The ultimate objective of any kitchen gardener is to grow their own food. The reason for turning on the green thumb for any newly turned gardener is also more or less the same. One of the repeated queries that I encounter is about which vegetable, fruit or herb would be more fruitful and rewarding to grow at home.

Mostly, people want to grow something expensive to compensate for the price nuctuation the likes of ginger, olives, cherry tomatoes, rocket salad, mushrooms and even saffron.

Then, there are those who want to grow uncommon herbs, to give their food an appealing aroma. Finally, there are the ones who want to get multiple harvests and continued supply of whatever they are growing.

Unlike cabbages, caulinower and broccoli which usually have a onetime harvest and limited produce the likes of green peppers, lemon and tomatoes account for continued and multiple harvests in a season.

Some gardeners are superstitious about growing peppers or chilli at home, believing that they may cause problems among those living there. As a result, lemon and tomato become the go-to plants to grow locally. The latter is more sought-after among the two due to its massive consumption in our local cuisine and daily meal preparation. When you consider the nuctuation in the price of tomatoes, it is no surprise that they are a favourite among kitchen gardeners.

Comparatively as well, the tomato plant tends to be highly productive, providing high yields with multiple harvests throughout the season. But getting the tomato plant to fruit is not as easy as it may sound.

The previous column outlined the nowering phase of the tomato plant, with special emphasis on pollination tricks for the other wise self-pollinating nowers of determinate tomato plants. Many growers complain that their plant does not proceed from the nowering phase to the fruiting one and they eventually giveup. Hand-pollination remains the holy grail for those who may be deprived of the services of pollinators.

Depending upon a multitude of factors, the flowering and pollination phase may eat up three to six weeks before the formation of the tomato fruit begins. Small green-coloured tomatoes appear that continue to grow in size and weight for at least three to four weeks.

Just like buds and flowers, the small green tomato fruits also grow in clusters.

With the initiation of the fruiting phase, certain basic plant requirements also change. The plant needs better sunlight exposure and regular water supply to save its produce from any shock and to reduce the probability of stunted growth.

The soil should drain off the water, but the gardener must ensure that the soil is never dry. Meanwhile, adding mulch to the soil surface will help in retaining moisture. If the leaves are wilting, it`s a sign of water deficiency, while lower leaves turning yellow is an indicationthat one may have overwatered the plant.

While the use of a fertiliser containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is advisable, it is the potassium content that actually boosts the size and weight of a growing tomato. Nitrogen should be reduced to the bare minimum, because it actually signals the plant to grow more leaves rather than to flower or fruit.

Other than potassium and phosphorus, at this stage the gardener may also sprinkle calcium-based fertilisers to minimise any chances of blossom-end rot. It is a condition in which the blossomend of the young, growing tomato tends to rot due to the unsatisfied, massive calcium requirement at this stage. The issue of blossom-end rot, along with many other diseases, infections, issues and pests attacking the tomato plant and its produce will be discussed in upcoming columns.

It is always better to fix a supporting stick near the plant when it is transplanted to its last permanent place.The stick really comes in handy at the stage when the branches and the stem of the tomato plant starts to bend under the growing weight of the developing green tomatoes. If the stick is not in place, it is time to support the plant with a strong stick right away. A strong gush of air, an animal or simply the weight of the growing tomatoes can be detrimental to the branches and, sometimes, even the stem of the plant.

There are a few gardeners who even harvest green tomatoes, as they can be used, among other things, as condiments.

The flavour of green, unripe tomatoes is bitter to tart at most. Most gardeners, however, wait for the fruit to turn red signalling the eventual ripening of the tomatoes.

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel `DocTree Gardening` promoting organic kitchen gardening