Growing Healthy Tomatoes!
Summer is a wonderful time of the year to get out in the garden and grow good things. We are so excited to see what this summer brings.
That is why we would love to share our 5 best tips and tricks for the biggest, juiciest, brightest tomatoes ever. It is almost impossible to think about the summer garden and not get excited about fresh tomatoes. There is nothing like it!
- Mulch, mulch, mulch your tomatoes to prevent disease, maintain moisture and keep the fruit clean. Give those plants a good watering, lay down a layer of cardboard, then layer with straw on top. Try avoiding plastics, dyed mulch and other options from those big garden centers. Most of those are treated with toxins that are not a good fit for the garden.
- Everyone needs a friend, including our tomato plants. Try companion planting basil, parsley, marigolds, nasturtium, and cosmos to attract beneficial insects, pollinators and give your plants a little company out in the garden. You can mix these plants in between your tomatoes or plant in clumps at the row ends. A mix of flowers with the veggies is a gardening win-win!
- Feed them every other week with Organic Plant Magic All Purpose Plant Food. We love feeding each plant 1 quart of mixed solution every other week right at the base of each plant.
- Water them well, but not too much. Over watering leads to blossom end rot, fungal diseases and cracked tomatoes. Water from below, not above, if hand watering. Tomatoes need about 1 inch of water per week. What does that look like? Look at the plant and stick a pointer finger into the soil—if the plant is wilting or the soil is dry an inch below the surface, it needs water.
- We all need a little support now and then, so do our tomatoes. Trellis, stake or cage your tomatoes for stronger plants that get light and air to them, thus less damage from weather, plus less susceptible to disease and far easier to harvest. It is best to do this earlier than later to avoid damaging the plants roots and foliage.
We wish you all the best this growing season. Thank you for growing with us! We all love success stories and inspiration.