One of the joys of summer is eating ripe, organic, homegrown tomatoes, still warm from the sun. The quality is incomparable to the bland, mealy tomatoes that are usually available in supermarkets. The good news is that even if you don’t have space for tomatoes in your garden — or don’t have a garden at all — you can still grow tomatoes. As long as you have a sunny balcony, porch, or patio, you can have garden-fresh tomatoes all summer long. Demand for organic foods is primarily driven by consumer concerns for personal health and the environment.
Tips for Early Season Tomato Growing
There are several other things you can do to help ensure an early harvest:
- The warmer the soil, the better: Consider laying black or red plastic (which you can purchase through many garden catalogs) over the planting area. This will warm the soil, and the red plastic, specifically, reflects UV light up onto the undersides of the tomato leaves, which helps with photosynthesis.
- Grow your tomatoes in a raised bed garden: The soil in raised beds dries out earlier in spring and warms up more quickly than traditional garden beds as well.
- Use light to your advantage: If possible, take advantage of southern exposure for additional warmth.
- Have frost protection measures in place: Even though early season varieties generally withstand cool temperatures well, a frost will still damage them. Consider installing framing for a low tunnel, or have sheets or floating row covers on hand if frost threatens. Wall O’ Waters are a great option as well.
- Go organic: Be sure to learn how to properly grow organic tomatoes.
