My mom is an avid gardener, and I grew up helping her in the garden, and eating vegetables that we grew. I think it’s really great for kids to see where food comes from, so this year I’ve got my garden going – and I plan to involve Cameron as much as possible. I got my tomato plants at the Fort Greene Farmer’s Market. I decided to go for 2 cherry-type varieties mostly because I find I have much more success with these varieties. It takes a lot of effort to grow one perfect brandywine tomato, and a lot less to make a whole bunch of little guys! Plus I like how they taste. If I want a big tomato, I just pick one up at the Farmer’s Market.
I have a roof deck, and I grow my plants in containers (I get the “self watering” ones from gardeners.com). I think the major failures that people have when it comes to gardening are:
1)They don’t give the plant the correct amount of sunshine. Tomatoes need a lot of sun. Not all plants do – so ask the person you are buying them from, or read the label on the plant. FYI – most veggies DO need lots of sun.
2)They don’t water the plants enough. It gets REALLY hot on my deck in the summer, and even though my planters are “self watering” (this means there is a reservoir at the bottom that holds water) I will still generally water once a day. Watering means putting water on until the water seeps out the bottom – not just a little sip of water. Also, try not to get the leaves too wet when you water – stick to watering at the base of the plant.
3)They don’t give the plants enough space to grow. A tomato plant might start small, but it grows really large! I only put in one plant per planter. That way it doesn’t have to fight for space or water.
Here’s a few pictures of my tomato plants. As you can see I have taken off the lowest sets of leaves, and then I bury the plants deep. This is a little unusual – generally when you plant something you want to plant it even with the soil level. But if you plant your tomatoes deep, then roots will grow off what used to be the stem of the plant. Just leave a few leaves above the surface so the plant can make food from the sunshine. After planting, be sure to water. And then keep watering! Occasionally, I use fertilizer. Miracle Grow is ok, or you can find some organic solutions as well.
I’ll be sure to share more pictures later as the plants get bigger! And hopefully, Cameron will be excited to try his first home grown tomato.
