Creative Seeds and Potted Tomatoes

Why Environment Matters for Tomato Plants and Life

It’s that time of year when I’m reviewing how my garden grew and what I learned. I’m also considering what new things I want to add next season. There were some standouts in 2024 that I want to grow again. The perennial alpine strawberries were so easy to grow and are my new favorite.

Everything I grew this year was started from seed. I love how one tiny seed becomes a plant that produces delicious food. 

Because I started plants from seed, I got a little carried away with different varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes. There was no way I could transplant all of them into my garden, but after nurturing them into small, healthy plants, I couldn’t just throw them in the compost. I gave some away and started a new garden bed to fit in more cucumbers and tomatoes.

But even after all that, I still had two tomato plants. I placed them in a shady, grassy spot next to the flower garden. They remained in their 3” pots for several weeks while I focused on other things. I eventually dug a hole and placed one into the ground, thinking I’d put the other one in another spot. But I never did. 

Every once in a while, I noticed the little tomato plant in a pot and wondered how much longer it would survive in the pot. It was in a very shady spot, but it was watered at least once a week. Although it stayed small, it continued to grow.

This little tomato plant survived all summer but never thrived. It never had blossoms, so it never developed fruit. There wasn’t enough sun, and there wasn’t enough space for its roots to grow. 

I never could bring myself to add it to the compost pile, so I thought I’d look at it as an experiment and see what happened. 

What happened is that it never reached its full potential. Eventually, the other tomato plants grew over six feet high. They had lots of delicious tomatoes, and I continued to harvest them up until the first freeze.

So, what did I learn from my little tomato experiment? 

Tomatoes need the right environment to develop fruit. They need enough space for their roots to grow and enough sunshine to produce flowers and fruit.

The plants that were transplanted into raised beds with plenty of sunshine and rich, fertile soil looked nothing like the stunted tomato. As their branches grew, they produced flowers and then juicy tomatoes. I was able to make BLTs, bruschetta, and bolognese. But the potted tomato plant never produced anything more than a few spindly branches.

This tomato experiment taught me about more than just tomatoes. It also taught me about personal growth and productivity as well.

You can live for a long time, but you’ll stay the same if you don’t stretch beyond where you started.

To reach your full potential, you need the right environment that allows you to grow. 

Today, while I’m reviewing what seeds to plant next year, I wonder what I want to harvest both in my garden and in my life.

Am I keeping myself small and living beneath my potential? 

This past year, I achieved some goals that got me out of my comfort zone. I enjoyed the fruit it bore, even though it wasn’t always easy. It was a good reminder that things worth achieving take effort. 

It’s easy to stay in our comfortable pots, but what does that get us? 

I want a productive garden full of food that I enjoy eating. I also want a productive writing life that results in poems and stories worth reading. 

I’ll be setting goals for next year that will stretch outside of my comfort zone. As I consider how to reach those goals, I’ll make sure that I’m providing a fertile environment. 

It isn’t enough to plant the seed. You need to keep nourishing it.

All those little seeds of ideas will need fertile ground and consistent nurturing to bear fruit. That’s why there will be writing retreats, classes, and critique groups to provide the necessary nutrients.

I’m excited about planting seeds in 2025 and looking forward to the harvest.