The Easiest Veg in the World to Grow: Cherry Tomatoes!

These delicious cherry tomatoes (technically a fruit) are the easiest thing on earth to grow, all summer long. In fact, mine usually just sprout up on their own wherever I’ve used some of my own home-made compost from kitchen scraps. One packet of seeds will go a really long way (keep the packet and remaining seeds for quite a few years in a jar in a cool, dry place). Another option is to just take an over-ripe cherry tomato, and squish it over a pot of well-draining soil or over a garden bed, in the middle of spring-time in a warm, sunny position. Cover with a very fine sprinkling of soil, and keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear. Two or three plants will supply cherry tomatoes for your salads all summer long. Thin out the seedlings if there are too many (use scissors to cut the tops off unwanted seedlings, instead of trying to pull them out and damaging the plants that you do want to keep).  Be aware that the seeds can take a few weeks to germinate (don’t despair-don’t give up too early). Once the cherry tomato plant takes off, stake it up with bamboo stakes, support it on a trellis or fence, or surround it in a vertical tunnel of chicken wire. The better the support, the more fruit you’ll get. Water regularly. Inter-plant with basil, another summer crop, so that you can pick off fresh basil leaves to flavour your salads. Send the kids out to check on the crop and pick a few tomatoes for dinner. It’s a great way to encourage them to eat fresh, healthy food.

So how does growing your own produce save money and the planet? Growing your own costs a few pennies, in comparison to buying a punnet of cherry tomatoes at a store. When you grown your own, no packaging is required, and no food miles at all were used in getting the tomatoes from the plant to your plate. That means no fossil fuels were used for cultivating, transporting or storing your tomatoes. In addition, if you refrain from using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, your crop will be 100% organic, which is healthier for you, and the environment.