How to Grow Beautiful Tomatoes

Nothing is more satisfying than growing your own food. Though I have been known to be impatient, being involved in every step of producing helps one appreciate what we so often take for granted. This vital necessity for survival does not appear on grocery shelves and in pantries. How far has your food traveled to land on your table? Who did the planting, the maintaining, the harvesting? These may seem like insignificant questions, but what were to happen if they suddenly didn’t have an answer? I don’t mean to sound an alarm, by any means, but taking a step back to examine the way we live, shop, and eat may benefit individuals as well as the planet. One thing I have learned from my start to gardening a year ago was the idea of experimenting and getting to know your food. How many of us have a preconceived notion as to what a Brussel sprout, beet, or, as this article is about, tomato, should taste like? It is not commonly acknowledged that the methods of production and the vast distances food currently travels makes for at the very least not so pleasant product when compared to locally grown, organic alternatives. I never stopped to think I may one day be biting into a sun-warmed, sweetly ripe tomato straight from the vine without an ounce of squeamishness or repulsion. Could you say the same thing with the red, perfectly round tomato from the corner supermarket? As you learn more about fruits, vegetables, and herbs, you begin to uncover the vast varieties available with heirlooms in which whole new worlds can be discovered. With tomatoes alone, there are an estimated 10,000 varieties to choose from!

Water from the Base

I know, I know! Water is water, right? Who cares where it comes from or how it reaches the plant? But believe me when I tell you that when it comes to tomatoes especially, this is very important. They can be susceptible to fungus, powdery mildew, and other diseases that I’m sure you’d rather keep out of your garden. Any water or splash back that reaches leaves can speed this process. Humidity, in this regard, can also do damage. When you are watering, be sure then to get only the roots. A slow, deep watering is best. Deeper water away from the plant encourages roots to go deep and spread wide, aiding the plant in acquiring nutrients.

Prune, Prune, Prune

Similarly to watering, making sure tomatoes plants are properly pruned can prolong their life and productivity. When stems and leaves crowd each other, it reduces airflow and leaves the plant, once again, susceptible to disease. By pruning all suckers, like the one pictured below, there will be more space and airflow.

Suckers grow in what is known as an armpit, the space between the main stalk and stems. Each sucker can eventually create its own plant, and when transplanted can increase your number of tomato plants. If not transplanted, they can be discarded, and this does reduce the plant’s yield. However, what the plant lacks in quantity, it will certainly make up for quality. Because the plant now spends less energy on these suckers and the tomatoes they would’ve grown, it can now focus on the fruit it already has. These tomatoes can grow larger, better tasting, and faster than before. There truly is no store-bought replacement!

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