HOUSTON – If you want to grow tomatoes from your own garden, spring is a good time to get you started.
Ashley Grubb, the founder of Mustard Seed Farm and Market, shared her very interesting secret recipe for growing big tomatoes.
Her recipe works for growing tomatoes in containers, raised beds, or on the ground.
“The secret to growing huge tomatoes lies underground. The right balance of nutrients, good soil, water, and sunshine are all you need,” said Grubb, who shared the key ingredients that help her tomatoes develop.
About 10-12 inches below where the roots of your tomato plant will be (in the ground or in a pot) add:
• 3 finely crumbled eggshells
• 1 banana peel
• The contents on 1 coffee filter full of used coffee grounds
• 1 dead fish
• 2 aspirin
All of the ingredients go to the bottom of the hole. Then, cover with about 10 inches of dirt. Finally, plant your tomato as usual.
When you plant it, Grubbs recommends the following instructions for the stems.
“Bury the stem deep into the soil because they have the unique ability to grow more roots from the sides of their stems; planting deep will increase their stability later when they’re big plants and cause more roots to grow so they can drink more water when it gets hot, said Grubb, who also stresses about using good potting soil for your tomato plant.
“Use a good mix. Don’t use topsoil, get a nice potting soil. If you’re going to grow in a container, put 2 to 3 inches of soil in the very bottom. I like to put coffee filters underneath to help the drainage and keep the soil from coming out of the holes at the bottom of the pot,” said Grubb.
If you’re wondering where you can get a dead fish to plant your tomatoes, Grubb suggests going to the seafood department in any grocery store or a bait shop.
For more details on the fertilizer ingredients, see Grubb’s interview in the video above.
To connect with Grubb, visit her website here.