No matter how you say it, tomatoes are a favorite of ours on the farm. Each year, my dad – Dix Roberts, plants all of our tomato and pepper plants in his sunroom in Penrose, Utah. This year he started about 1,500 plants!
Once they are up a few inches, they are transported to the farm in Layton and put in the greenhouse. After a few weeks when their roots are established, we replant them into 6-inch pots. We try to give the repotted tomato plants at least 6 weeks in the greenhouse before moving them outside. The warm and humid environment helps the plants become established and allows the roots to grow, ensuring a strong, healthy plant that is ready to go into the garden as soon as the threat of frost has passed.
The tomato plants love the warm environment and will typically grow 18–20 inches in just a few short weeks.
One of the things we look forward to most each summer is the first caprese salad made with fresh tomatoes and basil. To go along with our tomato crop, we also grow sweet basil plants so folks can plant them side-by-side in their own gardens.
Every spring as the nights warm up, we bring these starts out to our produce stand in Layton. Whether you are planting a full garden plot or just growing a few containers on a deck or balcony, starting with strong, greenhouse-established plants gives you a great head start on growing delicious food for your family!
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