A Blog post by
Viorica Marincus
Tomatoes are beautiful plants that adorn the backyards, frontwards, patios, balconies and small gardens of many who hardly consider themselves gardeners. It is easy to grow and produces loads of fruit that can be enjoyed all summer long. Left on the vine, tomatoes ripen to a bright red and are sweet and firm. Tomatoes can be picked off the vine and enjoyed as a fruit, in salads, or as a side dish.
When I wish to plant tomatoes, I usually buy the starts in late May and plant them in the ground right away (provided the weather is agreeable). By the end of July there is a bounty of tomatoes on the vines. In the past, I have grown my own tomato plants from seeds collected the previous year. Have you ever considered how that can be done?
In the fall, leave a few tomatoes on the vine until they are overripe. Collect the seeds by opening the tomatoes and straining the seeds away from the meat of the fruit. Dry the seeds and keep them in a storage container.
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Plant the seeds in a box that has soil in it by the middle of February. Scatter the seeds, cover with soil, and water regularly. Keep the box in a nicely lit room that is warm. Water and watch the seeds sprout into tender plants.
When the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, separate each plant (they will grow together as grass) and place in another container with soil in it, spreading them approximately 5 to 6 inches apart.
At the beginning of May the plants should be approximately 6 inches tall. Separate them further by placing them in their own container with soil in it. Continue to keep them indoors until the weather warms up enough for them to be placed in the ground or in a pot outdoors. Water on a daily basis and watch your plants flower and then produce the tomatoes.
Each year, I plant a variety of tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes. I have found raised beds to work well in my garden. It makes weeding and watering the plants easier to do. For the past years, I have used mushroom soil which also works great. Of course, each year, I add new soil.
My father, who lived on a small farm, used cow manure mixed with straw to enrich the soil in his garden after aging it for several years before using it on his soil. Cow manure mixed with straw is a good soil fertilizer as long as it is not used fresh since it contains ammonia that could burn the plants. He also used chicken manure compost on an infrequent basis. Before using it, he diluted it as it contains high levels of nitrogen which makes it quite potent and can potentially burn the plants. But composting it and diluting it, he enriched the soil giving the plants great potential for growth.
