Wednesday 27 April 2011

Grow Your Own Rooftop Tomatoes: A Guide for the Novice

Now that my tomato plant is withering and very near its end, the time seems ripe for a post on tomatoes. I started growing tomatoes with the hope of picking a couple of fresh tomatoes and at the very most, a dozen. But after my potted plant yielded nearly 50 tomatoes, I think I may have some valuable tips to share.
Freshly Harvested Tomatoes
So here’s a little "Guide for the First-time Tomato Grower", who doesn’t have the luxury of a patch of land.

Tomatoes are fairly easy to grow but they need plenty of sunshine, water, nutrients and TLC. You need to keep a hawk eye for pests and diseases too. If you’re more of a weekend gardener, not diligent about watering your plants, then growing tomatoes in containers may not quite work out for you. For the Rooftop Tomatoes project, you have to jump into it with both feet.

Soil Preparation: Tomatoes need plenty of nutrition from the soil. I can’t emphasize enough, how important this is. Providing rich fertile soil should be top  priority. I was lucky to get rich garden soil from a nursery; the soil was loaded with earthworms and goat manure. On top of that, I used plenty of homemade compost every time I wanted to boost the soil’s fertility. Make sure you plant is in as large a pot as you can acquire. Remember, more soil means more nutrition. I used a 16 inch cement pot but I know a larger one would have worked better.

When to Sow: I am no expert on this, but here are some commonsense suggestions. Since tomatoes need abundant sunshine and water, avoid not only the winter and the rains, but also the peak of harsh summer during its life cycle, which is about 4 months. For more authoritative information on when and how to grow tomatoes visit the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University website. I planted my seeds in January and couldn’t have asked for a better harvest.

What to Sow: If like me, you live in Chennai or a city like it, you have little choice. You can only choose from the hybrid, the local naati or the cherry tomato varieties. Just dip into your grocery bag and get your seeds from a ripe tomato. I chose the hybrid one as it is the most versatile, but if you can pick up cherry tomatoes, do try them. They’re the best bet for a pot with limited resources. With a smaller fruit to make, it’s easier on the plant.

How to Sow: Start your seeds indoors. Scoop out a little tomato pulp with seeds. Soak the seeds in some water for a couple of hours. In the meanwhile, fill up 4 - 6 paper cups with good garden soil. Poke two holes in each cup and place a seed in each of the holes, lightly covering them with soil. Water them every day. Within a week, you will find tomato seedlings sprouting in all the cups. When your seedlings are about 4 inches tall, pick the healthiest one and transplant it carefully into a well prepared pot with good drainage. An easy way to transplant the seedling without disturbing its roots, is to tear out the paper cup as you plant the seeding along with the soil into a little depression in the pot. Please plant one plant per pot. (That’s a clever tongue twister I just made up!) Don’t ever be tempted to grow more than one tomato plant in a single pot. If you do, you’ll have lots of green foliage but no red tomatoes. Steel yourself and leave the remaining seedlings to die, if you can’t find them pots. Once transplanted, move your plant outdoors into a sunny spot where it can receive at least 7-8 hours of direct sunshine.
Tomato Seeds Soaking in Water
Staking: Once planted, stake the plant straight away. Without a stake, a tomato plant will bend over once it begins fruiting. The reason, why I recommend that you stake it right away is that very soon the roots will branch out all through the pot and you will be sure to damage them when you stake the plant later. I used a thick, foot long cane stick that was lying around. A stake can be metal, wooden, or even PVC.  To stake, push in your stake 1-2 inches away from the main stem. Once the plant needs support, loosely tie the main stem to the stake with a shoelace or a soft thick cord that will not cut into the stem over time.

Tomato Stake (Click to Enlarge)
Watering:  If you can’t water every day, your plant will probably fail. You have to religiously water every single day and on hot days, twice a day. If you’ve missed watering and your plant has suffered, you really can’t compensate by watering it later. And just as you shouldn’t underwater, don’t overwater. Excess water may drain out, but along with it, precious nutrients will be lost.  Your tomatoes may also turn out to be more watery. Judge how damp your soil is by poking and feeling it before you water your plant.

Pruning: Again, don’t let your heart rule your head.  Prevent your plant from spreading out by nipping the suckers. Suckers are shoots that rise between two preexisting main stems (leaders). If your plant is allowed to branch out extensively, it will be frittering away its energy in producing more foliage and less fruit. The plant’s energy must be conserved for producing maximum fruit. In fact after 2-3 months of rapid growth, when I noticed my plant was shooting up, I nipped off the main stem at its tip, as I knew the pot just couldn’t provide for a larger plant.
Pruning the Suckers (Click to Enlarge)
Mulching: A layer of mulch on your soil is highly recommended. With mulch, not only will the soil retain its moisture better, weeds will be deterred too. Mulch can be dry leaves, twigs, grass or even shredded newspaper. 

Fertilize: When you notice that your plant is rapidly growing or flowering, add a little compost to the soil. As a general rule, you could add a little compost (rich in egg shells), every 2-3 weeks.

Diseases and Other Concerns:

Pests: Look out for insects and other unwanted bugs on your plant, especially the under surface of the leaves. Manually remove any harmful looking bugs. But leave the spiders, lady birds and wasps alone. These are the good bugs to have around.

Leaf Curl: Very often the leaves of a tomato plant may curl. This is usually a sign of plant stress. In spite of it, you may still get healthy tomatoes. If you can remove the cause of the stress, the leaf curl will disappear. However, if the plant gets further stressed, it could succumb and die. So when you see leaf curl, try and ascertain the cause. And if you can’t, just keep your fingers crossed. I got a bountiful harvest despite leaf curl.
Leaf Curl: A Sign of Plant Stress
Blossom End Rot: A few of my tomatoes began rotting at the bottom end. After a little googling, I learnt that there are many possible causes to this blossom end rot (BER): incorrect watering, calcium deficiency or some other nutrient inadequacy. I gathered that my plant may be calcium deficient. To fix it would mean to add some calcium in the soil that will immediately be available to it. Calcium from egg shells wouldn’t work as it would take a long time to reach the plant. Now when I began gardening, I had decided to go the organic route. Here, I was confronted with the issue of fixing my BER with a chemical or remaining organic and harvesting rotten tomatoes. With pangs of guilt, I chose the former, all the while consoling myself that a single calcium tablet, containing just 500 mg of calcium carbonate isn’t as evil as the regular chemical farming that we know of. So I went ahead and powdered a calcium tablet (Magnical) that I had with me, dissolved it in water and poured it into my pot. It seemed to have worked as there were no more tomatoes with BER thereafter.
Blossom End Rot: In an Unripe Tomato
Blossom End Rot: In a Ripe One
Ripening Tomatoes: Tomatoes appeared on my plant within 45 days of planting. It can take longer. Once a tomato is ready, it will colour from green to yellow to red, in a matter of a few days.  Red ripe tomatoes on a green vine – a sight to feast on – will attract everyone, including predators like squirrels and crows. A few of my tomatoes were targeted by human predators. So if you find your tomatoes being stolen or damaged, you can pick them before they fully ripen. They may be plucked the moment they turn a slight yellow and ripened indoors, preferably near a sunny windowsill. They will ripen a tad slower, but the taste is indistinguishable from the vine ripened ones. Never refrigerate your tomatoes – green or red. They lose their flavor in the fridge.
Tomato Blossoms
Tomatoes Ripening on the Vine
Green Tomatoes: At the end of the season, you will be left with a few green tomatoes. That’s natural and don’t despair. There are plenty of recipes calling for green tomatoes. You could also try plucking the green tomatoes and leaving it to ripen. Some of my green tomatoes that showed no sign of ripening on the plant, actually ripened after they were plucked.
End of Season: Green Tomatoes and Brown Leaves
Bottom Line: A tomato seed will germinate with ease, but for the seedling to grow into a fine fruit bearing plant in a pot, a little care is needed. Yet, when you are blessed with red ripe tomatoes on your vine, it seems worth all the effort. A  fully laden tomato plant will make many heads turn. Those who rarely notice a spectacular plant or flower, will still stop to stare at the red tomatoes. Finally, the intense flavor of a homegrown red ripe tomato is the sweetest reward.
Laden with Fruit




Various Hues: Tomatoes in Various Stages

29 comments:

  1. So many tomatoes from one plant! I had grown tomatoes 2 yrs ago in a pot and got very few.

    I remember pushing in a bamboo stick for staking when the plant was quite big. I could feel it going through the roots. So I'll remember to stake it early and also the other tip- to remove the suckers (you've shown it clearly!) hope I'll get atleast 2 dozen.

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  2. Actually, it was the absolutely delicious tomatoes from your plant that inspired me to grow them myself.

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  3. Hi Anita...found ur blog via Mark Willis...Great post...this is my first time growing tomatoes in a pot.....i'm thinking of growing it upside down..(topsy turvy tomatoes) thanks for the great tips on growing tomatoes..:)

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  4. Hi HangKebon. I am glad you found my post useful. Growing tomatoes has been the most satisfying experience for me. Hope you will be able to share your tomato growing story soon.

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  5. Hello...M so thrilled to land on your blog...i have a large terrace place which I am planning to fill with veggies grown by me...will require your help too :)

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    1. Hi, Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm no longer very active on blogosphere, but if you need any gardening info that is Chennai-specific, do email me and I will try and help.
      Happy Gardening!

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  6. Hi Anita Kumar, nice blog, I love gardening..

    By the way, Can you let me know where I can get Cherry Tomatoes seeds in Chennai (am in Koyembedu)

    Many thanks in Advance.

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    Replies
    1. Sorry I missed replying to you earlier. You can probably get them online now.

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  7. Hi Anita, this is really a good post,

    I need to know what the fruiting season of a tomato plant?

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  8. Well, I don't really know the "official fruiting season". However, my observation here in Chennai has been that you will get a lot of ripe tomatoes in summer.

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  9. Thanks for the useful information on growing tomatoes..

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  10. Hi Anita, nice blog I had a query, I am trying to grow tomato seeds in container and started with the seeds. I had sow some seeds in container and I am using potting soil for this and kept in balcony. How much time will it take for seeds to sprout?? I have read many websites that said you have to keep seeds indoors. I had kept my container in balcony which get afternoon sunlight.

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    Replies
    1. HI Anshima,
      It should take about a week to sprout. I would suggest, you keep the container indoors till the seeds sprout.

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  11. Nice blog. What care shd be done to make all tomoto flowers into fruits..Suggestion please..

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    Replies
    1. For expert advice I suggest you visit Geekgardener's blog.

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  12. Hi Hangkoben. It is very impressive to read your article. It’s amazing and very informative. First time when i used your tips on growing the tomatoes in my terrace place. After few days I was seen there are lots of tomatoes grown in my terrace place. On that time i was very happy. Thank you so much for sharing the blog.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kinds words. Spread the joy!

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  13. very well written. thats what i call sharing ones experience. well informed blog. that i keep reading every often.
    Thanks

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  14. anitajee,nice to see your garden keep going im intrstd for roof top garden can you suggest someone who an guide us in setting up roof garden.

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    Replies
    1. If you are from Chennai or Coimbatore, you could take a look at http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_schemes_doit_yourself.html

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  15. Hi Anita,

    This is the first time I am reading your posts... Really amazed to know that veggies can be home grown with proper care... Will start trying out one by one... Looking forward to more tips..

    Regards,
    Renuka

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  16. Hi Anita,

    This is the first time I am reading your posts... Really amazed to know that veggies can be home grown with proper care... Will start trying out one by one... Looking forward to more tips..

    Regards,
    Renuka

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  17. hey Anita...n this is Anita here too..am reading your blog for the 1st time..starting gardening a few months back..this has been very helpful..do keep this blog updated with which vegetable plants to be grown as the month and season goes by...take care,,n hoping for a reply

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    1. Thank you Anita. I am sorry but I am no longer able to blog. I would highly recommend http://geekgardener.in/ for extremely useful gardening information and advice. Happy Gardening, Anita. :-)

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  18. Hi Anita,
    I am planning to grow tomato in my balcony in Mumbai. Last time i tried but seeds do not germinate. I hope this time your tip will help me to become better gardener. Is this a right time to grow tomato in mumbai?

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      Not sure what the weather is like in Mumbai right now, but if the monsoons have set in, maybe you should wait for the downpour to stop before planting. Here in Chennai, I don't plant anything too close to the heavy rains in November/December as they are bound to get washed off.

      All the best.

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  19. Hi Anita,

    I have grown Cherry Tomatoes in September. It has grown well and even producing good blossoms, but even with so many blossoms I am not getting fruits and I could see blossoms drop. I am based in Mumbai. I did lots of research and found that it could be probably because of temperature of pollination issue. I am continuously doing self pollination as well. The plants are placed in my balcony. Can you help me on how can I stop blossom drop.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Naaz, I've not grown Cherry tomatoes, so I'm afraid I can't help. Have you tried asking http://geekgardener.in/ for advice?

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