Organic Tomato Gardening
HELP! Potato Aphid on my tomato plants….?
I noticed some leaves of my tomato plants are turning yellow and have black spots all over them. on the bottom part of the leaves I found potato Aphids. How can I get rid of them ? I grow an organic garden and don’t want to use harmful pesticides. are there any home remedies to control this pest? PLEASE HELP….
i looked up some things online, but I wanted to hear from people what worked best for them. Thank you to everyone who answered. We got a lot of rain lately, maybe thats why the leaves turn yellow. I tried vcollecting them with some one sided tape, which got rid of a lot of them. Any further sugestions are most welcome. Thanks….
Use ‘Sevin’. It comes in liquid or powder form. It can be found at your local garden center.
Organic Tomato Gardening
How To Grow Your Own Organic Tomato Garden-A Simple Guide on Starting Tomato Plants In Your Organic Garden
Every organic gardener dreams of mouth-watering Tomatoes fresh from their own backyard. From experience, I know that store purchased fruits and vegetables cannot compare to what you grow yourself. However, these cannot be obtained easily. But don’t let that turn you away– with proper planning and know how, growing organic tomatoes at home can end up a a very fruitful experience!
The first step to this process is to make sure that you have a space on your property that is suitable for growing tomatoes. When doing this, keep in mind that tomatoes prefer plenty of sunlight, and are going to require some ‘elbow room’– make sure that there is enough space to have the plants at least 3 feet apart. Don’t own land that’s suited for tomato growing? Fear not, you’ve got a few options here. The first would be to check out your local community garden. Community gardens consist of a large plot of land that is subdivided, and shared by many gardeners. You can register for a plots at these gardens for little to no cost. If that possibility is not applicable, try speaking with the owner of a nearby organic farm. Some small growers will offer excess land in exchange for a part of the produce.
After you’ve chosen a nice plot for your tomatoes, it’s time to prepare the plants. If you’re cultivating your own seeds, it’s important to do so a couple weeks before the last spring frost, or in other words the start of your climate zone’s growing season. This allows the delicate, sprouted plants to grow strong enough to survive outdoor conditions. To avoid the seed starting process altogether, you can also purchase previously started young tomato plants at a nearby garden store (some of which may have already flowered!). These can be transplanted in to your garden, and make a good solution for those who missed their chance to sprout seeds during the early spring. When choosing a type of tomato seeds or plants, check the label to make sure it well suits the length of your growing season, as nothing is worse that losing your well cared for tomato plants to a fall frost!
When you’re seedlings are developed enough to be moved outside (this will take anywhere from 2-4 weeks after being sown), or once you’ve purchased your tomato plants the next step is to mix the soil assuming you haven’t already. To keep this step simple, after tilling the plot where the tomatoes will be planted, spread a 5 inch layer of garden compost over the topsoil and turn with a pitchfork. Want to take it further? Manure and perlite are also popular things to add to tomato soil. Just make sure to remember: to be able to call your tomatoes organic, everything you add to your soil must be as well. To plant the tomatoes, dig a hole that is large enough to fully cover the root system, and reaches to about an inch up on the stem. Once you’ve placed the plant in the hole, bring soil from the sides to hold it in place. Finish off the planting by packing gently around the base of the stem. Now, you may want to include tomato stakes or cages in your growing arrangement, since as they begin to produce fruit, the excess weight can cause the stems to double over. After you’ve finished planting each seedling, water the plot with a constant but gentle flow pattern. Tomatoes should be watered near the base, not the leaves.
About the Author
For more on growing your own organic tomatoes and organic gardening in general, visit my blog OrganicNOW for organic gardening tips, guides, and product reviews. Not getting enough out of your tomato plants? I recommend taking a look at Organic Tomato Magic, which teaches how to DOUBLE tomato yields and improve overall plant health. Learn more about Organic Tomato Magic here. Happy Gardening!
Homemade tomato sauce?
I have several good recipes I would like to try now that we have an abundance of organic tomatoes from our garden. The only problem is they all call for canning or putting it up like preserves. Unfortunately, it was not an art which was taught to me and short of giving my family food poisoning, I’m wondering if instead of buying all the jars, going through the boiling/sealing and all that rigmarole, does anyone know if I can just let the sauce cool a bit on the stove then use zipper bags to freeze the sauce in various portions to use as needed?
Yes. Instead of canning you can freeze the sauce in any kind of non metallic container you’d like. The only advantage canning gives you is that you can keep the sauce on the shelf at room temperature. When you’re ready to use the sauce just let it thaw in the refrigerator or microwave it if you need it right away.
Incidentally don’t worry about giving your family food poisoning. Standard tomatoes are low in pH and therefore you don’t need to pressure can them.
PhD Food Chemistry and Nutrition
Planting Organic Tomatoes