Grow great tasting Tomatoes

copyright 2010 K. Balakrishnan all rights reserved

The taste of vine ripened tomatoes is truly unmatched. Pluck them fresh and slice them for a sandwich, eat them raw or toss them into a salad and you will enjoy flavors that no money can buy. But how do you get from wanting a great tasting tomato to actually plucking one. Anyone can do it. The right varieties of tomatoes are high yielding, and contrary to conventional wisdom, do not require a lot of land. Ten plants each of three different types will provide you 2 kilos of fruit per week for three months.

If you use organic growing methods, you will have delicious fruit without the chemicals used in store bought ones which have been sprayed with pesticides and have been traveling for so long that they have lost much of their flavor.

Growing tomatoes at home also opens up the option of so many varieties that are not available at the store. They come in colors ranging from yellow to black and can be as small as a cherry or as large as a cricket ball. I have personally tried growing over twenty different types with varying degrees of success.

Planting time

Although classified as a warm weather crop tomatoes are flexible and will grow under a broad range of conditions. While they tend to be more productive in high humidity they can be grown anywhere across the country. In Kodaikanal, where we live, warm weather is a scarce commodity and a lot of careful planning is required to get the crop in peak summer. In the plains of India, starting at anytime of the year, except when there is heavy rain, will lead to great success.

In selecting which tomatoes to plant, keep in mind maturation dates to guarantee a steady supply of fruit right through the growing season. You could also plan for some sun dried tomatoes to further extend the life of your crop. Here is a list of what I plant:

• Cherry: A prolific yielder that is a must in every home where salads are eaten in abundance. The plants grow to a height of 5 feet and yield around 30 clusters of 10 fruits each. The fruiting life of this plant is around one month.
• Early Girl: The classic red tomato that is 3 inches in diameter and is great for cooking and slicing.
• Pink Lady: A large tomato that is good for sandwiches and can be used to make great sauce.

Growing

Start seeds in trays which have a soil depth of at least 2 inches. Space seeds out at least an inch apart and sow them in straight lines so that the plant can be identified as it germinates. Keep the trays moist but not soaking with water. Plants emerge in 6 to 8 days and should be kept in the trays for at least 3 weeks or till such time as the first pair of true leaves appear.

copyright 2010 K. Balakrishnan all rights reserved

At this stage, they should be transplanted into six inch deep polybags filled with soil, where they can spend the next 3 weeks of their lives growing steadily.

copyright 2010 K. Balakrishnan all right reserved

At the end of 6 weeks, your seedlings are finally ready to take on the real world. Dig holes that are one foot deep and fill them with a mixture of well rotted manure and composed kitchen waste if you can lay your hands on some. Alternatively you can buy a bag of organic vermi-composted manure from most garden suppliers. Water heavily once when transplanting and then let the soil dry out for a couple of days so that the roots go seeking water deeper into the ground. After this, your plants need one litre of water every day. Watering at dusk is perhaps the best so that moisture retention is maximized. Also, mulching around the plants helps conserve moisture. Use grass clippings or dried leaves for this.

Feeding

Tomatoes are heavy feeders and need a dose of feed once in two weeks and once a week when they start fruiting. Apply this on the surface around the plants so that the feed seeps in with the watering. Once the plants are around 6 inches tall, cut off the bottom branches to encourage tall, strong growth. Put stakes next to the plants and tie each plant to the stake. Your first round of flowers will be appearing soon and you need to make sure that the plant is well looked after at this stage. Too little water and the fruits will suffer from blossom end rot disease. Too much rain and the chance of late blight is a reality.

Pests and Diseases

Strong healthy plants can normally deal with mild pest attacks but the fungal disease, blight, is a totally different cup of tea. Fortunately, Nimmy John of Aruvimalai Organic Farm has a solution. “Take four cups of curd and let it sit in a bucket for 3 weeks till it becomes sour. Dilute this with 10 times the quantity of water and strain the liquid. Using a watering can, pour this liquid on your plants the moment they start flowering. Do this once a week for the next 4 weeks” she says, and the dreaded blight will be under control.

copyright 2010 K. Balakrishnan all rights reserved

Harvesting

Pick fruit when they are red and when you need them. Use both hands to do this so that the plant does not get damaged. Fruit can also be kept in the kitchen for 3 days if you want them to ripen further. Take care of the plants well at this stage and you will enjoy great tasting tomatoes for a long time.

About the author: K. Balakrishnan lives in Kodaikanal,  where he and wife Vasu run a farmstay called Cinnabar. A renaissance man, trapped in a modern world, he has spent many years of his life dabbling in organic farming and home cheese making. He always wears his shirt sleeves rolled up. To learn more or to attend one of the organic farming courses he takes visit Cinnabar Farm.

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