Are you learning to grow your own sweet, juicy tomatoes? Luckily for you, tomato plants can grow almost anywhere where it is warm and a little damp.
But as with most vegetation that produce a fruit, a little TLC goes a long way. With adequate sunlight, water and patience, you will be greatly rewarded with a six foot tall tomato plant with big (or cherry size), red, or other heirloom colors, juicy tomatoes!
Tomatoes take a long time to grow, so you must have great patience. If you lack vigor for this task, just recall this just like James Bryan: Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration!
James Bryan had a bright idea that resulted in something which is nothing short of brilliant. The setup is obviously simple yet highly functional and effective.
Mr. Bryan shares his experience. He says:
“I started on May 28th planting 4 tomatoes around a garbage can with holes drilled at the bottom rim and a second row about 10 inches up. Then I buried the can to where the top holes just barely were above the ground and put in 2 shovels full of compost.
Then I filled the can up with water every 2 days and tried not to water the leaves. These 4 plants became 5 feet and 4 inches tall in less than a month and a half, and were loaded with green tomatoes. There were also about a hundred sets of tomato blossoms.”
May 28th
End of June, 3 ft cage
July 9
Bryan first used a 13 gallon kitchen garbage can to grow the tomato plants above, but then he switched to using 5 gallon buckets because they are a lot cheaper asnd easier to find in quantities.
You could even use a larger can as long as you provide each plant with 5 gallons of water per week. For instance, if you use a 5 gallon bucket and plant 2 tomato plants around it, you need to fill the 5 gallon bucket 2 times per week.
“I grow tomatoes now for the green market, and I have a higher yield per plant than most other growers do,” Bryan says proudly.
Tomato nutrient breakdown
Tomatoes contain a wide array of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including alpha-lipoic acid, lycopene, choline, folic acid, beta-carotene and lutein. Tomatoes are also an excellent source of vitamin C, biotin, molybdenum, and vitamin K. They are also a very good source of copper, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B6, folate, niacin, vitamin E and phosphorus.
One medium whole tomato contains around 22 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of protein and 6 milligrams of sodium. It also provides 40 % of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, 20 % of the RDA of vitamin A, 2 % of the RDA of iron and 1 % of the RDA of calcium.
Tomatoes are an incredibly versatile food. They are delicious eaten raw, in salads or on sandwiches, and take on a wonderful sweetness when cooked!
Note for future planters: If you are into planting, decide on a support plan before you set out your plants, then add that support directly after planting. Have fun growing your little “diamonds”!