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!