How to grow organic tomatoes

It is vital that for grow ecological or organic tomatoes 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 they contain products that have been used to obtain them that turn out to be toxic. Therefore, with the organic and ecological tomato seeds You will ensure that you do not consume toxic substances through its fruits, which you will be able to 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 indigenous varieties or local since, in addition to contributing to local trade and development, they are more resistant to possible pests and diseases in the area and are better adapted to the climate, so they will grow more easily 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 to get them on your own: when you consume organic tomatoes, always take out 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.

The important of where to plant tomatoes is to bear 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, for this reason it is always advisable to plant them outdoors, whether it is an orchard 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 than whether or not the shoot part is. You will also have to check that they do not have pests before planting them.

About when to plant 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. Instead, if you plant seedlings or sprouts, it’s best to do so in late spring. Also, remember to make a trellis for the shoots and the young stems to have a guide that helps them grow well. You can use stakes, sticks like branches or reeds.

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: at 3 months.
• Minimum capacity and depth of the pots: 20 liters and 40 centimeters.
• Distance between planting lines or bales: 90 centimeters.
• Distance between the tomato plants: 60 centimeters.
• Type of land: soil rich in nutrients, compost should be used.

In this other EcologíaVerde article we give you advice on preparing the land to plant vegetables.

Another vital point of cultivation of organic tomatoes is to take into account 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 be ecological. To do this, we recommend that you read this other article on Recycling rainwater for consumption.

For water organic tomatoes It is important to know that they need water constantly but in such a way that the soil 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, because they do not need to and they can easily get sick, but it is convenient to wet just the earth and the roots. Also make sure that the soil has good drainage and does not remain waterlogged for hours.

The best fertilizer for tomatoes It is without a doubt 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 do at home, with different organic waste that we produce at home. Apply it at the beginning of planting and during the growth of tomato plants.

Here we explain how to make homemade organic fertilizer for plants.

The most common diseases and pests in tomato plants are those produced by fungi, mainly mildew, and aphids of various species. Organic farming seeks not only to treat with natural methods, but above all to prevent pests and diseases. To do this, it is convenient to plant association so that the tomatoes grow better, and in this case the best options for tomato plants are:

• Basil
• chamomile or chamomile
• Zinnia
• Nasturtium or queen taco

They are plants that repel insect pests that are harmful to tomato plants, but that attract beneficial insects, such as lacewings, some species of ladybugs and wasps.

Likewise, the crop rotations they reduce the appearance of pests and diseases and, as if that were not enough, they also make better use of the soil’s nutrients.

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.

Finally, after harvest organic tomatoes after 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, for this reason, many people take advantage of the moment to prune the tomato. Keep in mind that there are those who prune so that the plant grows more but, from EcologíaVerde, we recommend that healthy parts cannot be pruned of the plant, but only remove the dry or diseased partsif we can’t 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 are beginning to be past before letting them fall by themselves, to have a better ventilation of the plant before. We recommend that if they are not sick, they are allowed to fall alone, 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.

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