When you think of tomato growers you probably think of
allotments and gardens. Well it doesn't have to stop there,
if you live in the city or a flat with no access to a
garden, you will still either have a window sill or a
balcony which is all you need.
Growing your own tomatoes is a very rewarding pastime, and
there is nothing better than selecting from your own crop.
Tomatoes are just so delicious compared to what you can buy
from the local supermarket. In fact my husband hovers
around me like a child when I am preparing them for a salad
or a sauce, and steals them when he thinks I am not looking.
Bush or Cherry tomatoes are a good choice if you are going
to grow tomatoes indoors as they are more compact. Bush
tomatoes will grow to about three or four feet in height.
This is perfect for the balcony, and with just the right
amount of time and attention, you too could be enjoying the
fresh taste of sweet tomatoes.
Children love growing tomatoes. They develop quickly and in
no time at all you can see the results. You may be
fortunate enough that they will be encouraged to try them.
They never believed me when I said that is where Tomato
Ketchup comes from!
The easiest way to achieve your own window sill or balcony
garden is to buy a couple of plug plants from a garden
centre. Your local DIY store will probably sell plants too,
or if you're very keen, you can buy a packet of seeds. You
can buy seedling compost as well, which takes all the
mystery out of creating your own soil mix. If you have
bought plug plants which have been cultivated, all you will
need are plant pots and good general compost for them to
grow in. If you have a balcony, you could also use a grow
bag. These are brilliant as you get the compost and
container all in one. The bonus with grow bags is all the
nutrients you need for a healthy plant is already there for
the first six weeks.
Growing tomatoes from seed isn't rocket science but it is
always a delicate part of growing anything. I suggest you
start either with a regular nursery tray or small yoghurt
pots full of your seedling compost. Tomato seeds should be
planted about about 8 seeds to the inch and about a quarter
of an inch deep. Don't worry about being precise because
the fun part of growing any plant is the experimentation
and discovering what does and what doesn't work. I think
too many people get hung up about the technology of
creating perfect produce and forget about how enjoyable it
is to grow your own plants.
Cover your seedlings to keep them from drying out. This can
be with a clear plastic bag with an elastic band around the
pot to secure it, or you can use a propagator tray. You
will discover that tomato seeds germinate at around 80
degrees in warm conditions and once they have germinated
they will grow best at about 70 to 75 degrees.
Unless you are very diligent, it is a good idea not to
germinate plants on the window sill, as the extremes of
temperature can be damaging. A constant temperature and a
well lit area are perfect; otherwise you may get "leggy"
seedlings. You could get the children to experiment and let
them discover where they germinate best and if you have
excess seedling, you can always give them to friends and
family to grow and maybe even have a competition.
After about 5 to 12 days you will discover that your
seedlings will appear and as they do, you can remove the
cover from the tray. Fresh sprouts should be kept under
good lighting conditions, to encourage strong growth.
When the seedlings are about one and a half inches tall,
you can transplant them into their own 6 inch containers.
They will need regular watering and once flowers have
appeared you will need to feed them weekly with a
specialist tomato fertiliser. As the plants grow you will
need to transplant them into larger pots or if you are
using a grow bag you don't need to do anything.
Small Cherry tomatoes are extremely compact plants and can
do very well in relatively small pots on a window sill as
long as they are kept well watered and fed.
After about 6 to 8 weeks, your tomato plants should be
about ready to pick and you will discover how enjoyable it
is to eat something that you have grown.
I hope this short article has helped you see how easy it is
to grow tomatoes indoors. Be warned though; Tomatoes from
the supermarket will never taste the same again and you may
have to continue growing your own.
----------------------------------------------------
Leslie Pirrie is an expert in growing tomatoes. Do you want
learn more about how to grow great tomatoes? Download
Leslie's popular Free 10 Top Tips for Growing Great
tomatoes available at: =>
http://www.growyourowntoms.com
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Hey, interesting article. You are definately right, homegrown tomatoes taste much better than just buying them. You forget to mention something though, and thats the soil options when growing tomatoes indoors. I personally think that organic is better, what soil type do you use?