Beginner Gardening: First time gardener when/how should I start?, 1 by NancyGroutsis

NancyGroutsis wrote:
rooftopgardener, I checked the photo of my tomato plant and it says April 23rd so I was wrong about my tomato growing 2 ft. in 2 months. I thought I had gotten the tomato with a previous order I got 2 months ago from another place. I photographed my tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum "Super Sweet 100") the day I received it (see first photo), so I have been caring for it for 22 days. I didn't measure it when I got it, but the stick is still attached to the tomato plant and I measured the stick today at 13 inches, therefore the plant was about 1 ft high when I got it.

It is now 38 inches high (see 2nd photo), therefore it grew about 26 inches in 22 days! This is proof that cherry tomato plants can thrive in a pine bark and perlite mix. The pine bark was basic mulch ordered from a lumber company by the cubic yard and its been sitting outside gathering forest debris like leaves, pine needles, and bugs have crawled all over it, etc. I took out a few giant wood pieces but it's basically the same stuff that's used as mulch not expensive pine bark fines.

DoGooder