Turning Red Tomatoes Green
Tomatoes are one of the most popular and widely grown summer crops in the UK. The aim of Writtle College's 'Turning Red Tomatoes Green' exhibit is to demonstrate to gardeners how tomatoes can be produced in an environmentally friendly way, without sacrificing the yield or quality of the fruit.
A team at the college ran trials in 2005 and developed a growth medium using products derived by composting from plant waste materials. This medium was used to grow plants in that produced tomatoes that matched yield, size, taste and appearance to those grown under comparable conditions in commercial grow bags.
What is so green about our tomatoes?
- The growth media is made from composted plant waste materials. This is a widely available and sustainable resource that was also produced locally.
- All pots and containers used in the exhibit are made from recycled plastic from a local company.
- Material used for the pot toppers and hanging basket liners is made from hemp fibre, grown in the UK.
We have also incorporated companion plants such as Tagetes, chives and Nasturtium in with the tomatoes. These can benefit the tomato plants by diverting the attention of pests by either masking the scent of the crop plant or by being more attractive to the pests themselves
