- The Anticancer Lifestyle Program Awarded Nutrition Accreditation
- Rediscover the Authentic Magic Bag: A Comforting, Therapeutic Classic
- Winter Thriving
- Warming Winter Entrées
- Before a Lump Develops
- Learn to Cook Healthy & Holistic Food
- Birthday Crepe Cake
- 3 Trendy Summer Salads with Protein
- 5 Causes of Chronic Inflammation and How to Prevent Them
- Be UTI-free with Utiva
- The Easy Way to Grow Your Own Food
- Grow Your Own Tomatoes
- Fresh Herbs for the Spring
- How to Grow Sprouts
- Top 5 Spring Superfoods
Grow Your Own Tomatoes
Despite the perception of tomatoes as Mediterranean or a warm-climate crop, and Canada’s reputation as crisp and cold, it is perfectly possible to successfully grow your own juicy tomatoes during the Canadian summer.
The growing season can be up to four months long between mid-May and mid-September for most provinces. However, it’s a good idea to start off your tomato seedlings indoors, around mid-March, so that they are ready to be placed outside for the beginning of the growing season.
Starting from Seeds
Tomato seeds require darkness and temperatures of between 17°C and 20°C in order to germinate. This means they need to be sown deeply enough to give them the darkness they require. A good rule of thumb is to cover them with soil three times the diameter of the seed itself.
Growing Outside
Once the seeds have germinated, you will want to transplant the seedlings to the garden or outside growing area. Tomatoes are sub-tropical, which means that among their requirements is the need for a lot of sunlight, about 6 hours per day. This should be considered when choosing their location, as it should be a place which receives a maximum amount of sun.
Soil
Tomatoes require a slightly acidic soil, and also soil that is neither too sandy nor contains too much clay. Too much sand will allow the water to drain too fast and the clay not fast enough. A good idea is to mix organic matter or mulch in with the soil , such as compost, grass clippings or leaves. This both provides the soil with nutrients and regulates the drainage.
Planting the Seedlings
Once you have chosen your spot, and have the right mixture of soil and organic matter ready, it is time to dig a trench, between 7-10 inches deep. Layer the bottom with an organic fertilizer, such as compost, and then add a layer of soil. This soil should sit at 3-4 inches deep, as once you plant the seedlings, you want to avoid their roots having actual contact with the fertilizer at the bottom, but rather be in the soil closest to it. This is because the salt content of the fertilizer can damage the roots if there is direct contact. Finally, gently compact the soil around the seedlings until they can stand on their own, and then water. Depending on the variety of tomato that you are trying to grow, it could be anywhere between 45 and 90 days for your fruit to reach maturity.
Related Posts
Latest News
-
Winter Thriving
Are the shorter days and colder weather leaving you feeling...
- Posted November 1, 2020
- 0
-
The Anticancer Lifestyle Program Awarded Nutrition Accreditation
The Anticancer Lifestyle Program (ACLP) has been welcomed as an...
- Posted November 13, 2020
- 0
-
Rediscover the Authentic Magic Bag: A Comforting, Therapeutic Classic
Seeking relief from all these months of uncertainty? Looking to...
- Posted November 3, 2020
- 0
-
Warming Winter Entrées
The rich flavours of browned beef only get better when...
- Posted November 1, 2020
- 0
-
Before a Lump Develops
The statistics today are alarming: one in eight women will...
- Posted October 25, 2020
- 0
-
Learn to Cook Healthy & Holistic Food
Holistic Culinary Program now offered by CSNN Toronto East Branch...
- Posted August 31, 2020
- 0
-
Birthday Crepe Cake
Add a little Flourish to your next birthday with this...
- Posted July 16, 2020
- 0
Join our E-Newsletter
Quote of the day
Prize Giveaways
-
Win! A Sugarmat Yoga Mat
Sugarmat, the clever creator of the lightest (and most beautiful) yoga mats has teamed...
- April 8, 2019
- 0
-
Instant Pot® 6 Quart Prize Giveaway
Instant Pot® Duo is a smart Electric Pressure Cooker designed to be Safe, Convenient...
- October 25, 2018
- 1
Featured Events
-
Guelph Organic Conference 2020
Experience over 40 workshops: Jan 23 – 26, 2020The free Trade Show runs: Jan...
- December 13, 2019
- 0
-
Bentway Skate Trail’s Official Opening
Toronto’s Newest Public SpaceLocated Under the Gardiner Expressway Saturday, January 6, 2018 @ 11am#BENTONWINTER18...
- December 6, 2017
- 0
Product Profile
-
Be UTI-free with Utiva
A New Way to prevent UTIs…naturally. The all too familiar urinary tract...
0 comments