The tomatoes I started from last year’s seeds took off.  I fixed a three-bulb lamp about 20 years older than I am with CFLs and kept it on the guys all day for about four weeks, and produced this.

So I was left with sixteen seedlings (Beefsteak, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and Hillbilly varieties) that I decided to give away to passers-by on a Sunday afternoon, re-potting instructions included.  It was all so very Golden Age of Brooklyn, what with an ethnic and sexual-preference spectrum that would make a recruiter for a small liberal arts college weak in the knees, and folks ranging in age from about their 60s down to the seven.  Pascal, Naomi, Erin, and Pepe were amongst the takers.  I promised everybody I’d include care instructions.  So….

Caring for tomatoes is pretty easy.  You’ve got some gear you need, but you can DIY  share of it, and once you own it, you can keep reusing it.

1. Once re-potted or planted outside according to the included instructions, you need a tomato cage, a stake, a fence, etc. to keep the plant upright.  If you don’t, it’ll grow out along the ground, get trampled on, and just not give you all the fruit you want.  The main thing you need is some kind of object to bear the plant’s weight.  I bet even a drying rack for clothes would do the trick.
2. Your tomato plant likes sunlight.  The more light you give it, the happier it will be.  Southward-facing windows, roofs, and fire escapes are all great if you don’t have a yard.  Come to think of it, you can use the fire escape itself for a support.
3. Your tomato plant likes water.  Tomatoes themselves are mostly water; the more you water, the more plentiful and large your tomatoes.  Water every day if you can, thoroughly soaking the soil, or every other day if you can’t get to the daily thing.
4. Support the branches of your plant as it grows.  When fruit gets heavy, use something soft (panty hose, a rag) to make a sling for the branch.
5. Pick and eat.

Your outdoor plant should be producing tomatoes by August and will keep doing so until the first frost.  If you’ve got your plant inside, it should keep going much longer.  I’ve seen photos of plants that are years old.

If you have any questions, or if you want to share photos (yes, you do!), email me at Jason@pitchknives.com.  We’d love to hear how our plants are treating you.