How To

How to Grow Organic Tomatoes From Seed

By eHow Home & Garden Editor
Rate: (2 Ratings)

The organic tomatoes at the grocery store are beautiful and grown without pesticide chemicals, but the price is enough to make you want to denounce lycopene as a heart healthy phytochemical. Don't despair, growing your own garden fresh organic tomatoes from seed is not as hard as you might think.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Find a reputable organic seed supplier. Places like Seeds of Change have high-quality organic seeds for a premium price (see Resources below). Keep in mind a packet of seeds can be kept for the next year's planting, but their germination rate will not be as good. Keep them dry and in a sealed plastic bag so moisture doesn't ruin them.

  2. Step 2

    Plant your tomato seeds in peat pots or another organically approved seed-starting growing medium. Plant at the depth recommended by the directions on the seed package.

  3. Step 3

    Place seed trays near a sunny window or underneath growing lamps. Keep soil moist and covered until seedlings emerge, then remove the cover so you don't cook the seedlings.

  4. Step 4

    Thin seedlings to one or two plants per pot. This seems harsh, but if you have another tray available and the plants seem healthy enough, replant the pulled seedlings into a new tray.

  5. Step 5

    Transplant seedlings into a raised garden bed filled with organically approved soil after the danger of frost has passed. Plant them every 2 feet in rows about 2 feet apart.

  6. Step 6

    Stake your tomato plants. You can use pieces of old stockings to tie the tomatoes to the stakes without harming the vine. You may want to feed them in mid season with an organically-approved fertilizer (see Resources below).

  7. Step 7

    Pinch tops when your tomato plants reach about 4 feet high to facilitate tomato maturity. Also pinch off any suckers, small leaves growing in the joint of the main stem and a side shoot so the energy goes into growing tomatoes.

Post a Comment

Post a Comment

Have you done this? Click here to let us know.

I Did This

Related Ads

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

eHow Home and Garden
eHow_eHow Home and Garden