Organic Tomato Gardening Tips
February 13, 2010 by admin
Filed under Organic Gardening
Natural tomato gardening is ideal for almost every backyard, however small. All you require is really a sunny corner. And nothing beats the taste of freshly picked sun ripened tomatoes from your own garden! Follow our tips for the perfect home grown natural tomatoes.
1. Location
Tomatoes require support and like a sunny, sheltered site. They usually prefer slightly acidic soil. A south or west facing fence or trellis is ideal. Some varieties grow up to 6 feet tall, others are smaller.
2. Variety
There are numerous different types of tomato. If you want a truly natural garden, you will wish to begin out with natural tomato seeds. Otherwise it is possible to use regular seeds and merely avoid using chemicals on your plants.
The greatest method to select a tomato variety would be to ask around among your neighbors. They will have exactly the same climate and soil type, so what works for them will probably work for you. Maybe they will even share seeds with you.
3. Feeding
Successful natural tomato gardening requires some attention. Feed plants at least twice within the season with a great organic fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers within the soil are a lot more effective than liquids. Spraying with kelp and fish emulsion from time to time will supply the growing leaves with extra nutrients.
Normal watering is vital. Never let the plants become so dry that they wilt. They might recover but they will not produce great juicy tomatoes that way.
4. Pests
Unfortunately tomatoes are vulnerable to various kinds of infestation. Here are some examples of tomato pests and what you can do about them.
Hornworms or Manduca quinquemaculata
This is a big ugly caterpillar native to the USA with a black horn on its rear end. It adores tomato plants and anything else in the same family (eggplant, potato, bell pepper, tobacco).
Hornworms will hide under the leaves of your plants so check every day, especially if you know that they are common in your local area. Sometimes you will discover them by seeing their black excretions that have fallen onto other leaves.
The easiest and most effective way to deal with hornworms organically would be to squish them. Alternatively, it is possible to buy parasitic wasps or braconid wasps which will lay their eggs within the caterpillar. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the caterpillar and kill it. Should you use braconid wasps, don't kill the hornworms yourself: the wasps will leave your garden if they don't discover a few to lay their eggs on. The adult wasps feed on the flowers of dill and cilantro plants so grow some of those near to your tomatoes too.
Eelworms or Nematode
These worms live within the soil all about the world. They feed within the roots of several plants including potatoes and tomatoes. There is an organic pesticide called Methyl Bromide that can assist with this. Planting marigolds in with your tomatoes is really a great prevention measure.
Tomato Blight
Tomato blight is caused by fungus. Good preventive measures include rotating your plants to ensure that the tomatoes are not always in exactly the same place, and thinning them out to ensure that they have plenty of circulating air. Still occasionally in a wet summer you'll see some blight. Remove and destroy affected plants immediately to stop it spreading, or it will ruin your chances of successful organic tomato gardening.
Indoor Vegetable Gardening For Beginners
February 12, 2010 by admin
Filed under Indoor Gardening
Indoor vegetable gardening can be very rewarding, but there are several things to think about prior to you begin. First, do you've sufficient light? Plants do require a good amount of light to grow strongly and produce a crop. This does not matter so significantly for general house plants where you just want the plant to survive, but if you intend to grow a plant for its vegetable crop then it will need a lot more light.
A big sunny window ledge is fine for smaller plants. If you've a conservatory or a room where the windows reach the floor, that is even better because it is possible to use the floor space.
Clearly, choosing what to grow will be important. In fact, the most important thing you'll do for your indoor vegetable gardening project is choosing the plants.
Tomatoes can work nicely indoors simply because they grow upward and don't require significantly space. They do like a lot of sun so you will require to put them right in the window. You can buy a trellis to stand in your container to support them.
Herbs also make good indoor plants. They usually like well drained soil. Too much water can cause fungal growth. They also like a good supply of fresh air. Most herbs will grow happily in pots on a sunny windowsill. Some, like parsley, rosemary, mint and thyme, can handle less sunlight.
Root vegetables do not work well indoors in most cases because they need a bigger depth of soil than most homes can supply. The exception might be if you've a conservatory with large containers.
It can be hard to treat indoor pests. You should not have a major pest issue if you are growing from seed, but be extremely careful when purchasing growing plants. Be aware of the pests that target different plants, like red spider mite for tomatoes, and examine that they have not infested any plant within the store. It is not sufficient to examine the plant you plan to buy simply because there could be eggs on it.
Also, examine your house plants for pests before you begin. There is no point in purchasing the perfect vegetable plant and then putting it proper next to something that has an aphid infestation when you bring it house. It's feasible to spray indoor plants although you would probably not want to use chemical pesticides in your house. Organic is much better for anything that you plan to eat. Plant garlic with your tomatoes to deter red spider mite.
Hydroponics can be an excellent solution for indoor vegetable gardening. This is an intensive growing method that allows you to control the water, nutrients and light that plants receive. It is possible to use grow lights to augment natural light. Hydroponic equipment does not have to be extremely expensive either. Simple starter kits are accessible for indoor vegetable gardening beginners.
