Growing Organic Tomatoes
For organic gardeners, the use of pesticides and chemicals is not an option as they look to nature to provide everything needed to help their garden grow. A rain forest is a prime example of how organic farming can use all that nature provides to produce taste and nutrition in every plant. Organic tomato gardening is a fairly recent endeavor as more people understand the harm that can be done to their health – as well as to the natural order of living things – by using chemicals.
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Organic farming is the practice of using no chemicals in fertilizers or pesticides and keeping the soil free of such items. A buffer zone around the garden can prevent the inadvertent exposure to chemicals and help maintain organic tomato gardening in its purest form. Research has proven that nature has its own way of dealing with all living things, and for every insect that may eat the plant or destroy the fruit, there is another creature that uses those insects for food.
Many of the bugs that people believe are eating their vegetable plants are often mistaking a good bug for the bad one they are going after. The process of organic tomato gardening is just that, a practice not a sudden notion.
Deciding to practice organic tomato gardening is just the first step in the organic process. There may be chemicals in the soil from previous uses that will remain in the ground for years. In some cases before a commercial plot can be deemed organic, there is a 10 to 20 years period during which no chemical can be used. For most home gardens the wait probably will not be very long, as hopefully few chemicals have been used previously.
Natural compost and a layer of organic fertilizer such as leaves or grass clippings can be turned over in the garden in the fall and will supply nutrition for organic tomato gardening in the spring. While most pests will have natural predators, spraying plants with a garlic juice and water mixture can help fend off some of the more persistent creatures.
One of the biggest advantages of organic tomato gardening is that tomatoes can be plucked from the plant and eaten on the spot without worry of what is on the fruit and the potential side effects of ingesting unwanted chemicals. A healthy crop packed with nutrients and flavor will result from organic tomato gardening.
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Dear Alison,
From among my tomato plants this year, I am using one to try to grow one large tomato, which is already about the size of a tennis ball. Garden is in NJ and the plant is a Big Boy. I have removed smaller tomatoes from beneath this large one and have removed a second stem so there is now just one. This one large tomato is about 2 feet off the ground and the whole plant right now is about 4 to 4 1/2 feet high. All buds above the tomato have been snipped.
Should I be snipping the stem above the tomato?
Remove all leaves below?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you
Tom, I’m not sure what the best option is for you. Whilst I agree with removing the other buds, I’m concerned that removing the leaves and snipping the stem above your tomato might be stressful for the plant.
I’m hoping another tomato enthusiast can help with your question.
Alison