Best Tip for Growing Tomatoes in Your Victory Garden
My very Italian father was a prolific gardener and tomatoes were his specialty, followed closely by zucchini, patty pan, and other squashes. I remember one year having red, orange, and yellow tomatoes, along with golden miniature pear tomatoes, and the sweetest cherry tomatoes I've ever had in my life.
Daddy's secret? Beats me. He did have a special way of planting his plants. He would plant them just a bit raised, in mounds. Why, was the question I would ask and the answer was a heavily Italian-accented, "That's just the way you do it!" And, I couldn't argue with the results.
Anyone who knows me knows, that gardening, for me, anyhow, has dropped to near bottom on my list of things I want to do. I keep my succulents going most of the year, but a veggie garden with all the necessary weeding, and sweating, and watering, and caring --just not for me anymore.
However, if growing gangbuster tomatoes in your Victory Garden is on your social-distancing to-do list this year, I came across an interesting tip on how to grow the best tomatoes ever.
It's not a new idea, in fact, it has been around forever, but I don't think a lot of people have gone this route recently. What you need are- -fish heads. Yup. "Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads!"
You prepare your soil, put a fish head down, and put your tomato plant on top of it. As the fish heads decompose, your "maters" are getting all the nitrogen, phosphorous, and calcium they need. And tomatoes need a lot of feeding.
You can use any fish parts, apparently, but canned tuna doesn't count. Another tip was to freeze the fish heads, so the smell doesn't kill you, while you work with them.
All I can say is, thank goodness, other people do the tomato growing. I'll stick to the tomato eating!
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