Grow The Best Tomato Plants With These 11 Cheap Home Depot Tools (Starting At $5)

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Originally called "poison apples" by some Europeans in the 16th century, tomatoes are the second-most eaten vegetable in the United States as of 2019. Yes, we know they are fruits on a botanical level, but they are treated like vegetables in the culinary world. Either way you slice it, though, growing your own affords you the benefit of enjoying this produce during peak freshness rather than after it has been shipped to your local grocer. And, you can get all the tools that you need at Home Depot without breaking the bank.

From protecting your hands and preparing the soil to caring for and watering your tomato plants, Home Depot is a treasure trove for all of your gardening tool needs. Daily Meal searched for the most affordable products and found nearly a dozen that customers have rated 4.4 stars and higher. Whether you only plant tomatoes or want to grow certain plants nearby (aka carrots and onions), these gardening tools are cheap options, ranging in price from about $5 to $20. Just keep in mind that availability and prices may vary from store to store. Once you have everything you need, it is important to remember one major tip: Do not plant your tomatoes too early. The best time is in late spring when overnight temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Having a pair of gloves is essential no matter what you're planting or caring for in your garden. Made with a breathable knit shell with a cuff, these Firm Grip gloves keep dirt and debris out and protect your hands while remaining comfortable all day. Meanwhile, the honeycomb-designed latex coating on the palm provides a grip for working with tools. Some customers even use them for light construction tasks. These are available in sizes small to extra large, and you can throw them in the washing machine for easy cleaning.

Grab a pair of the Firm Grip honeycomb latex garden gloves at Home Depot for $7.97.

Martha Stewart has tons of gardening tips, from planning strategies to buying the right tools. In her gardening arsenal of essential equipment, she always has a couple of trowels in two sizes. This Anvil garden trowel is one of Home Depot's private label products. With a lightweight and sturdy design, you can use it for everything from digging to filling pots with soil. It has a short tapered hardwood handle and a black-coated carbon steel head that is rust resistant. Plus, it comes with a leather strap for hanging storage.

Find the Anvil wood handle trowel at Home Depot for $4.98.

For larger digging tasks to plant your tomatoes, you might need something bigger than a trowel. This floral shovel by Husky, another Home Depot private brand, has a lightweight design, weighing only 3 pounds. Near the top of the 47-inch varnished handle, which is made of eucalyptus hardwood, is a cushioned grip. At the bottom, the full-tempered carbon steel head measures 5.9 inches wide and has a wide foot step for precision and stability while digging and moving loose soil and mulch.

The Husky 47-inch wood handle floral shovel with grip is available at Home Depot for $14.97.

When the soil where you want to plant your tomatoes is too compacted for your trowel to loosen, you could grab a hand cultivator. Anvil's three-tine tool is ideal for breaking up and loosening small areas of compacted, tough dirt and soil, as well as for keeping the soil aerated, fertilized, and weed-free after planting. Attached to the tapered wood handle, the black-coated carbon steel tines are durable, lightweight, and rust resistant. Like the trowel, it comes with a leather strap for hanging storage.

At Home Depot, the Anvil wood handle hand cultivator is priced at $4.98.

Having a hoe in your arsenal of gardening tools can help you move more soil than a trowel. As a multipurpose tool, it also helps displace weeds from the roots, cut through roots, loosen dirt, create trenches, and level soil. Because of that, Anvil's digging hoe and hand cultivator combination tool (also known as an adze) gives you the best of both worlds. The entire black-coated carbon steel head resists rust, and it is attached to a tapered hardwood handle with a peg hole for hanging while storing.

Pick up or order the Anvil digging hoe and hand cultivator combo at Home Depot for $14.98.

Pruning is an important part of ensuring that fruit-producing plants remain healthy. By removing unnecessary growth and dead branches, airflow is improved and nutrients are redirected to the fruits. These Corona long curved snips feature sharp, fully heat-treated stainless steel blades, and the curved design allows for clean cuts up against the branches. Designed for pruning with one hand, a rust-resistant coating is applied to the blade, spring and handle, the latter of which is made of rubber and has a leather locking strap for safe storage when not in use.

Keep in mind, though, that you shouldn't always prune homegrown tomato plants, especially if you are growing indeterminate tomatoes. This category of tomatoes doesn't stop growing, flowering, and producing fruit like its counterpart, so it is important to check the plant identification stake or seed packet before planting.

Cheap compared to name-brand competitors, the Corona long curved snips at Home Depot are $6.63.

While it is nice to have an outdoor garden in your yard, not everyone has that kind of space. Fortunately, tomato plants can thrive indoors or outdoors in pots. You just have to make sure there is plenty of room — at least 14 inches or 5 gallons of space, in fact — but the plants can grow larger and produce more fruit if they have an even more room to spread out. Measuring 15 inches wide with a capacity of 5 gallons, this Bloem plastic planter is a good option. It is made of durable, high-quality polypropylene that's safe for growing foods while being weather and UV resistant. Plus, the planter features pre-drilled holes for proper drainage and is made in the United States.

While multiple colors and larger sizes are available at various prices, the 15-inch Bloem plastic planter in terra cotta at Home Depot is priced at $12.18.

Since tomatoes have slender stems and can grow tall, they could topple over when their fruits emerge or weather conditions are windy. That could cause a break in the stem and make the fruits vulnerable to ground-level insects, diseases, and rot. One solution is to install a support stake like this one by Vigoro (a Home Depot brand) for each plant, particularly determinate varieties.

Available in multiple sizes, it is made with a carbon steel inner core and a green resin outer layer that's rust and weather-resistant. Simply insert the stake about 6 inches into the soil next to the seeds or sapling when planting rather than later to avoid root damage. As the plant grows, secure it loosely to the stake with twine, which will keep it upright.

The 6-foot Vigoro plant support stake is the tallest at Home Depot, and it's only $5.97.

Another solution for lending your tomato plants some support to stay upright is a trellis. If you know what a tomato cage is, this garden tool works similarly by giving the vines a guide on which to cling and follow upward. That function makes it more ideal for indeterminate tomato varieties that tend to have more vining, and the addition of plant clips can help you train them to grow how you want.

This Vigoro metal trellis can be a great option for a lightweight tomato plant. Made entirely of steel, it has a green vinyl coating that prevents corrosion. It's 6 feet tall, and you can use it for tomatoes planted in the ground or in planters. One customer said in a review, "This trellis is sturdy and economical and works great for my cherry tomatoes."

Grab the Vigoro green metal trellis at Home Depot for $19.97.

One of the most important parts of tomato gardening is knowing how much to water your tomato plants for the juiciest fruit. Generally, a mature plant needs 1 to 1.5 gallons per week but not all at once. Spreading it to two or three watering sessions is ideal for preventing the soil from getting too wet and causing soilborne diseases. Having a watering can like the 2-gallon multi-grip option by Vigoro is a handy, cheap tool for this task, especially if you have a handful of plants in your garden. Made of durable, high-density polyethylene, it has two handles and a removable nozzle for targeted watering around the plant's base.

Look for the Vigoro 2-gallon multi-grip watering can at Home Depot for $4.97.

When you have more than a handful of plants or a full garden, using a simple watering can is the most water-efficient option but requires multiple trips to the faucet for refills. The Flexzilla garden hose could be a better alternative for watering your tomatoes and other plants. Constructed with heavy-duty, lead-free materials, the hose itself has three layers — an inner tube made with a flexible hybrid polymer, a reinforced material around the tube, and then an outer cover that's abrasion and UV-resistant. Each end fitting, which you can pair with a quarter-inch nozzle for water pressure control, is made of anodized aircraft aluminum and features a durable O-ring to avoid leaks.

Although it is also available in a 5-foot length, the 10-foot Flexzilla garden hose at Home Depot is just $16.39.