Tomato plants will grow ‘bigger and juicer’ fruit fast if fed 1 garden scrap item monthly
Tomatoes need more than water and sunlight to grow, and one expert has shared a simple recipe to make an organic fertiliser that will make the fruit grow "bigger and juicier".
Alan Titchmarsh gives advice on how to plant tomatoes
Tomato plants can be quite fussy at times, and one of the secrets to larger fruits is selecting the appropriate fertiliser.Gardening enthusiasts are advised to feed their tomato plants fertiliser every couple of weeks during the growing season, which can be expensive when purchasing commercial feeds.
But there’s a cost-free solution for a natural fertiliser that enhances your tomato plants and deals with those annoying weeds in your garden - create an organic tea. Little Eco Footprints founder Tricia D. Walker has shared her straightforward tea recipe, packed with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other vital minerals that tomatoes need to bear “bigger and juicier fruit”. She explained: “Turning weeds into nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser is a great way to use a resource that may have otherwise gone to waste. The result is not only a boost in productivity but also increased resistance to disease and insects.”
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So, what weeds can you use for a tomato fertiliser? Ideal candidates for weed tea include ubiquitous varieties such as dandelions, clovers, stinging nettles, docks, chickweeds, or grass clippings.
Tricia noted: “Fleshy, deep-rooted weeds like dandelion and dock are especially good because their roots mine valuable nutrients from deep in the ground.”
Be cautious not to include harmful or inedible weeds such as poison ivy, poison oak, fire weeds, or lantanas with your tomato plants or other vegetables, as this could render the produce toxic.
You’ll need a plastic bucket with a lid and a brick or hefty stone. Fill the bucket to two-thirds with the collected weeds, compressing them down firmly.
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Next, fill the bucket with water. Tricia advised: “If using chlorinated water, first leave a bucket of water in the sunlight for at least a day so that any chlorine can evaporate.”
Submerge the weeds by placing a brick or large stone on top, then cover the bucket loosely with the lid. Tricia warned: “Make sure it's not air-tight as the fermentation process releases carbon dioxide and I'm sure nobody wants an exploding bucket of smelly liquid fertiliser.”
Allow the weed tea to ferment in your garden for one to two weeks, after which it will be ready to nourish your tomatoes.
To apply the weed tea fertiliser effectively, ensure you separate the solid weeds from the liquid to prevent spreading any potential weed seeds in your garden. Strain the mixture through a cloth into a watering can until the liquid appears as a diluted black hue or resembles a herbal tea.
Or, if you aren’t concerned about spreading weed seeds or aren’t using a nozzle on your watering can, you can simply remove the fermented liquid from the bucket as needed.
When handling homemade tea, it's suggested to wear gloves and an apron; while it's harmless, it can be quite pungent, and the odour may linger even after washing.
In the comments section of Tricia’s post, many users lauded the benefits of weed tea, claiming it had invigorated their plants without costing a penny. One user said, “This is brilliant! There are so many options, and it’s free!”
Another shared: “I made some weed tea a month or so ago, it made a difference in my garden! Although I have to water the garden with it, then immediately have a shower, I always manage to splash myself and it smells so bad!”
