Big tomato fan

I must admit it. I'm a big fan of tomatoes. We eat heaps of them every week - in our pizza, salads, steamed fish and stir fries. Hence I will not stop growing them, no matter how challenging it is to keep them alive and well.

The best tomatoes I have eaten were in Sorrento, Italy in a very simple caprese salad. It's hard to describe how such a humble tomato can bring so much satisfaction.

If you ever grow your own tomatoes and leave them to ripen on the vine, perhaps you will understand why I'm addicted to growing them.

While it is true that tomato plants are very prone to pests, I try to take a break for a few months after my plants die before starting a new batch. It probably helps to keep the situation under control. 

This new batch I'm growing is from a pack of seeds my friend brought back from Germany. They grow very quickly into strong and healthy plants. I started seeing lots of flowers in a month.

When I prune the leaves, I see lots of white bugs underneath. Luckily the plants are healthy, so they are not affected by the bugs at all.

 

I'm pretty ruthless when it comes to pruning. All these glossy leaves are of not much use to the plant. You want the plant to channel all its energy towards nurturing the fruits, not the leaves.

 I've got loads of pollinators in my garden, so my plants are always flowering and fruiting. The calamansi plants are forever laden with fruits.  Even the curry plants are producing berries. And of course, the tomatoes too!