Nutrients for Plants
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| The statements or information on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. |
How to Grow Healthy Organic Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the favorite plant in everyone’s summer
garden. Whether you are planning to use your home-
grown tomatoes for salads, salsas, spaghetti sauce, in
sandwiches, or just to eat them right out of the garden,
you can grow your tomatoes organically and you’ll have
the confidence of fresh eating without the concerns that
come with using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
If you follow these suggestions, you will be the envy of
your neighborhood, with the best tasting tomatoes on the
block!
Tomatoes are the favorite plant in everyone’s summer
garden. Whether you are planning to use your home-
grown tomatoes for salads, salsas, spaghetti sauce, in
sandwiches, or just to eat them right out of the garden,
you can grow your tomatoes organically and you’ll have
the confidence of fresh eating without the concerns that
come with using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
If you follow these suggestions, you will be the envy of
your neighborhood, with the best tasting tomatoes on the
block!
- If you smoke, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before you work in your
garden – tomatoes are susceptible to diseases transmitted through tobacco. - Plant wildflowers near tomatoes to attract beneficial insects (ladybugs,
lacewings and others that prey on aphids, whiteflies and other pests). - Keep a birdbath full so that thirsty birds will not drink from your tomatoes.
- Beneficial insects can help in your battle against harmful pests. The following
plants will help attract beneficial insects to your garden:
- -- Angelica: Attracts lady beetles and lacewings.
-- Common Yarrow: Attracts honey bees, parasitic wasps and hoverflies.
-- Morning Glory: Attracts lady beetles.
-- Herbs: Fennel, dill, anise and coriander all have flower heads that
attract parasitic wasps and other beneficial insects.
The most perfectly ripe, delicious and healthful tomatoes you will ever eat are the
organic tomatoes you grow yourself. They have almost twice the amount of vitamin C
and beta-carotene than a tomato grown commercially with pesticides and herbicides.
| (tomato hornworm with wasp eggs) |
- Plant borage to protect against tomato
hornworm. - Dill will attract the tomato hornworm –
plant it away from tomatoes. If you
discover a hornworm, remove it by
hand, unless he has white spots on his
back (that’s the larva of his predator,
so leave him alone – he will soon die).
You will find that by using organic means to
grow your tomatoes, they will be better able
to stand up to early frosts, they will have
better resistance to pests and diseases,
and they will have better flavor.
grow your tomatoes, they will be better able
to stand up to early frosts, they will have
better resistance to pests and diseases,
and they will have better flavor.
Check with a nursery or your cooperative extension service for a tomato variety with a
good track record of success in your area. Select a sunny site where you can water
easily, whether in a garden plot or in a pot on your patio.
Build organic soil to grow great roots, nurture worms and micro-organisms, and to
support the big, leafy tops your tomatoes need to ripen lots of fruit. "A lot of organic
gardeners overload their soil with manure and get fewer tomatoes for it," notes
Will Brinton, Ph.D., president of Woods End Research Laboratory in Mount Vernon,
Maine. "I save my best compost for tomatoes and supplement it only with
seaweed powder, which is a quick-acting source of potassium. We get
incredible fruits."
To start tomato seeds indoors, sow seeds six to ten weeks before planting outside. Fill
clean containers about 2” deep with a sterile soil mix. Make sure the containers have
a drainage hole. Press the seeds firmly down to ¾” under the soil. Germinate at 70º-
75º by providing bottom heat. When they get their first true set of leaves, begin to
nourish them with our mineral-rich plant food. Mix one teaspoon in a gallon of water
and apply once a week. (Note: mix just the amount of plant food that you will use at
one time – for instance, ½ tsp. to ½ gal. of water.) You may need to transplant the
seedlings to a larger pot if they begin to get leggy. About a week before planting the
seedlings outside, begin to acclimate the tomatoes by putting them outside for a few
hours a day in a windless semi shady location.
When planting seedlings into your garden, after you dig your hole, put about ¼ tsp. of
the dry plant food into each hole. No need to measure exactly – a pinch is enough.
Then use this plant food every other week until the plants set fruit, then again after
each flush of fruit. You can either mix the powder with water (1 tsp. per gal.), or
sprinkle it on the soil and mix it in. The steady release of nutrients makes for the
consistent, lush growth that is the mark of organic vegetables.
Air circulation is essential. Stake your tomatoes on tall stakes, in wire cages or
attached to a trellis. (Most tomatoes top six feet in height, and crawling on the ground
puts them at great risk of soil diseases and damage from pests.)
Water as needed. Do not let them wilt between watering, as it stresses the plants.
Keep water levels moderated to prevent blossom end rot and wilt disease, which is
caused by irregular water availability.
Mulch under tomatoes once the soil is warm (65ºF). Use a layer of straw, leaves, dried
grass clippings or pine needles and it will keep the plants' roots cool, prevent weeds
from sprouting around them, and retain moisture in the soil. (Do not use wood chips
as a mulch, as it leaches nitrogen from the soil.)
Take low-impact steps to control insect damage, and encourage beneficial
insects:
good track record of success in your area. Select a sunny site where you can water
easily, whether in a garden plot or in a pot on your patio.
Build organic soil to grow great roots, nurture worms and micro-organisms, and to
support the big, leafy tops your tomatoes need to ripen lots of fruit. "A lot of organic
gardeners overload their soil with manure and get fewer tomatoes for it," notes
Will Brinton, Ph.D., president of Woods End Research Laboratory in Mount Vernon,
Maine. "I save my best compost for tomatoes and supplement it only with
seaweed powder, which is a quick-acting source of potassium. We get
incredible fruits."
To start tomato seeds indoors, sow seeds six to ten weeks before planting outside. Fill
clean containers about 2” deep with a sterile soil mix. Make sure the containers have
a drainage hole. Press the seeds firmly down to ¾” under the soil. Germinate at 70º-
75º by providing bottom heat. When they get their first true set of leaves, begin to
nourish them with our mineral-rich plant food. Mix one teaspoon in a gallon of water
and apply once a week. (Note: mix just the amount of plant food that you will use at
one time – for instance, ½ tsp. to ½ gal. of water.) You may need to transplant the
seedlings to a larger pot if they begin to get leggy. About a week before planting the
seedlings outside, begin to acclimate the tomatoes by putting them outside for a few
hours a day in a windless semi shady location.
When planting seedlings into your garden, after you dig your hole, put about ¼ tsp. of
the dry plant food into each hole. No need to measure exactly – a pinch is enough.
Then use this plant food every other week until the plants set fruit, then again after
each flush of fruit. You can either mix the powder with water (1 tsp. per gal.), or
sprinkle it on the soil and mix it in. The steady release of nutrients makes for the
consistent, lush growth that is the mark of organic vegetables.
Air circulation is essential. Stake your tomatoes on tall stakes, in wire cages or
attached to a trellis. (Most tomatoes top six feet in height, and crawling on the ground
puts them at great risk of soil diseases and damage from pests.)
Water as needed. Do not let them wilt between watering, as it stresses the plants.
Keep water levels moderated to prevent blossom end rot and wilt disease, which is
caused by irregular water availability.
Mulch under tomatoes once the soil is warm (65ºF). Use a layer of straw, leaves, dried
grass clippings or pine needles and it will keep the plants' roots cool, prevent weeds
from sprouting around them, and retain moisture in the soil. (Do not use wood chips
as a mulch, as it leaches nitrogen from the soil.)
Take low-impact steps to control insect damage, and encourage beneficial
insects:
- Watch for pests and stomp or squish all you can (make sure they are pests,
- and not beneficials).
- Use controls such as hair and egg shells to repel slugs.
- Calendula and nasturtium will help to ward off aphids.
- Spray with soapy water to control aphids and whiteflies. Our mineral-rich plant
food helps to eliminate white fly, as they thrive when there are certain shortages
of minerals in the soil. - Plant garlic between the plants to protect them from red spider mites.
- Plant marigolds near your plants to help control nematodes.
- Put a 3” collar of foil or cardboard at the base of each seedling to prevent
cutworm damage. - Basil planted near tomatoes helps the plants overcome certain insect damage
and disease.
| Good luck with your organic tomato garden! |
|
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The Amish Paste Organic Heirloom Tomato plant is a great choice for sauces
and canning. It has bright red 8 oz. fruit with that “real tomato” flavor that will not
cook away.
and canning. It has bright red 8 oz. fruit with that “real tomato” flavor that will not
cook away.
Tomato Growing Handbook
Organic Tomato
Success Kit:
Success Kit:
Organic Tomato Success
Kit Replenishment Pack:
Kit Replenishment Pack:
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