If you are one person who loves the best of summer dishes then you must certainly know of the heirloom tomatoes as these add the best of taste to these dishes. The best way to save money is to grow them on your own the organic way. These tomatoes are healthy and make a perfect health plan for those who want to live a healthy lifestyle. The heirloom tomatoes should always be open pollinated and should not be altered genetically. Tomatoes provide the vital vitamins and provide the antioxidants that are used in most weight loss diet plans. Antioxidants help to detoxify ones system and breakdown unwanted fat deposits.
Growing Heirloom Tomatoes
1. The first thing that you need to consider is getting quality seeds. You must buy the heirloom tomato seeds from reputable vegetable seed retailers.
2. The seeds should be germinated early as compared to the normal tomatoes. The germination of these tomatoes should be well off starting in March.
3. The germination should be done indoors and this should take between 6 to 8 weeks before the seedlings are now ready to be planted outside. Foam cups are best suitable for the indoor germination process.
4. The seeds should be planted in sterilized soil at about 1/8-inch depth in the containers. The soil should be kept moisturized till the seedlings become visible.
5. Ensure that the tomato seedlings get adequate sunlight during the day. Natural sunlight or other fluorescent lights may be used to provide the needed light. The seedlings need to grow under lots of light and this is vital in the growing of heirloom tomatoes. When the leaves of the plants become visible you may then transplant the tomatoes to larger containers.
6. The seedlings are then supposed to be hardened by being placed in a cold place or environment. This should be done while ensuring that the temperatures do not drop to 40 degrees or below. When the temperatures have dropped too much you should place the seeds in a warm place. After this hardening process the plants are now ready to be placed outdoors and this is the beginning of a good heirloom tomato season. These tomato plants should be planted away from the heirloom tomatoes to avoid cross pollination.
7. You can then apply fertilizers to the plants that you have transplanted to the outdoor garden. You must weed the plants regularly for the best growth.
8. Water the plants when the soil loses its moisture content but avoid spraying the leaves when watering.
The heirloom tomato seeds can be saved after harvesting to be planted again and you may share them with other heirloom tomato farmers. These tomatoes are a heritage to farmers and to those who want to eat healthily. The techniques for growing these tomatoes the natural way have been passed on from generation to generation over centuries. Just follow these heirloom tomatoes growing tips and you will enjoy a good harvest of fresh heirloom tomatoes.
The Author:
Becki Andrus is an avid reader who loves learning about health and nutrition. Over the years she has enjoyed studying how food and exercise affect the body, and is on a mission to share this information with others.