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"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to garden, and the whole neighborhood gets tomatoes."
By now, most of us already have our tomato plants growing in the ground. Up here in the north, I'm starting to see some beautiful little green tomatoes replacing the blossoms. Once a few of them get large enough, I'll harvest some for fried green tomatoes. Mmmmm.
Here are some of my favorite tomato growing tips. I keep it as simple as possible. Like most of you, I don't have the time to research fancy solutions, nor the money to spend on them. So if I can find a solution using what I already have on hand, that's the route I take. If I can't, then it honestly probably won't get done.
I hope these tips help your maters grow and yield generously. :)
1. Prune the suckers: These are the small shoots that grow in the crotch between a stem and a branch. These growths will never produce fruit, so many gardeners will pinch them off. No sense in letting them use up valuable nutrients! This is especially true for indeterminate varieties of tomatoes.
2. Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells: I keep a bowl on my kitchen counter collect the used coffee grounds and egg shells from the day. At the end of each day, I carry them out to the garden and lay them at the feet of my tomato plants. The coffee grounds work as a great mulch and a fertilizer, as they can contain nitrogen and other nutrients. The crushed tomato shells can be put into a hole before you plant the tomato, or it can be crushed up and laid at the bottom of the plant. This can help add calcium (to prevent blossom end rot), and will also deter slugs from trying to snack on your hard work.
3. Epsom Salts: Dilute 1 Tablespoon of Epsom Salts in 1 Gallon of water, and water your tomato and pepper plants if you suspect a magnesium deficiency. Some researchers are starting to "dispel myths" and claim that there is not, and never has been, sufficient research to claim that this is relevant to home gardeners, but for intensive crop plantings where there's a proven mineral deficiency in the soil. I'm no expert, so I won't form an opinions on this. I think it's worth reading up on what different experts do have to say. However...if my 'maters start showing signs of magnesium deficiency, I'll be all over that epsom salts, myth or not. A gal can get a little desperate when something threatens her
4. You could also try whispering sweet nothings into their foliage. I won't judge you for serenading your plants in a desperate attempt to convince them to grow. We've all been there.
When all else fails, powder them in a thick-ish coat of diatomaceous earth and pray. It's working for me (so far).
What are your favorite tips and tricks for growing awesome tomatoes?
It definitely isn't for everyone, but I've had great results with menstrual blood. Not for the squeamish, but it breaks down in the soil and has an enormous amount of nutrients. If people are using menstrual cups instead of disposable tampons (which I find drying) or towels (bulky and annoying to deal with), then the blood might as well feed a plant as go down the drain - houseplants or decorative plants instead of edible ones if people don't like the idea of blood-based plant food. It also gives me a sense of connection with this beautiful world and how I can give back to it.
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