Ugrow Organic: Growing Tomatoes

Conditions

When growing tomatoes outside, picking the correct position within the garden is key. Tomato plants prefer soil which is well drained and high in organic matter and nutrients. ThepH of the soil should be around 6 - 7. The soil should be dug to around 8 inches deep to provide good drainage and allow a good root structure.

Propagation

Begin growing tomatoes by planting seeds 1 inch apart in a tray of light peat, maybe add some broken pottery in the base of the tray to add drainage and leave in green house in temperatures of 50-60 degs F. Water well, making sure the soil does not dry out at any time. Germination can take up to two weeks. During this stage you can use Alg-A-mic, a cold compressed seaweed extract which you can apply as a foliar spray or a soil amendment. The dosage should be 1 till 3 ml per litre water and started from 1 and build it up to 3 millilitres.

Once the second set of leaves can be seen emerging, transfer the plants to larger pots on their own, for more growing space. Plant in containers allowing 4 inches diameter and 6 inch's depth. If you are using normal potting soil you can add some pre-mix with this potting soil for enrichment of micro-organisms. Be careful with this dosage; it is better to give less then more. Dosages for apply: 40 to 50 ml per litre potting soil.

Once the growing tomatoes plants are of roughly 7 inches high begin to harden them off by placing them outside during the day. After 5-6 days the plants should be left outside within their pots over night, for a further 2 weeks. After this time, if there is no danger of frost, the growing tomatoes plants are ready for planting directly in the garden. Separate the plants accordingly to the type of tomato you have chosen to grow.

When I am growing tomatoes I usually separate them by at least 2 feet and plant in rows 3 feet apart followed by mulching around the plants. In the growing period you can start with fish-mix or bio-grow; Fish Mix stimulates microbial activity and accelerates the growth. In combination with Alg-A-mic as a foliar spray this will give all the nutrience you need for an enormous, steady and healthy growth. Bio-Grow is a organic liquid plant food that promotes lush growth it is a fertilizer and soil activator. Also in combination with Alg-A-mic great results. Both products are OMRI listed for organic crop production.

The Flowering Phase

Tomatoes produce perfect, self-pollinating flowers. Anthers are fused together into a little cone that rarely opens until pollen has been shed and the stigma pollinated. (Older varieties with wild tomatoes in their genetic ancestry may have stigmas that stick out beyond the cone containing the anthers.

Looking closely at mature flowers and need to be treated accordingly can identify Varieties with this trait.) To support the production of flowers you can use Bio Bloom. This fertilizer is a complete fertilizer used from the beginning of a fruit or flower production until harvest. It is packed with naturally occurring minerals, micronutrients, amino acids and hormones of vegetable origin to ensure exuberant flowers and fruit sets. Dosage to apply 1 to 3 ml per litre. Support the plants by providing a frame or at least tie them securely but not constrictively to a stake. As the plants grow, pinch the lower, younger, side shoots off (this will not be necessary if the tomato plant you are growing is of a bush variety).

Keep the plants well watered and mulched and in around 2 months (depending on variety) you will have a good crop of tomatoes ready for harvesting.

Harvesting

Tomatoes should be harvested twice weekly as they ripen. All rotten and damaged fruit should be removed to protect the healthy ones. Just before the first frost in the fall, you can pick the mature green fruit and ripen them inside. Do not hold green tomatoes at temperatures below 55 F., or they will not develop a good flavor when ripened later. As you use these, ripen a few at 65 to 70 F. Higher temperatures will cause them to soften.