This 2021 summer I experimented on my home gardening. I really enjoyed the process starting with seed plantation till the vegie was fully grown! Each day was filled with curiosity, learning, caring about the baby plant. Each day trying to change the position of the plant- to give it more or less sunlight or to keep feeding the baby plant with water. This baby plant has taught me so much; gave me so much of happiness without expecting anything in return. 🙂
Along with Coriander, the 2nd vegie I grew was Tomatoes.
How did I plant it?
As you sow, so shall you reap! I took a plastic container and drilled some holes at the bottom to let excess water go out. Fill it half with soil. Moist the soil with water. Add Tomato seeds and spread it in such a way that they don’t overlap each other. Cover the seeds with soil (2-3cm). Sprinkle water gently.
Secure good growth?
Patience is the key.
Make sure soil stays moist.
Enough sunlight should reach the soil. Excess might damage the baby plants.
In few days you can see baby plants growing.
Repotting
When baby plants are tall enough 10-12cm, take them out and plan it in big pots/ground.
The distance between 2 plants should be 15-20cm apart.
Plants are taller
After repotting baby plants, in few days, you would notice that plants are growing taller and taller.
Enough sunlight exposure is needed.
Soil should be wet throughout; tomatoes need lot of water. It doesn’t enjoy dry soil.
Now, the yellow tiny flowers are visible. These yellow flowers will be bloom to fullest; become dry and fall off.
Once they fall, baby tomato will come out.
This is the how the tomato will grow.
Once tomato is fully grown (big size) still green, you can pluck the tomatoes in this stage. After plucking, you can ripe them to RED color until you can use them in cooking.
Alternatively, you can keep the green tomatoes on plant until they turn yellow- red color.
However, I would recommend to do the initial plucking method than later because- when you remove green grown tomatoes, you allow the nutrition to pass on the other flowers, and tomatoes (smaller and growing). If you keep the grown tomatoes on plant, they will still suck the nutrition and it will slow down the growth of other tomatoes.
Cooking time!
This is 1st batch of tomatoes I plucked.
Later it was 3- 4 big batches of tomatoes that I plucked.
So I hope you find some inspiration to grow Tomatoes in your garden.
Modern Roots 