Tomatoes

The time has finally come to plant my tomatoes outside in the Brooklyn air! Once night temperatures start to consistently stay above 45 degrees, it's OK to put your plants outside because they will no longer freeze at night. Tomato plants need at least 8 hours of direct sun and, luckily, my boyfriend has a west-facing fire escape that will be perfect for these sun-loving plants.

 

In addition to tomato plants I bought some basil, mint, marigolds, lavender, and cilantro. Marigolds are perfect plants to compliment tomatoes because they tend to keep away the harmful bugs. This is called "companion planting" and a lot of gardeners take advantage of certain plants benefiting others. Another common combo is corn, beans, and squash, but this urban gardener unfortunately doesn't have enough room for corn...

When buying plants, make sure that there aren't any brown leaves, unusual coloring or spotting, and that they are fragrant. If anything looks dead then you're already off to a bad start by purchasing that plant. Also, make sure that you have enough room for your plants because when you purchase them they are young and small, but by the end of summer your plants are going to be at least double their size. 

As my Brooklyn Botanic Garden teachers say, mint is "kind of a thug in the garden," and will completely take over so you should plant it in it's own container. My lavender's roots were suffocating each other so, before I planted it, I gently pried them a part so they could breathe.

 

My tomato plants were also suffocating in their little yogurt containers so I was ecstatic to finally free them of their confines and let them breathe.

 

Unlike most plants, tomatoes do better if planted deeper than they were grown in containers. Make sure to purchase a pot that is at least eight inches deep so you can bury the tomato deep enough, usually up to the bottom-most leaves. Remove those leaves and roots will form along the buried stem, establishing a stronger root system.

 

 

Once your plants are tall enough (they flop over without any support), you should stake them. I bought tomato plant stakes and gardening twine at the hardware store, but you can pretty much use any strong stick to stabalize your plant. Space it about three inches away from the stem in order to give the plant room and not damage the roots when you spear it into the soil.

 

To secure the plant create a figure-eight loop and tie the ends to the stick, not the plant.

 

Once you are finished planting, immediately water your plants. It's a little shocking to them to be transplanted and a nice douse of water will make them feel better.

 

Then sit back and enjoy your hard work! I'm looking forward to some pesto, mojitos, caprese salads, and guacamole!