How to Grow Tomatoes with Jell-O

Give tomato plants a nitrogen boost by adding Jell-O to fertilizer.

Jell-O, the dessert that jiggles, can help you grow bigger, juicier tomatoes, says Joey Green, the household mad scientist who once convinced Jay Leno to shave with peanut butter. Jell-O contains nitrogen, a commonly used plant fertilizer, and sugar, which feeds helpful microbes in the soil, according to Green. Gelatin also helps soil retain moisture, reducing the need to water more often. From sprouting seeds to fighting off fungal diseases that reduce your tomato harvest, Jell-O can help you grow healthier tomatoes.

Things You'll Need

• Seed starting mix
• Peat moss
• Vermiculite or perlite
• Sand
• Paper cups
• Water
• Tomato seeds
• Jell-O
• Salt shaker
• Mister
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands
• Bowl
• Boiling water
• Pitcher or milk jug
• Paper towels
• Clear plastic cups

Instructions

Boost Seed Germination

1. Fill small paper cups or potting cells with commercial seed starter mix, or mix your own with equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite and sand. Wet the mix thoroughly with water.

2. Sow two or three tomato seeds on the surface of each cup. Press them lightly into the soil.

3. Fill a clean, dry salt shaker with powdered Jell-O, any flavor. Lightly sprinkle the Jell-O over the surface of each cup.

4. Cover the Jell-O with a fine layer of seed starting mix. Mist well with plain water.

5. Cover each cup tightly with plastic wrap, holding it in place with a rubber band. Set the cups on a sunny windowsill or under grow lights. Leave the plastic wrap in place until the tomato plants are 1 to 2 inches tall. Follow instructions on the seed packets for thinning and transplanting seedlings.

Fertilize Growing Plants

1. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a bowl. Add one 4-oz. package of any flavor Jell-O. Stir until the Jell-O dissolves.

2. Add 3 cups of cold water to the Jell-O mix. Pour it immediately into a pitcher or empty milk jug.

3. Pour about 1/2 cup of the Jell-O mixture around the base of each tomato plant to add nitrogen and additional nutrients to the soil. Use any additional mixture to fertilize flowering house or garden plants.

Fight Fungal Infections

1. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tsp. of powdered Jell-O onto the soil around the base of tomato plants affected by fungus.

2. Work the Jell-O in gently to avoid disturbing or damaging the roots. Cover with a light layer of soil.

3. Water the soil around the plants well.

Preschool Tomato Activity

1. Sprinkle tomato seeds over a damp paper towel, spacing the seeds according to the directions on the seed packet. Cover with a second damp paper towel. Roll the paper towels loosely and put them into a plastic sandwich bag. Place the sandwich bag in a warm place -- about 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit -- for about a week, or the germination time noted on the package. Wait for the seeds to sprout.

2. Prepare Jell-O according to the package directions. Fill transparent plastic cups about three-fourths full with liquid Jell-O mix and place in the refrigerator to jell at least a day before you plan to do the activity.

3. Remove the Jell-O cups from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. Remove the paper towels from the plastic bags and unroll them.

4. Poke a shallow hole in the Jell-O in each cup. Carefully place one sprouted tomato seed in the hole.

5. Cover the cup with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. Place the cups in a sunny window and watch the root system develop as the plant grows.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different flavors of Jell-O for the pre-school activity. Transplant the tomato plants when they are 2 to 3 inches tall if desired.

• Boost the nitrogen content of liquid fertilizer by mixing a teaspoon of powdered Jell-O into a gallon of fertilizer. Apply immediately to avoid coagulation when the Jell-O sets.

• Spray the leaves of tomato plants with a 4 oz. package of Jell-O dissolved in 4 cups of water to prevent tomato blight. Jell-O contains fumaric acid, which appeared to have some preventive effect against late tomato blight in laboratory experiments reported in volume 83 of the "European Journal of Plant Pathology."

References

• "Joey Green's Gardening Magic"; Joey Green; 2003
• LabelWatch: Ingredients in Jell-O
• Springerlink: Development of a Natural Fungicide, Soybean Lecithin
• Landshare Colorado: Germinating Seeds in Paper Towels