Totally organic food is healthier and its production is much more respectful with the environment. For this reason, more and more people are joining to grow their own food, either in a garden or at home with pots or an urban garden.
For example, tomatoes are one of the foods that we consume the most, and, therefore, you can choose to buy organic tomatoes or learn how to grow them. We want to help you and we explain how to grow organic tomatoes, so you can prepare cooking recipes with organic products produced at home, a great way to take care of yourself.
Choosing the seeds to plant organic tomatoes
It is vital that to grow organic or organic tomatoes you choose the right seeds. It is not advisable to opt for hybrid or transgenic seeds for various reasons such as, for example, that the resulting tomato seeds may not be used to continue producing and because there are products that have been used to obtain them that turn out to be toxic. Therefore, with organic and ecological tomato seeds you will ensure that you do not consume toxins through their fruits, that you can plant again and that you will take better care of your health and that of the environment.
To do this, you will have to make sure that they are seeds of autochthonous or local varieties since, in addition to contributing to local trade and development, they are more resistant to possible pests and diseases in the area itself and are better adapted to the climate, so they will grow easier and better.
You can choose from several specialists who can provide you with organic tomato seeds. For example, you can go to local nurseries or farmers. Another very good option is that you get them on your own: when you eat organic tomatoes always remove the seeds and let them dry until you can plant them.
In addition, we will explain how to grow tomatoes without sowing the seeds, that is, from seedlings, a good option when you already have tomato plants or you cannot get seeds so easily.
Where and how to plant organic tomatoes
The important thing about where to plant tomatoes is to keep in mind that tomato plants need to have enough hours of natural light and good ventilation. Thus, look for a place where sunlight can reach them between 6 and 10 hours a day and that is a ventilated place, so it is always advisable to plant them outdoors, whether it is garden land such as a garden, terrace or balcony. For optimal ventilation we recommend that you leave several centimeters of distance between each plant, if possible about 60 centimeters.
Now, we come to the point where we explain how to plant tomatoes in the garden, greenhouse, pot or wherever you have chosen to do it. You have two options: you can sow or plant. If you choose sowing you will have to choose the seeds as we have explained before, but if you choose to plant you will have to get seedlings. It is more important that these seedlings have well-developed roots, more than whether or not the sprout part is. You will also have to check for pests before planting them.
Regarding when to sow tomatoes, you will have to think that if you sow, that is, if you use the seeds, you will have to do it at the beginning of spring. On the other hand, if you plant seedlings or sprouts, it will be better to do it in late spring. Also, remember to make a staking for the shoots and the young stems have a guide that helps them grow well. You can use stakes, sticks as branches or canes.
These are key points to keep in mind about how to plant organic tomatoes :
- When to sow: early spring.
- When to plant: late spring.
- When can it be harvested: after 3 months.
- Minimum capacity and depth of the pots: 20 liters and 40 centimeters.
- Distance between planting lines or brackets: 90 centimeters.
- Distance between tomato plants: 60 centimeters.
- Type of soil: soil rich in nutrients, it is advisable to use compost.
Irrigation of organic tomatoes
Another vital point of growing organic tomatoes is to consider irrigation. Here we will not only look at what the plant needs, but we will also have to keep in mind the consumption of water and that it is ecological.
To water organic tomatoes, it is important to know that they need water constantly but in such a way that the earth does not puddle, that is, in a moderate amount of water. Thus, it is best to do it carefully manually or use drip irrigation systems . You have to be careful not to water the leaves, as they don’t need to and they can easily get sick, but only the soil and the roots should be wetted . Also make sure the soil has good drainage and doesn’t get puddled for hours.
Ecological fertilizer for tomatoes
The best fertilizer for tomatoes is undoubtedly a totally natural one and, without a doubt, if we want them to be organically grown, this is the one we should use. It is best to use materials such as fresh compost that we can make at home, with different organic remains that we produce at home. Apply it at the beginning of planting and during the growth of the tomato plants.
How to combat pests in organic tomatoes
The most common diseases and pests in tomato plants are those caused by fungi, mainly mildew, and aphids of various species. In organic farming, we try not only to treat with natural methods but above all to prevent pests and diseases. To do this, it is convenient to make an association of plants so that the tomatoes grow better, and in this case the best options for the tomato plants are:
- Basil
- Chamomile or chamomile
- Zinnia
- Capuchina or queen taco
They are plants that scare away harmful insect pests for tomato plants, but attract beneficial insects for them, such as lacewings, some species of ladybugs and wasps.
Likewise, crop rotations reduce the appearance of pests and diseases and, as if that were not enough, the nutrients in the soil are also better used.
In case there is already a plague or disease, it is necessary to use totally natural products to combat them. In addition, it is highly recommended to take a diseased piece of the plant, such as a leaf or a branch, and take it to a specialist in any store specialized in agriculture and / or gardening, in this way they will be able to know for sure what it is and how to help us.
How to prune the tomato plant or tomato plant
Finally, after harvesting the organic tomatoes 3 months after planting, the tomato plants will need to get rid of leaves and other parts that may have dried up due to the effort of producing the fruits and, therefore, many people take advantage of the moment to prune the tomato plant . It must be taken into account that there are those who prune so that the plant grows more but, from EcologíaVerde, we recommend that healthy parts of the plant not be pruned , but only the dry or diseased parts are removed , if we cannot heal them.
If we want the plant to grow more it is necessary to intervene while it is in full growth and not after harvesting. When the plant is growing and suckers begin to appear, which are small branches that appear between the main vertical stem and the horizontal branches, it is best to remove the first 2 or 3, making the plant focus its forces on pulling the main stem forward. and not these weaker branches. Afterwards, it is no longer necessary to remove suckers, although there are those who do it so that the plant grows a little more.
Also, there are those who remove the large leaves that begin to be past before letting them fall on their own, to have better ventilation of the plant before. We recommend that if they are not ill, they let themselves fall, because if we want to ventilate well we can place more guides or trellises and move the leaves and branches well when we check the tomato plants, apart from respecting the distances mentioned at the beginning.
