Saturday, July 3, 2010

Tomato Time


It is tomato time in the Celtic Ozark Garden, and indeed all across the Ozarks. So, I wanted to take a moment and talk about getting good tomatos. It is worth the effort.

It is time to add a little fertilizer to the tomaotes, that has a nice bit of calcium. I like to use a liquid at this point, to help make sure that I don't add too much fertilizer. This could burn the plant. Miracle Gro is a good one, if you are not sure how much to add.

I have a spray connector, that came with Miracle Gro at one point. I just add my dry fertilizer to the same level marked on the container. Make sure you do not spray the fruit. Keep the watering low on the plant.

Proper watering is also important now. Too little or too much can mess up the plant. I have very loose soil, that drains well. So, I figure 1 cup of water per plant twice a week. Too much water can cause blossom rot, and can cause the plant to start making more leaves.

Remember that tomatoes, like any other fruit, will only produce so much. If you want bigger tomatoes, you may want to remove some of the tomatoes. That's what I do.

Enjoy them. There is nothing like a vine ripened tomato.

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