Growing Organic Tomatoes

What’s better than growing your own tomatoes? Growing organic tomatoes! Following are the steps you will need to take to grow your organic tomatoes from seeds.

Growing Organic Tomatoes Step by Step

Find a good organic seed, preferably the Heirloom varieties. These types of tomatoes are the best tasting and are not hybrids.

Organic Old German Tomato

Seller: Gardens Alive!

These 1-2 lb. golden-yellow tomatoes display distinctive red and pink stripes.Although this heirloom tomato has an odd shape, it is one of the best slicing and tasting tomatoes on the market.

Organic Arkansas Traveler Tomato

Seller: Gardens Alive!

Incredibly delicious, these flavorful rose-pink heirloom tomatoes produce 5-7 oz. fruits.

Growing Organic Tomatoes Step #2

Next you will plant the seeds about ¼ deep in loose compost. Keep the seeds between 70 and 75 degrees and keep the soil damp (not wet) until they begin to germinate and use chamomile tea to help in preventing fungi that may kill your seeds.

Growing Organic Tomatoes Step #3

Growing Organic Tomatoes

When your tomato seeds germinate (8-10 days) you will begin watering them from the bottom. Watering them from the top can keep the leaves too moist and create fungus. When your seeds have grown and two little leaves appear, transplant them into little paper cups about 3 inches deep.

Growing Organic Tomatoes Step #4

After 5-7 weeks, your plants will be ready to transplant outdoors in your organic bed, but be careful not to shock the plants too much. Add a handful of compost to each hole as well as 1 tbsp. of powdered milk to help avoid fungal growth.

Plant your tomatoes deep. They will root off the stem. This also gives them a stronger base for growth. Support the plants with stakes to keep them off the ground. You can mulch around your tomato plants using pine needles, dried grass clippings, straw, or leaves.

Growing Organic Tomatoes Step #5

Feed your plants every 20 days with a spray made of compost tea (this is compost that has been steeped in water), molasses, fish, or seaweed. Once your fruits are set, feed every week and sprinkle with milk powder to avoid fungus growth.

Growing Organic Tomatoes Step #6

Pluck the first flowers off your tomato plant and do not allow them to fruit until they are at least 30cm tall. This gives your tomato plant time to set its roots and fill out its foliage.

Growing organic tomatoes doesn’t mean you have to put up with the pests and diseases that are averted by non-organic gardening. There are many organic pest and disease control items available.

Organic Novia F1 Tomato

Seller: Gardens Alive!

A reliable red slicing tomato that sets fruit even in cold weather!

Organic Yellow Perfection Tomato

Seller: Gardens Alive!

The luscious yellow fruit of this tomato adds a splash of color and sweet flavor to salads.

One way to avoid pests is by companion gardening. This is an age-old way of keeping pests out of your garden, or by attracting beneficial insects that feed on those unwanted pests. Because some insects actually benefit your garden, random spraying of insecticides can be detrimental. Many beneficial insects are ladybug larvae, parasitoid wasps, lacewing larvae, ground beetles and hover- flies. Keeping different kinds of companion plants around your garden will attract these insects that feed on aphids, caterpillars and grubs.

Another option is using insecticidal soaps. These soaps are only effective if they come in direct contact with the offending pest. A benefit of using insecticidal soaps is that it is non-toxic to animals.

If your organic tomato plants have a powdery-like mildew on the leaves, baking soda mixed with liquid soap and water can kill off the mildew. Weekly spraying of this mixture will keep mildew away. Another good fungicide is cornmeal. For every 100 square feet of your garden, before planting mix in 2 pounds of cornmeal, then water it well to release the fungus killing properties. You can also make a spray using by soaking 1 cup of cornmeal into a gallon of water. Strain the liquid and then spray on the plants affected.

Growing organic tomatoes can be a healthy option for you and your family. By using the above pest and disease control options, you can keep your garden organic.

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