Where to buy the best tomato plants in Denver. Plus helpful related tips

Denver gardeners love growing tomatoes! These versatile veggies are the main ingredient in regional salsa. There's just something special about a nice red juicy homegrown tomato. No wonder tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown in Denver gardens.
Tomato plants can be planted as late as July to take advantage of local sales. However, tomatoes planted in June have the advantage of a longer growing season. I've often picked up until the first snow from well maintained tomato plants.

The optimum planting time for tomatoes is the first week of June. All danger of frost has passed at this time and the ground is warm enough for these heat loving plants. Purchasing plants should be done as close to planting time as possible. If you're growing tomatoes from seed, it's wise to plant them indoors by March at the latest, then transplant them outside in June.
Tomatoes should be planted in a sunny location that receives good drainage. Do not plant tomatoes in low lying areas as they are susceptible to root rot. Tomatoes need nitrogen and plenty of organic matter to grow properly.

Bonus planting tips:

Be sure to bury your tomato plants ¾ of the way, leaving only the top above ground when planting. This provides a more stable root system. Add calcium to the soil, following package directions before planting and once a month thereafter.

If you decide to buy plants, rather than growing them from seed:

There are plenty of Denver big box stores selling tomatoes each year. I don't recommend buying plants from these stores. The people caring for the plants are often not experienced gardeners. Rather than watering plants when they need it, they water them all at once, whether they need it or not. This can promote fungus growth and root rot. The more stress plants incur before they are sold, the less likely they are to produce viable fruit.

The Denver metro area has many fine greenhouses selling healthy tomato plants. Two of the best are Nicks Garden Center and Tagawa Gardens. Both have a wide variety of plants and any other gardening supplies you might need. They even carry bulk landscaping supplies such as mulch, gravel and soils.