Urban Farming: Growing Indoor Winter Tomatoes

Tips, Tricks

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One of my favorite hobbies is organic gardening. Because I had to move this Spring I missed out on having a garden and decided to start some tomatoes in the fall to harvest in winter. I have never grown an indoor food crop before this, so much of the process has been learning and experimenting along the way. As I said in the video, I used regular household florescent lighting and I estimate the electricity cost to be about $12/month, give or take. In addition to the tomatoes, I also use the tomato leaves for culinary use and the lights also support various other herbs/spices such as rosemary, basil and cilantro. We also had some salad greens earlier in the year that we have since harvested. While the tomatoes are growing, before they flower, I recommend an organic fertilizer high in Nitrogen such as Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable: http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Tomato-Vegetable-7-4-5-Pounds/dp/B0001YC3EQ/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&keywords=happy%20frog&linkCode=ur2&qid=1389974484&sr=8-3&tag=030812364706-20 When the tomatoes begin to flower, you will want to add in some fertilizer higher in Phosphorus such as this organic fertilizer: http://www.amazon.com/FoxFarm-FX14002-Liquid-Concentrate-0-01-0-3-0-7/dp/B0002KHDLW/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&keywords=big%20bloom&linkCode=ur2&qid=1389974622&sr=8-1&tag=030812364706-20 Grow Bags are a very cheap pot for your indoor plants and you can find them in hydroponics shops or you can order them online and I am using the 1 gallon size, although I would recommend larger for tomatoes: http://www.amazon.com/Gal-Grow-Bag-10-ea/dp/B002JLJEQO/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&keywords=hydroponic%20grow%20bags&linkCode=ur2&qid=1389975470&sr=8-7&tag=030812364706-20 I use a very cheap moisture/light/PH meter to monitor the needs of my plants and it works great. I highly recommend this one for the price and function: http://www.amazon.com/Plant-Flowers-Tester-Moisture-Meter/dp/B0085J1N6I/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&keywords=ph%20meter%20moisture%20meter&linkCode=ur2&qid=1389977276&sr=8-3&tag=030812364706-20

Comments

Awesome video. Really enjoyed. Great that you were able to harvest white it is snowing outside!! :)

I have started this winter to grow tomatoes. it's exciting to see first flowers. herbs are growing. so far so good. thanks for video.

This is an excellent video! So informational I love the experiments you did so much helpful insight. Very well done thank you so much for this content (:

Thanks for sharing ;)

Excellent very good video , well done.,

very interesting! I heard you mentioned fertilizer. What kind of fertilizer did you use?

How did they taste?

I love growing toamtoes but have had endless issues with tomatoe grub. If you let one go for a few days they can completly destroy and mature plant in that time. Growing in doors is a perfect way to prevent these bugs from coming in. I've never used a light to grow anything. Maybe I should try it as you got some very rapid results.

Thank you so much for this "idiot proof" video. Living in MN, I'm definitely going to try this!

Does growing tomatoes indoors attract bugs into your house?

tomato leaves are POISONOUS!!!
*You could kill someone by advising they are edible**

thanks for the video and info....living in alaska and this is helpful

Great video. Thanks. Some of the "Pro" gardeners might think that your setup is not up to their standards, but you grew tomatoes and have some beauties. More than a lot of us can say. I have not yet tried to do this, but I will in the near future. The only thing I read that you might consider is to use T8 or T5 bulbs - the are apparently better for tomatoes than the T 12 you are using. Thanks again!

The leaves of the tomato aren't edible.

Thank you. I like the way you limit spending and use whats around you. Good explaination too.

Hi thanks for this video, can My tomato grows and give me tomato indoor? Just With growing light ? And please tell me what kind of lamp in suited.

Thank you so much for sharing this experience. I have been researching this for a few weeks and like you have found very little info about winter tomatoes with grow lights in the basement.

There is a incredible amount of info for growing pot or weed but if A guy wants vine ripened tomatoes in the winter theres not much out there.

Thanks again and well done.

Awesome video, thanks for sharing.

Great eperiment, I've also grown snack sweet pepper indoor since 2013 and now autumn 2015 thesame plant is still alive and now have baby pepper in it.Thank you for this video. Gr. Loren