Hello GardenLovers :)
I wanna share with you my 'journey' of growing cherry tomatoes indoor, for the first time. First, let me tell you gardening is pretty new to me. Even though I grew up on country side and we always had a (big) garden full of vegetables, it wasn't me who took care of it, at all. I did helped my parents from now and then but it wasnt my passion to spend time gardening.
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My love for gardening grew up like a flower 🌷
But from the moment I started to study nutrition and I've become interested in healthy eating, I understood the importance of growing your own vegetables (for keeping the body health and for the enviroment).
So, when I've got married and moved to our own house, where we have a LOT of outdoor space (kind of an opened field) and a big space for yard and garden, it was obvious to me that gardening its a must. It was NATURAL to have a garden in this place. So now me and my husband are very into gardening. We love it and we study and try to get as much information we can in order to create here a place where Sustainability is the Word. This year we wanna build a greenhouse and create a space so we can make our own compost, plus install solar panels all over 🍅.
Last year it's been my first time to grow tomatoes INDOOR and I was super excited about it! 🍅🍅 Tomatoes are one of my favourites to eat; this is why I wanted to try growing them first.
When I ate the first tomato (ughmm..... actually the second or third 'cause the first I gave it to my 1yr old who's also really crazy about 'em) I felt all the work I've done was SO worth it.🍅
It was in April when I harvested the first tomato, which was great considering the fact that they start to be available only in June. In late February I already had a few green, unripe tomatoes.
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Now that I'm thinking about this, I can't say it was hard to grow the tomatoes indoor. Bassically I just did a few things with minimal effort in order to keep them growing. But I made a few mistakes and I know it now.
But hey, this is how we learn, right?
🍅 What I didnt like was the fact that they occupied all the space of the window sill + some space from the counter (which is near the window where the sunlight reached them). Maybe I can do better this year.
🍅The major NOT GOOD was that their stem was LONG and way to THIN. My mom said I didnt cut the veins (at the right moment) that compete with the main stem for water, nutrient and light sources. And yes, thats right; I didnt cause I was still a newbie. I have so many things to learn yet.
🍅 I planted the seeds in late autumn, somewhere in Octomber. I guess because it was winter, they didnt grow so fast as they naturally grow in spring/summer. I used seedling soil.
I kept them on my windowsill, where I could get only 5-6 hours of direct sunlight.
🍅 After about one mounth, when they already sprauted, I transplanted the seedlings into a large pot.
What I did periodically, was to change their pot. I'm not saying this is the right thing, but I did it twice because I always ended up (in my opinion) to put them in a pot to small for them and their roots. I wanted to create enough space so they can grow properly and have reasonable conditions.
🍅 I water them every few days, when the soil was dry.
🍅 As the vines were growing, I put in the pot near the plant, some stakes so they can hold up these vines straight.
But WOW! I regret I didnt take photos at the moment when they had flowers. So so many flowers!!!! I had 30 to 40 cherry tomatoes on a plant. One day I counted all the tomatoes, there were about 150! I remember it very well! One hundred and fifty coming from 5-6 plants!! For a novice, I'll say this is a good harvest! 🍅
I consider this experience a succes. I had tomatoes in my house for my family and I get to learn a bit about planting and growing indoor tomatoes.
🍅 I didnt use fertilizers, not even natural or homemade. Maybe I would try another time. If you know some good diy natural fertilizers, share it with me. I guess there are plenty ideas on the internet but I want to hear something that you've already try it and it works.
🍅 When the nice weather really came in, I took them outside but I didnt transfer them directly in the soil. I let them in their pots, in our front yard. I had another ones in the garden. They made fruits for 2 months.
This is it! This is my first experience of growing indoor cherry tomatoes! I hope you could learn something from my experience and if you have any advice regarding "gardening skills", I would be more than happy to learn from you!
P.S. This is my entry for the challenge hosted by @naturalmedicine, called
#GARDENJOURNAL. Check it out, there are a few days until due date!
Thank you so much for reading!
Missdeli
I've featured this inspiring post in the Lotus Garden newsletter, which will be published tomorrow.
You've been curated by @minismallholding for Natural Medicine's homesteading newsletter, supporting gardeners, permaculturalists, foragers, environmentalists and other earth centred relationships with the earth.
CommunityIIDiscord
I loved reading this post, because he is excited to share his tomato experience and because he is giving us a lot of tips for growing indoors.
Thank you! I think 'she' is more appropiate than 'he' :)) but that's fine with me!
Thanks for your words of appreciation! I am more than happy that you guys find my work worthed to read.
Wow!! That' amazing. Once you have the bug, that's it, you'll be growing everything now! A tip is that basil likes tomatoes - I think though it's about keeping bugs away, but since they grow so well together I'd grow them under the base. Perhaps plant them in a big pot to start with. You obviously did brilliantly - and cherry tomatoes are such a good start!
Thank you so much dear @Riverflows! I did my best, I think! :d
I found gardening a little 'challening' with a toddler around, mostly that time when he was only one. Now things are getting better and I have more time and I can manage things differently.
Thanks for the advice, I knew something about it but I forgot. I will consider it in the summer when we plant tomatoes outside :D:D
Yeah really cool stuff you have there 👍.
I've been thinking about growing indoors for a long time, but since it is just a rental apt and we wanted to move I never started. But lately I thought about growing potatoes indoors. I might give it a try, you will read about here if I manage to do so lol.
I wanna have a tomato now...they look tasty 😄
Thanks! I know that feeling and 100% I understand you. That 'waiting period' of "if..., sometime..., someday..., not now..., when we mode....when we start that and stop that etc." usually is killing me and it stops me from doing things. I always waited for something to happen in order to do another things and this thinking was, for me personally, destructive.
I encourage you to try the potatoes, I've heard they are THE EASIEST to try indoor or on a balcony.
Cheers from Romania! :)
Yup, it sure is sort of destructive, can sing a song about it but it is also hard to overcome depending on where you at. I don't feel comfortable around where I am at. I'm getting better in accepting it but still it kept me from doing things for...years now 😱 . Time flies.
I really get you, I do. That happened to me too lol. Only when I moved out I could do some of the things I wish I did back then. :)
Not being alone with this issue makes me feel a little better now 😄, when and if we can move is written on another piece of paper. I keep looking for that potatoe stuff and if it is making sense. 😊
Ohh no! you're not alone and I bet there a so MANY people like us! I was and I still am in this situation from time to time. I just try to do my best, winning the battle of not getting stuck because of all those thoughts. Sometimes I win, sometimes I dont so.....:D but I'm sure you're doing great, making the right choices regarding yourself and all that surrend you! Cheers from Romania :)
Thanks, appreciate your words. Not so sure about the right choices lol. But everything is for a reason I suppose. Cheers from Germany :)
Nice to have you back and read this story. I'm sure those tomatoes tasted yummy.
A hug from Portugal,
Vincent
Hey hey! Thank you so so much! I'm more than happy to be back and I hope I can bring some interesting and useful content for naturalmedicine comunity and for the rest.
Hug from Romania
Really nice.
Thank you dear! :X
😃
You had an excellent harvest despite being a novice as you claim. You will have to be careful then for your next planting because you are sure to have a big load of tomatoes. Best wishes.
Thank you @gertu! I really am a novice but I'll learn about gadening along with the time!
Cheers from ROmania :X:X
The important thing is the love you put into it, we all start from scratch but love brings out flowers. Greetings from Venezuela.
That is so true! So beautiful said! 💙💙 Thank you!
For the first time growing indoors, you produced a bounty of cherry tomatoes, !%! that's pretty impressive.
Nothing like homegrown anything, but tomatoes are on top of the list.
Thanks for the encouragment! I was really happy myself harvesting so many tomatoes :d .
Mot to mention, but when I put them outside they continued to grow and they give much more fruits. Last week, I planted some seeds and then I'll move them outside.
Thanks for commenting:D:D
You seem to have a green thumb. Keep us posted as your garden grows.
Ok. I'll sure do! Thanks :X