Organic in the Garden – 5 Steps to Growing Tomatoes Successfully

Tomatoes are one of the most common plants grown in the home garden. There are many varieties available suitable for a wide range of uses in the organic kitchen.

Organic Tomatoes are a great choice if you live in a small unit or only have a balcony. They grow well in pots, need little attention once established and produce a bountiful crop from just one or two plants.

In addition to their being many cultivars of tomatoes, they are also available in Bush and Climbing Varieties. Many Bush varieties are available as climbers within the same cultivar. Grosse Lisse tomatoes for example are available in Both Bush and climbing varieties.

Tomatoes do not tolerate frost but are otherwise fairly hardy. Tomato fruits suffer from a condition known as Blossom End Rot. It is often treated as an illness or disease in the plant but it is caused by a deficiency of calcium. This can be prevented by ensuring small regular watering’s and mulching with an Organic Mineral Rich Mulch.

The following steps are based on planting directly in the ground with Bush tomatoes. The only changes would be the need to stake climbing tomatoes or the need for a pot with a well draining potting mix, if growing in pots. A 30cm Pot is the smallest size I would use – bigger would be better.

The Steps to successfully growing Organic Tomatoes:

  1. The soil should be well prepared with heaps of organic matter. Compost, Sheep or Cow manure and old rotten grass clippings are ideal. Dig deep to greater than 30cm and Mix organic matter in well.
  2. The last month of Spring is the ideal time to plant. The risk of frost is likely past by this time. Seeds can be planted undercover around 6-8 weeks before this time. Seedling’s (young plants) should be planted approx. half to one metre apart. This will depend on the amount of space you have available and number of plants you are planting. The closer the plants are, the greater the risk of disease.
  3. Cover seedlings with a protective cover such as a 2 Litre softdrink bottle with the bottom 1/3 of the bottle removed. The size of the cover will depend on the size of the seedlings. An alternative is a plastic bag with the bottom removed with four small wooden stakes. If using a bottle, the lid can be removed if there is too much heat build up.
  4. Tomatoes can be mulched with pea straw, old wet hay or Lucerne (hay or chaff). The protective barrier will prevent the mulch from touching the plants. However, Tomatoes do send out roots from their stem. If the mulch is loose and not “boggy” it shouldn’t damage the plant if it builds up around it.
  5. A timed watering system would be ideal, especially during summer. If watering by hand try to maintain a regular schedule for watering and water in equal amounts each watering. Three waterings per week would be ideal.

Enjoy your harvest.

July 1, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Growing Organic Vegetables

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