Tomato explosion!

It's the beginning of tomato season, and every time I swing by a garden I haven't seen in a few days, it seems like the tomato plants have exploded and been producing fruit like crazy. (The cherry tomato plants around the office have been doing particularly well, and I've been guilty on snacking on more than a few while working out there. Job perks, right?)

Beefsteak tomatoes in their baby phase

A Valencia tomato, which is ready for pickin' because of its orange skin

Although tomatoes are not the most difficult crop to grow and take care of, they tend to need a little more TLC than hardier crops like salad greens and radishes. Trellising tomatoes is key if you want to easily see the plant's development and keep pests at bay, so don't forget to tie up your tomatoes regularly as they grow. Sprinkling eggshells into the soil around them keeps them healthy and strong because the tomatoes benefit from eggshells' calcium. Pulling off suckers, or the branches that grow at a 45 degree angle between the main stem and the branches that grow perpendicular to the stem (especially on lower branches), is important because the plant can then direct more energy to the flowers and eventually fruit. And if you have access to compost tea, be sure to spray it generously all over your tomato plants, as compost tea can give your plant an extra boost with fighting off nasty diseases such as blight, which can really hurt tomato plants and is difficult to reverse.

The Inturnip

Hey there!

I'm Marta and I'm the horticultural intern (the inturnip?) around Green City Growers this summer. I love earthworms and brassicas and spending my summer days outside rummaging around through soil, so it's no surprise that I've been having so much fun and learning a ton from this internship.

(Beets aren't in the brassica genus but I appreciate them nonetheless)

For the next few weeks, I will regularly post (the many) photos, stories, and tips that I've accumulated during my internship with GCG. Stay tuned!

Urban Food Harvest and Bike-Ride, Oh My!

Have you heard of the Greenhorns? They are an awesome grass-roots non-profit that are all about promoting and supporting the new generation of young farmers. Check out their website for more information about the great things they are doing.

One such great thing is happening right here in Somerville! On May 14th from 12-6pm The Greenhorns is hosting a foraging bike-ride followed by a screening of their documentary “The Greenhorns”. What is a foraging bike ride you say? We’re glad you asked. It’s a bike ride in which a group of people forage for food growing along the bike route. This particular trip will be dedicated to finding Elderflower in the Boston area.

Check out the details on the poster------>

Following the ride will be a screening of the Greenhorns documentary which will include local beer and food. Yuuummmmm!