Tomato Planting

In a previous post I mentioned it was time to stop growing regular Tomatoes due to the heat and humidity and switch to Cherry Tomatoes, which I have; because last month I had a big problem with blight, but recently my plants have rebounded and blight is not an issue, so I will try one more batch. Here is how I start new Tomato plants.

(5/6) I simply prepare a planter with standard vegetable soil and add a little Tomato nutrients. I scoop out the gel and seeds from a Tomato and distribute them evenly on the soil and lightly cover them up with more soil and water. When the sprouts get 2-3 inches tall, I gently remove them and plant them individually in a 6-8 deep pot and spray them with Epson Salt water (1 Table Spoon per 1 letter), add a little fertilizer and cover the soil with straw. The Magnesium is a nutrient the plants need and helps fight diseases and this is a step I forgot with the current Tomatoes in the beginning, which I think created my blight problem in the first place. I'll keep you updated.

(5/10) Sprouting after 4-days  

(5/11) 

(5/12) Will transplant once the sprouts get a little taller

Last night (5/13) I built a planter to transplant some of the Tomato seedlings. The planter is 180 cm (roughly 6 ft) long and 21 cm (8 inches) square. I lined the planter with landscaping fabric to improve aeration and drainage. Tomato plants need 8-12 inches of soil, so 8 inches is the minimum. I used the seeds from half a Tomato and about 75 sprouted. I transplanted 15-20 seedlings and still have 45 left. I need to find a place to plant them. One Tomato can produce a lot of seedlings.

(5/14)

(5/15) I transplanted the remaining 45 Tomato seedlings to a starter tray until I can find a place for them.