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Tomatoes in Waiting

Posted at 8:51 PM on April 18, 2008 by Donna McClurkan (4 Comments)

I am not a gardener, though I aspire to grow my own food and the Master Gardener Volunteer program at Michigan State University has proven to be a great place to start. The instructors have been subject matter experts (plant science, vegetable gardening, etc.) and very willing to share their personal knowledge and experiences. The classroom part of our program ends in two weeks but I don't feel like a "master" of anything. Yet.

The realization that I didn't have a clue how to grow my own food was a powerful motivator to enroll in the Master Gardener program. And you can't get more local, after all, than from your own backyard (some urban gardeners are advocating a "100 foot diet"). I also wrote about a seed-starting workshop my daughter and I participated in a while back. She and I started some Black Prince tomato seeds - here's a picture of how they're doing so far:

We dutifully check on our green shoots, wave gently over them to simulate wind (it strengthens their roots) and watch for signs they are ready to be transplanted to a larger container. We marvel at what came out of 9 tiny seeds, the way they smell (yes, like tomatoes!) and talk about how wonderful the fruit will taste later this year, if all goes well.

Are you a gardener? Do you have advice to share with someone just starting out like me? If so, I'd like very much to hear from you!

Comments (4)

NOTHING is more rewarding than growing your own vegetables, and tomatoes are a terrific place to start. Your little work now will realize a terrific return come August when you have the very tastiest veggies around. Your daughter will be astonished at the taste of sunshine contained in those tomatoes. I think the most important thing about caring for tomatoes is to make sure they get enough water regularly. If they get flood and drought, you'll end up with cracked skins which let diseases in.

I don't know how much space you have, but one of my favorite things is to put a potted cherry tomato vine right outside my back door (next to the pot of alpine strawberries). With some sort of structure to tie it to (I use a bamboo teepee, but you could have a lovely tuteur or a length of cord hung from your gutter), your tomato will flower and provide the occasional delicious bite as you go in and out.

Good luck!

--Johanna

Posted by Johanna | April 23, 2008 2:29 PM

Johanna – Thanks for the “atta girl,” on my first gardening project, flood/drought avoidance advice, and two additions to my vocabulary. Alpine strawberries (AKA fraises des bois per alpinestrawberries.blogspot.com) sound really yummy and I learned a "tuteur" is a four-sided pyramid-like structure designed to help train climbing plants (davesgarden.com). Perfect, as you say, for cherry tomato vines. Anna and I will look for starter plants for both, as we’re only doing container gardening this year. I hope your prediction of summer sunshine taste comes true!

Posted by Donna McClurkan | April 24, 2008 8:46 PM

Hey from a fellow Kalamazudlian. I'm a member of the Food Coop and am really happy to see a local locavore! Keep blogging, and maybe see you around the Farmer's Market next Saturday!

Posted by Jane Irwin | April 26, 2008 10:34 PM

Hey Jane - come by the People's Food Co-op table and introduce yourself! I'm working their booth from 8a-12n on opening day. Hope to meet you there. Donna

Posted by Donna McClurkan | April 27, 2008 5:29 AM