How to Grow more efficient Tomato Plants!

The tomato. Preserve it, slice it, throw it into a salad, or snack right off the vine. A versatile staple in every homesteaders garden, and we are no exception. In our past urban home we would often have purchased seedling plants from a local nursery and plant one or two plants of maybe two varieties with the intent of using our yields as they ripened. Once we relocated to our hobby farm our intent shifted to a preserving mindset, this would obviously require higher yields. Higher yields means more plants right? Well yes. But what if we can help achieve the same goal with more efficient plants as well! After all, real estate is extremely valuable, and efficiently using that space to its full potential is invaluable.

So, how can I grow stronger plants with more fruit? Red mulch (tarps) of course. 

Ok, so I had no idea this method existed either. Or maybe you had heard of this tactic already, but do you know why it works? 

Remember photosynthesis? The process of green plants absorbing energy from light and transforming it into a chemical energy that can fuel the growth of the plant. Red mulch can play a key role in the transmission of light to the plant during the sequence of photosynthesis. Specifically in regard to FAR-RED (FR) light (a wavelength between red and infra-red). FR light presents in a long wavelength and often through reflected light, and interestingly, the underside of a plants leaf contains greater FR then it does blue and red (shorter wavelength) like the surface of a leaf does. Almost like it was by design. Now place some red mulch (tarp) along the base of your tomato plants and increase the volume of reflected FR light to the underside of your plants!

So how does this translate into stronger plants with higher yields? 

1- Placing the red tarp at the base of your plants increases that FR reflected light to the underside of your plants where it is most efficiently utilized. When you establish this in unison with the direct sunlight you create a power house plant! Think of the direct sunlight as your espresso shot, quick energy with less endurance, and your indirect FR light as your meat and potatoes, slower onset with greater endurance. The red tarp increases that long wavelength FR endurance energy. 

2- By using red tarp and increasing the reflected FR light makes your plants perceive they are shaded or being overgrown by neighbouring horticulture. Your plants can respond in two ways to overcome their perceived “shady” situation;  grow taller, and increase surface area of their leaves resulting in greater ability of absorbing direct and indirect sunlight. 

3- Weed control and moisture retention. The red tarp keeps unwanted energy thief’s from sprouting and maintains a greater moisture content to the surrounding soil. The advantage here is self explanatory. 

4- Warmth. The red tarp can provide a few degrees of increased soil warming. We can use every degree we can get in our Canadian climate! Unpredictable cold weather in the spring, when your plants are most vulnerable, is always possible. I see this as an added benefit! 

The result? A healthier, stronger, more efficient plant able to provide enough nutrients to feed more fruit and at an earlier convenience.  

Important to note! Just like everything, results can vary year by year for the obvious reasons like weather and pesky insects. However I believe you will get the best results you could achieve by adding this tool. And it is just that, a tool. It does not replace the many other tasks required for growing healthy tomatoes like soil nutrients, pruning, staking etc. But as we’ve described above, this tool packs a lot of punch and for a very reasonable cost that can be re-used! (We purchased a 3’x20’ piece for $9.95!)

Although our experience has been exclusively with tomatoes the same benefits can be utilized with strawberries, and we will put that to the test as well! Let us know if you have used this method or if you plan to try!