Sweet N Savory Gardener: Tomato plants are getting flowers!

When I decided to give gardening another try earlier this year, one of the first things I have started from seed were tomatoes. I went to my local library which has a cool tiny section where you can get three packets of seeds for free per month. The library does highly encourage people to reach out to the companies that donated the seeds if you would like to purchase more, of course. The seeds are organized inside an index dresser. I've selected Roma tomato seeds, Large Red Cherry Tomato seeds, and Grey-Striped Sunflower seeds as my first choices.

When I got home, I prepared a few containers. These containers used to hold the Greek Oregano, Flat-Leafed Italian Parsley, Sweet Mint, and Black Beauty Zucchinis. Instead of tossing the containers, I have decided to recycle them as my seed-starters and temporary homes for the sprouts. So, I prepared the containers for the tomato seeds. Then I dug a shallow hole, about two inches deep, in each container, dropped about ten seeds in each hole, then lightly covered them. I watered each container then covered them with saran wrap to create a Greenhouse effect of sorts. Later on, I switched to Press-N-Seal because it was more secure. Eventually I found out with other seeds that covering them has another benefit, it keeps the birds from eating the seeds. The seeds I planted without covering never came to be due to said birds.

The following progressive photos might be slightly out of order.

As the days went by, I occasionally checked the containers, added more water when necessary (which was actually rare due to the Press-N-Seal that kept in most of the moisture, and I also had to occasionally scrape away any moss that began to develop. When I first saw the moss, I was fascinated by it. I did some research but got some mixed answers on it being harmful or helpful with my tomatoes. I settled on harmful just to be safe and did away with the moss. Once I saw some tiny sprouts, I removed the cover and let the little tomato sprouts get some much-needed oxygen. Soon, I had multiples of each tomato plant. Then I had to widdle them down to the two or three biggest and strongest of them all. I separated them into bigger containers.

Then I moved a couple of the strongest into the ground. My first Roma tomato plant loved the ground immediately. As for my Cherry tomato plant, eh, not so much. Poor thing got shocked and wilted immediately. It did not like the ground right away. However, I continued to water both plants and vocally encouraged the Cherry tomato plant to keep trying. Some say talking to plants is pointless. However, I think they are wrong. I believe talking to my plants really does help them grow big and strong. After a few weeks in the ground, my Cherry tomato plant finally acclimated and began to gain some height. These two tomato plants both got their very own tomato cages to sit in.

Meanwhile, the other tomato plants got more sprouts in the containers. Instead of plucking them, I decided to let them grow. I have transferred a few sprouts into their own containers. As the weeks went by, I moved a second Cherry tomato plant into the ground with a small trellis then put a second Roma tomato plant into a large container on the patio with a large trellis.

So, in total, I am currently growing six tomato plants. Two of them are Roma tomatoes while the rest are Large Red Cherry tomatoes. One Roma is in the ground with a cage. The other Roma is still in the large container on the back patio leaning against a large trellis. One cherry tomato plant is loving the cage, the other cherry tomato plant is still in the adjustment period in the ground with the trellis, the rest of them are still in small containers on the patio. I consider the ones in the small containers a form of insurance in case the others do not make it.

Here are the latest pictures of my lovely tomato plants. Several have sprouted little flower buds. I have been snipping away at the buds for a week or so because I want my plants to focus their energy on getting bigger before producing fruit. I heard bigger plants create bigger fruit.

My two Large Red Cherry tomato plants in starter containers