Have you ever ever purchased a tomato plant at your native nursery, solely to have it go right into a tailspin because the summer season warmth cranks up? Possibly the leaves begin to yellow, or look dried out and develop spots. So many issues can go awry in the event you aren’t acquainted with pruning and feeding your plant—however how and when do you have to step in with shears and fertilizer? Whereas tomato rising could look like a cakewalk once you’ve bought a starter plant, the summer season produce staple might be difficult to keep up till you grasp a number of greatest practices.

So, to discover ways to develop the perfect tomato crops at dwelling, I visited Brooklyn Grange, New York Metropolis’s largest community of rooftop farms. Seen from my desk, Brooklyn Grange’s farm within the Brooklyn Navy Yard is the envy of our workplace, and seeing it in individual momentarily made me think about altering professions in favor of being one with the crops (as if I might deal with the unrelenting solar!).

Head of Horticulture and Upkeep Junior Schouten gave a number of members of the Food52 crew a tour, exhibiting us the assorted produce that the farm donates to meals pantries, sells at farmers markets (you could find them each Saturday at McGolrick Park), and makes use of for its CSA.

Junior and his crew are on monitor to finish 30 new or revitalized inexperienced areas this yr, together with purchasers which have been with Brooklyn Grange for nearly 9 years, so he is aware of a factor or two about establishing tomato crops for a profitable harvest.

Right here, he shares his high ideas and methods to maintain tomato crops pleased and wholesome.

How you can Develop Wholesome Tomato Vegetation at Dwelling

Mulch To Lock In (& Maintain Out) Moisture

In relation to rising tomatoes, moisture—not an excessive amount of, not too little—is vital. In each the leaves and the fruit, sustaining secure water ranges is essential to your plant’s success. Even one heavy rainfall can have disastrous results on the well being of your tomatoes. Mulching your plant with straw, wooden, or a plastic protecting helps hold your soil moist regardless of the ceaseless summer season rays and protects it from overwatering. Simply add it on high of your soil and go away a gap close to the bottom of the plant for watering and fertilizing and also you’re all set!

Prune Your Plant From the Very Starting

For those who’ve completed any prior analysis on tomato rising, chances are high you’re acquainted with pruning– a care methodology meant to redirect power to producing top quality fruit by clipping extra leaves and stalks off your tomato plant. It’s probably the most dependable strategies for guaranteeing tomato plant longevity. With my knees within the dust, Junior confirmed me the fundamentals. (When you’ve got a trellised plant, like most dwelling gardens do, you’ll be spared from post-gardening laundry.)

First, pruning ought to begin as quickly as you buy your tomato plant by clipping off the plant’s flowers. Once you carry dwelling your tomato plant, it isn’t prepared to provide fruit but—so by clipping the flowers your plant can refocus its power on producing leaves and subsequently larger high quality fruit.

Your tomato plant should not have any greater than three stalks, says Junior. Not solely will this assist guarantee enough power reaches the leaves and fruit, but it surely additionally makes it a lot simpler to stake your tomato crops up (this helps be certain that the tomatoes don’t crush the plant). So once you obtain your tomato plant, find the three healthiest stalks and clip the remaining.

Pruning additionally helps preserve secure moisture ranges. By reducing off any leaves about one foot beneath your plant, airflow across the plant will increase, which makes it simpler on your plant to dry off from the rain. Eradicating extra moisture finally prevents fungi and micro organism progress.

For a extra detailed information, check out this tomato pruning how-to.

Feed Your Tomatoes Fish (Emulsion!)

Together with pruning, fertilizing your tomato plant is crucial to its continued, yummy-fruit manufacturing. The one draw back: your yard may odor just a little fishy afterwards. Actually.

Junior put down the shears and picked up a big bottle that took me proper again to getting hit with a whiff of marsh on the way in which to the seashore. Fish emulsion, a byproduct of the fish business, is nutrient-rich and best for tomato fertilizing, Junior tells me. Add just a little to a full watering can and pour it over the roots and/or the leaves each three weeks to revive vitamins to the soil.

Decide (& Retailer) Your Tomatoes Properly

In any case that effort put into rising your tomatoes, the very last thing you need is for them to go unhealthy on the countertop. Listed here are some harvesting and storing tricks to take advantage of your tomato haul.

Keep in mind after I mentioned that moisture is the secret? That features harvesting. First, be sure your fruit is comfortable and ripe on the vine earlier than selecting them (vine-ripened tomatoes maintain probably the most taste). Then, when harvesting, you wish to hold the star-shaped leaves intact by reducing your tomatoes simply above the calyx; this ensures that no extra moisture will enter/exit your tomato whereas it’s sitting in your countertop.

One other professional tip: If there’s a rainstorm coming, harvest your tomatoes earlier than the rain begins to fall so the sudden inflow of moisture doesn’t make your tomatoes burst.

When you’ve harvested your tomatoes, Junior stresses that you just don’t wish to wash your tomatoes till you’re able to eat them. The micro organism that naturally happens in water ruins the pure steadiness of micro organism within the tomatoes, resulting in much less flavorful and short-lasting fruit.

And as a card-carrying tomato lover you in all probability already know the golden rule: Don’t refrigerate your tomatoes! Refrigerating your tomatoes zaps the flavour proper out of them. As an alternative, hold your home-grown tomatoes unwashed in your countertop till you’re able to eat them.

Make the Most of Your Tomato Haul

Now that you just’re outfitted with an arsenal of tomato-care ideas, it’s time to take pleasure in all these ripe, juicy tomatoes! And what higher method to take advantage of your harvest than by collaborating in Food52’s Tomato-thon? We’re that includes our favourite tomatoey recipes all all through August to encourage you to strive one thing new. Put up the recipes you make—or simply your fairly tomato pics—with the hashtag #f52tomatothon.

A particular because of all the oldsters at Brooklyn Grange for being so welcoming to your Food52 neighbors—we’ll be waving from our desks!

Calling All Tomato Lovers: The Food52 Tomato-thon Is On

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