Delicious and easy to cultivate, the tomato is a popular choice when it comes to vegetable gardening. A few key steps for organically growing tomatoes are as follows: obtain seedlings, find a sunny spot, dig in some compost, and water them regularly. Make sure you set the seedlings outside after the last spring frost because tomatoes love heat.
Seedlings, which are basically sprouts, can be purchased or grown from a seed. To start from a seed on your own, use a commercial seedling starting tray or a biodegradable egg carton. Once the seed germinates and the seedlings grow a couple of sets of leaves, move them into larger containers that contain a mixture of soil and compost. Typically added to the soil to aid growth, compost is central to organic gardening as it supplies the nutrients plants need to grow and supports the diverse life in the ground below, without the need for chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides.
[pullquote]Growing food is a great endeavour — plants not only feed our bodies but also nourish our minds and souls.[/pullquote]
Tomatoes are warm-weather plants and frost-sensitive — therefore, the seedlings need to remain indoors until the last spring frost is over and the soil is warm (generally around May 10 in Toronto). When it’s time, seedlings are transplanted to a sunny outdoor space. Tomatoes generally start ripening in late July and then throughout August and even into September, depending on weather conditions.
Growing food is a great endeavour — plants not only feed our bodies but also nourish our minds and souls. Since 2008, green-thumbed students with the Dig In! Campus Agriculture network have been growing a variety of common garden organic edibles across small-scale plots on campus. Seed varieties such as pineapple, yellow pear, peacevine cherry, and many more are being sown in the greenhouse of the anthropology building and are eventually transplanted to the Hart House, Sid Smith, and Hart House Farm Committee plots. Campus produce is consumed by volunteers, is incorporated into Hart House menus, is served up by the Hot Yam! food collective, and is donated to the U of T Food Bank. By growing produce locally, organically, and seasonally, sustainable food production is demonstrated at its best.
