Something amazing struck us as Nigerians last year and the same repeated this year again. The cost of tomato moved very high in the market. So much that about fifteen fruits of tomatoes cost as much as one dollar an equivalent of one thousand five hundred naira or even more in some quarters.
So, I took the courage out of my busy schedule plant tomato seeds round my house. There is no much space as I had used the vacant land for cassava plants.
Cassava which is one of our favorite food here had gone up in price too.
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My first experience with tomato plant was last year. One huge tomato stem produced about 30 huge tomato seeds. It was an amazing experience to say the least. When the price of tomatoes surged the year again, I repented of my laxity by trying out a tomato garden. Here is how I fair.
Seeds and Nursery
My primary collection point of seeds is my wife's kitchen. I requested that she helps to squeeze out the seeds from the tomato seeds she bought from the market to make stew. At first, she felt it would be a wasted venture trying to do that and a waste to the seeds that was not enough for our stew. She managed however to help with some seeds.
Then, I poured out the seeds on the humus soil at the back of the house and within two weeks, the sprouting was massive.
During the nursery, I discovered that some of the plants were tiny and couldn't carry themselves. Such weak or lazy plants as I referred to them, were made two during the transplant to help each other. This method really helped my tomato to stand firm.
Ridge and Transplant
Up the soil to make a long Ridge to accommodate all my sprouting tomato plant from the nursery was the next move. The sprouting nursery were so much that one ridge can not accommodate it. Hence, I spread the remaining ones round the tank carried and the perimeter of the fence of my yard. Soonerthan I thought, the plants stood firm in the ridge, growing very green. That was an encouragement for me.
In my search for tomato farming skills, I learned that it is necessary to support to tomato stem with stakes.
Stakes are important to tomato stem because they act like support in carrying the stems that might be laying on the bear floor from the load or heaviness of the fruits that are already growing from the nodes.
You can see the stake I erected to support the already seedling tomato plant in the second image.
I was also lucky to have some pepper plants growing among the tomatoes.
In the next few weeks, these seeds are due for harvest.
Hopefully, I will take you guys round my cassava farm in the nearest future.
