Grow your own and teach the children (Tomatoes)

Member Name: takeachance

Product:	Tomatoes
Date:	04/05/09 (212 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fairly easy to grow, not too much looking after, children will learn lots

Disadvantages: Takes more time than a trip to the supermarket, getting someone to look after them if you go on hold

Excellent to plant and watch grow with your children.

Growing up my parents always had an allotment and as children we loved going along and getting messy, ahem, I mean helping!

Now with children of our own we like to visit grandad on the allotment, to get messy, dig, water and pick seasonal produce.

The children themselves actually learn so much and realise that our fruit and veg dont just come from the supermarket.

Tomatos are a pretty easy things to grow from seed to picking fruit and the children recognise the various stages. This year we have allowed them to sow cherry tomatos of their own.

A few weeks ago, in late March the girls sowed tomato seeds in empty ice cream tubs in moist compost. We left these on the window sill in a warm conservatory and the girls checked them daily!
Around a month later they were big enough to transplant into individual pots. For this we used empty disposable coffee cups (not the plastic sort but the ones you get in costa! At this pint they should be large enough to handle, perhaps a couple of inches.
Carefully tease the seedlings apart and pot individually.
The girls helped to look after these, at this point in grandads greenhouse, and watered twice a week.

The week before transplanting, its best to acclimatise the plants to the weather by bringing the pots out during the day but then returning them indoors in the evenings for a week or so. Obviously this isnt necessary f your toms are remaining in the greenhouse for the rest of theit lives!

The next stage will be in a couple of weeks time when the girls are going to the allotment with their grandparents to transplant these straight into the ground about half a meter apart. Ideally in a sunny, sheltered spot but as at the allotment this isnt too easy, each plant will require a cane/rod next to it to help. As they grow bigger tie these for support onto your rods.

Feed and water the tomatos regularly.

Fruits should be ready to eat throughout July to October . THey taste fantastic straight from the vine. To encourage more fruits to ripen later, pinch out the growing tips around September time.

Summary: It doesnt cost much for a packet of seeds- give it a go