Growing Tomatoes is one of easiest vegetables to grow as a biodynamic commercial tomato grower this is what we did.
First select a good variety of tomato for flavour the old heirlooms are best. Preferably from Organic or Biodynamic seed stock.
There are many available from specialised seed places or from seed saver groups.
To get an early start if you are in a cold part of the world begin sowing indoors 6 weeks before it is warm enough to plant out when danger of frost has passed. Use very good compost which has had cow manure in it in your sowing trays or pots. Also purchase some Biodynaic Preparations from a Biodynamic Association. One can soak the seeds in this after making it up a night or two before sowing and use the left over mixture on the soil. Also it is important to sow on the correct day as the month goes through a cycle of flower, fruit, leaf and root days. So you want to sow on a fruit day, one can purchase a yearly biodynamic calendar from these associations too. This will make a big difference on yield taste and quality.
Keep the seed bed warm & moist. Let them grow till ready to transplant. When transplanting make sure you do this on a root day preferably a waning moon. Prepare the soil well testing Ph they can tolerate slightly acidic condition anywhere from 6 to 7 is ideal, correct with lime or bio calcium, add plenty of compost & cow manure they are one of the few plants that can tolerate a little of raw manure with out composting. Plus they do very well on compost made solely from spent tomato plants. Egotistical little plants they are, being one of the more evolved of plant life. Also when planting bury them deeper a few inches more then where the roots starts depending on the size of the plant. This will make for a strong root system as they will send out roots from there stem. Again put down the biodynamic preps being 500. Water in. You can place Stakes near them now and mulch.
For watering it is best to give them a good soak once a week rather then several short ones. As otherwise this can tend to lead to blossom drop or blossom end drop which gives them that flat dead spot on them, which can also be a sign of calcium deficiency. Do not take out their lateral shoots if you want a high yield all this will do is lower your yield but it will give more light.
Now for the piece of magic assuming you have got the biodynamic preps both the 500 & 501. Is to apply the 501 just a pinch into your water and stir accordingly. Early in the morning before the shine rises prepare the 501 preparation as your tomatoes are beginning to flower. Spray this in a fine mist into the atmosphere around you plants. Be careful there must be no sun light and you must not use to much otherwise they will get sunburnt from the sun. One can do this a few times during fruiting time. This will greatly improve flavour and sweetness & smell.
You can also make up a compost tea during the growing time once a week, make sure no chemicals are used.
If you have prepared your soil well using only organic inputs with natural minerals you will not get any diseases or pests. Healthy soil, healthy plants and superb tomatoes & healthy people.
One last tip which applies for all fresh fruits & vegetables. If grown well your fruits & vegetables should last for weeks if not months with out rotting. A well grown fruit or vegetable will never rot it will only dehydrate. So you will know if you are eating quality well grown food by the way it deteriorates. Vegetables & fruits that go mushy and start to grow mould or rot are ones that you should not eat as they are artificially pumped with too much nitrogen or artificial fertilisers.
This way you will have tomatoes with full flavour and smell firm the best you have eaten.
One last tip Tomatoes are very egotistical plants they do not tolerate other plants well at all except parsley & basil. They also prefer to grow in the same place every year, follow the crop with mustard to fumigate the soil in case any fusilliem wilt has managed to find a way into your soil, This will get rid of it then folow the same way and plant in the same place year after year.
Happy Tomato Growing.
