a circle in the soil around the tire's perimeter using the blade or handle of a shovel. Move the tire off the planting site.

Spread a 4- to 6-inch layer of compost over the circle with a rake. Mix the compost into the top 12 inches of soil with a rototiller or garden fork. Break up large clods of dirt while tilling the soil. Smooth the soil's surface with the rake.

Excavate the top 2 inches of soil in the circle using a shovel. Place the soil around the outer edge of the circle. Set the tire in the circular trench. Push the displaced soil up around the outer bottom edge of the tire to secure it in place.

Dig a hole with a trowel that is twice as wide as the tomato's root ball. Make the hole equal in depth to the distance from the root ball's bottom to 1/2 inch below the second or third set of leaves from the tomato plant's top. Position the hole in the center of the tire.

Remove the tomato's leaves growing on the portion of stem that will reside underground. Slide the plant out of its current container gently. Massage the bottom of the root ball gently, spreading the roots outward. Place the plant in the bottom center of the hole. Backfill the hole with soil, tamping it gently around the root ball and stem. Water the area to a depth of 10 to 12 inches with a garden hose.

Fill the bottom side of the tire with water. Stop adding water when it begins to overflow onto the ground. Place a clear plastic sheet over the tire's top, pulling its sides down to the ground. Pile soil onto the edges of the plastic to hold it in place.

Remove the plastic every three to five days to check the soil moisture and water level in the tire. Water the soil when the top 1 inch becomes dry. Never allow the soil to become soggy. Refill the tire with water as needed. Replace the plastic cover over the tire.

Remove the plastic once the top leaves begin to touch it. Place a second tire on top of the first. Stretch the plastic over top of the second tire and tuck the edges underneath it.

Remove the plastic cover when daytime temperatures reach 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Paint the outside of the tires with a whitewash solution made of 1 part water and 1 part white latex paint to reflect sunlight and prevent the plant from overheating.

Spread 1/2 cup of 5-10-5 nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium fertilizer around the plant once the fruit reaches 1 inch in diameter. Keep the granules 4 to 6 inches away from the tomato's base. Mix the fertilizer into the top 3 inches of soil with a garden fork. Water the area thoroughly.

Pick the tomatoes once they reach full size and turn red. Hold the stem while pulling and slightly twisting the tomato to break it from the stem. Store unused tomatoes at 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.