Growing tomato plants is not as hard as you might think. Not only that but homegrown tomatoes taste much better than those in the stores! I’ll show you 6 important reasons why you should grow your own tomatoes – even if you don’t have a garden.
Reason #1 Homegrown Tomatoes Taste Great!
Healthy tomatoes grown at home will always taste sweeter and juicier compared to commercial tomatoes. One reason for this is that commercial tomatoes are picked before they are ripe to be transported to the stores where they ripen off the plant (sometimes artificially). Being out of the sun for longer means they have created less sugar and therefore less flavour.
Reason #2 You Can Pick Your Tomatoes from Hundreds of Varieties
Typically you only find 4 or 5 standard varieties of tomatoes in your supermarket that are suited to efficient picking, packing and transport. But there is a whole different world out there when you look at all the tomato varieties available. The heirloom class of tomatoes has hundreds of different sizes, shapes, colors and flavours with tomatoes from all over the world. For example there are the large juicy “beefsteak” varieties that can reach 2lbs in weight, the salty flavor of the “Black Krim” from Russia and the superb “sausage” tomato that is named after its shape! With tomatoes like these you will be adding many unique tastes to your kitchen and cooking.
Reason #3 Growing Your Own Plants Will Give You a Great Sense of Achievement
Nurturing your tomato plants from seedling to maturity and seeing it bear fruit from your efforts will give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment. You will receive a reward for your patient efforts and understand what went in to producing your fruit when you eat them.
Reason #4 It Makes Your Garden Look Attractive
The sight of healthy fruit on any plant is attractive to humans. Healthy fruit-bearing tomato plants will make your garden space look very appealing. If you grow from containers on your patio you can achieve the same effect.
Reason #5 Tomatoes are a Forgiving Fruit Even for Inexperienced Gardeners:
The fact is, as long as you have a solid understanding of what it takes to grow healthy tomatoes and you can supply what is necessary then you can produce great tomatoes – it’s that simple! Most tomato varieties are disease resistant and you can obtain materials you need such as fertilizer and stakes from your garden center – along with plenty of helpful advice. Even if you don’t have a garden but have a patio that receives sunlight you can still grow plenty of tomatoes over the growing season. There are several small plant varieties that will grow well in smaller spaces.
Reason #6 Growing Tomatoes Provides a Healthy Challenge
There are always going to be new things to try to increase your crop, or improve the taste of your tomatoes. This could involve better fertilizing, plant positioning or plant support. The fact is your tomatoes will always keep you occupied no matter what your level and will still produce good results even if you don’t quite get everything 100%!