Today I'd like to share an update on my tomato plant, which we grow in a pot. As I mentioned in previous posts, my wife started growing this plant almost by accident, as she would simply throw in leftover kitchen seeds. She didn't have much hope that anything would sprout or grow, but one day we started seeing new growth, and within a few days, we had several very small tomatoes that actually grew quite quickly, especially once we started giving them more attention and care.
Today I am happy to tell you that these tomatoes have grown enough and have even started to ripen; some were already completely ripe, with a deep red color, so they were ready to harvest. But first, I dedicated myself to researching because it was my first time harvesting tomatoes, and I didn't want to make mistakes that would end up harming the plant.
According to what my wife and I researched online, tomatoes should be harvested carefully; that is, they shouldn't be pulled up because that would damage the stem. Instead, they should be cut with scissors, and this should be done in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the intense heat of the sun. I started by removing the ripe tomatoes and those that were ripening, but I left the green and small ones on the plant. I also took the opportunity to trim off some shoots and dry leaves that might be stealing nutrients from the plant. I also took the opportunity to remove some yellowed leaves from the plant with the same scissors.
And this was the result of our harvest. I consider it quite sufficient, especially given that it's from a potted plant—it's about as homemade as you can get. The flavor is indescribable, completely organic and healthy. I left some on the plant that haven't ripened yet; they're still very green.
I weighed our harvest on the digital scale we have at home, and the result was 497 grams, almost half a kilo, so I think that's pretty good for a single plant growing in a pot. I took the opportunity to ask the AI on my phone a few questions, and the answer is that I now need to give the plant some special care to help it recover after the harvest, such as trimming any dry or curled leaves to improve air circulation, adding more nutrients to the soil, and so on.
In any case, I'm pleased to see that the plant already has a few more shoots, from whose buds other tiny tomatoes are emerging that will later become large and red like the ones I just harvested, God willing. The truth is, it's very satisfying to reap the rewards of daily effort and dedication, and this, in turn, motivates us at home to experiment with other fruits or vegetables. But I hope that one day I'll have the space to plant more: more pots or containers.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. Blessings to all.
Image made with the Canva editor
The pics on this post are by my own