How to Have a Healthy Brain

 

Staying fit is not just for your body. It is also important to keep a fit brain. Brain fitness is about keeping the mind sharp and preventing or battling cognitive disease. You have the ability to promote healthy brain development through brain fitness, exercise, social interaction, and protecting yourself. No matter when you start, whether it's early or late in life, following some simple practices can aid in mental health.

 

Method 1

Challenging Yourself Mentally

1. 
   1
   Learn a new skill. Research has shown that learning a new skill can improve brain functions. New skills not only improve memory, but they help the portion of the brain that ensures protection of the memories. Furthermore, new skills, particularly the more complex skills, engage the brain comprehensively instead of in small portions.^[1][2]

   • Juggle. Research has shown that juggling can improve connections and white matter in the brain.^[3]
   • Woodworking is a great way to keep the brain engaged. It requires precise measurements and concentration.
   • Digital photography has been shown to have a very significant impact on mental health, perhaps because of how difficult and complex the task can be.^[4]
2. 
   2
   Play brain games. Brain games such as Sudoku and crossword puzzles positively have been shown to improve connections in the brain. They also affect short-term memory, and have been shown to stave off the growth of protein deposits (beta amyloid) that negatively impact brain health. Try to keep your mind as active as possible.

   • Starting brain games, and being mentally active in general, early in life has shown to be more beneficial than attempting to start later in life.
   • Once the brain games stop being complex, it no longer has the same brain health impact it once did. If the game is easy, find a new game.^[5]
3. 
   3
   Practice memorization. Work with short goals first. Try memorizing increasingly more difficult lists.^[6] Whether it’s all the states in the U.S., or all the bones in the human body, attempting to memorize complex lists helps the brain significantly. Try memorizing one of the following:

   • Shoot for as many digits in the number pi as you can.
   • Lock down the ingredients in a complicated recipe.
   • Find a favorite speech and commit it to memory.
4. 
   4
   Read often. Reading an array of material – books, periodicals, poetry – engages and exercises the brain. Learning new words is similar to learning a new language, which has been shown to improve brain function and expand brain activity in multiple sections.^[7]

   • Reading stimulates the brain and slows the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
   • Most people have difficulty focusing on reading for just five straight minutes without distraction.
   • Look for articles that pertain to what you currently find interesting in the world.
   • If you have a favorite author, look up one of their books on a popular website and then check recommended authors. You may find a new favorite.

Method 2

Engaging in Social ActivitiesDownload Article

1. 
   1
   Stay in touch with friends and family. Some research has shown that people who maintain close personal relationships and emotional support from friends have a better chance of fighting dementia. Even general social connectivity has been shown to help the brain.^[8]

   • Call a loved one once a day.
   • Send a hand-written letter to a grandparent.
   • Try a new social media interaction with a younger relative.
2. 
   2
   Volunteer your time. Aside from lowering stress, research has shown that volunteering in a social setting can increase your mental ability. Volunteering involves attention, control, and in some cases, a bit of memory. All of these practices promote a healthier brain.^[9] A few possible options follow:

   • Cook at a food bank. Helping with the recipes could engage mathematical portions of your brain.
   • Try tutoring to stimulate thinking skills.^[10]
   • Read to children at a library.
3. 
   3
   Expand your social circle. Try to make new friends in locations you currently don't have any. Engaging in social activities has been shown to improve brain health, but doing so in many different ways could ramp up the benefits. Join more groups. Make new friends. However you can, engage more people for a greater amount of time. Simply put, higher levels of social interaction relate to lower risks of poor mental health.

   • Sit with coworkers at lunch. Choose people you don't speak to often.
   • Try taking a new course or class. Look to local community colleges or a lifelong learning center.
   • Chat up a random stranger. This can be done anywhere (e.g. grocery store, hardware store, restaurant, in line at the bank).

Method 3

Preventing Brain InjuriesDownload Article

1. 
   1
   Get physical exercise most days. Studies have shown that walking 45 minutes a day created positive brain activity. This brain activity helps the neurons of the brain survive. Scientists believe it’s related to the influx of additional oxygen during the exercise. Further studies have shown executive level skills like planning and scheduling were also improved by the walking program. Additionally, the actual size of the brain, particularly the frontal lobe where cognition occurs, increases with exercise.^[11]

   • Add some weight to your walks. Some research has shown that a small amount of weight has significant positive effect on brain health. Put on ankle weights before the next walk for a mental health boost.^[12]
   • Work in the garden.
   • Leisurely swim a few laps.
   • Clean the house from top to bottom.
   • Rake some leaves.
2. 
   2
   Add mental demands to the exercise. Studies have shown that exercise that requires some mental steps has greater boosts in mental health. Something that requires coordination like an aerobics class engages both the muscles and the mind. A team-building obstacle course provides an outlet for not just the physical activity, but also strategy. The key is that simple physical exercise has less of an impact on mental health than exercise including mental demands.^[13]

   • Try counting your steps during a run.
   • Add up the total weight lifted when doing strength exercises (e.g. 3 reps of 20lbs would be 60lbs).
   • Sign up for an instructor led class that will challenge you to memorize a routine.
3. 
   3
   Practice balance exercises. Improving coordination and balance is a sure-fire way to avoid potential head injuries related to poor mental health and degraded mental cognition. By practicing something like Tai Chi, the muscles used to balance are strengthened and stabilized, and there is less chance of falling or head injury.^[14]

   • Doing some squats will strengthen various balance muscles in your legs.
   • Try balancing on one leg. You’ll wobble at first, but with enough practice, you’ll begin to stabilize.
4. 
   4
   Wear protective headwear. Head trauma has been connected to an increased chance of Alzheimer’s, and recent research in athletics has linked it to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative disease caused by multiple head injuries, including concussions.^[15] Whenever engaging in physical activities that provide safety measures, always use them properly.

   • Wear a helmet whenever riding a bike or skateboard.
   • Always buckle your seatbelt when available.
   • Avoid contact whenever possible in contact sports.
5. 
   5
   Get regular checkups. Dementia-related illnesses are diagnosed via an assortment of tests like brain imaging and blood-work.^[16] Some drugs, or particular doses, may have a negative affect that exacerbates poor mental health. Research has shown early diagnosis of symptoms related to mental impairment can help reverse potential cognitive impairment.^[17]

   • One study has shown that 80% of people with Alzheimer’s also have cardiovascular issues. Take preventative measures by improving your cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol, and you’ll improve your chances against Alzheimer’s.^[18]
   • If you are forgetting more often, having trouble with instructions, words are getting jumbled, or you're losing things often, you may need to see your doctor to see if these issues are related to Alzheimer’s.^[19]

Method 4

Adopting Healthy HabitsDownload Article

1. 
   1
   Choose healthy foods. Choosing more healthy options can help your brain as well as your body.^[20] Attempt to minimize the foods that have higher concentrations of saturated fats, trans fats, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Try, instead, to eat foods like grains and leafy vegetables, both good sources of vitamin B, that have been shown to lessen the risk of mental disease.

   • Reducing the number of calories you eat has actually been shown to minimize mental issues during old age. ^[21]
   • Including recommended amounts of fruit in your diet also helps lessen the potential of cognitive issues in old age.
2. 
   2
   Limit harmful substances. Drinking, smoking, and drug abuse have been shown to negatively impact mental health. Drinking, smoking, and drug abuse have been linked to dementia, brain deterioration, and a variety of disorders, respectively. Multiple studies have displayed that stopping smoking or drug abuse, and minimizing alcoholic intake, increases the odds of living a healthy mental life as you age.

   • Minimal alcoholic intake - two or less per day is the recommendation - has also been linked to improved blood pressure, a supplementary benefit that helps mental health in old age.^[22]
   • Combining lower alcohol intake with other good behaviors like exercise and not smoking increases the likelihood of positive cognitive ability when older.^[23]
   • Smoking negatively affects the cortex, which influences memory and language skills.^[24]
   • Drug abuse has been linked to everything from dementia and amnesia to psychosis and anxiety. Non-prescription drugs should be avoided at all costs.^[25]
3. 
   3
   Get enough sleep. Studies have shown that restless or interrupted sleep is tied to the increase in brain proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s. Other studies have shown that healthy, sound sleep helps fight off Alzheimer’s related genes.^[26] Currently, it’s not known if poor sleep causes Alzheimer’s symptoms, or if Alzheimer’s leads to poor sleep, but the connection between the two is significant.^[27]

   • Sleep well by taking a hot shower before you go to bed. This will help regulate body temperature and make it better for sleeping.
   • Try multiple positions when you fall asleep. Some may help you get to sleep faster.

 

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How to Grow Red Clover: The Simple Beginner's Guide

 

No matter where you live, you’ve probably seen a patch of red clover growing in an open field. This bright red, bushy flowered-plant is pretty hearty, and it can adapt to almost all weather and soil types. If you have a large area of land you’d like to spruce up, red clover is a great option that doesn’t require a ton of maintenance. Plus, red clover is great for bumble bees!

 

1

When should you plant red clover?

1. 
   In the late summer or early fall. While red clover can grow during almost every season, it typically does the best when the weather is still warm out. Plan to start your red clover before the temperatures get cold for the best results.^[2]

Question 2

Where should you plant red clover?

 

1. 
   In a well-draining patch of soil. Red clover isn’t super picky, so the location doesn’t matter too much. Before you plant, hand pull all the weeds and make sure the soil is well-draining. You can check on the soil by looking at it after rainfall—if there are standing puddles of water, choose a different location.^[3]

   • If you’ve never planted something in the location before, tilling the soil is a good idea.
   • Red clover will grow in most light conditions, so you don’t have to worry too much about sunlight.

Question 3

Do red clover seeds need to be inoculated?

 

1. 
   Yes, inoculate red clover seeds 24 hours before you plant them. Mix peat moss inoculant with the Rhizobium bacteria in with your red clover. The bacteria will allow the seeds to use nitrogen from the air and actually grow instead of dying in the soil.^[4]

Question 4

How do you plant red clover?

1. 
   Mix your red clover seeds with grass seed. Grass seeds help prevent weeds, so you’ll get more red clover if you mix them together. Pick orchardgrass, reed canary grass, perennial ryegrass, smooth bromegrass, or tall fescue, then mix it with your red clover seeds at a 1:1 ratio.^[5]
2. Sprinkle 10 to 12 lb (4.5 to 5.4 kg) of seeds per acre. If you spread too few seeds, your red clover won’t grow. Weigh out your seeds and compare it with your space to make sure you have enough before you start planting. You can water the area after you’ve spread the seeds, but you don’t have to.^[6]

Question 5

How do you care for red clover?

 

1. 
   Apply phosphorus-based fertilizer right after planting seeds. Depending on the size of your growing area, about 60 lb (27 kg) of fertilizer should do the trick. Sprinkle it over the area right after planting to help the clover grow well.^[7]
2. Water the clover if your area is dry or the soil dries out. Red clover doesn’t need a ton of maintenance, and usually, you can let nature take care of it for you. If your climate is going through a dry spell, you can water the clover about once a week to help it grow.^[8]

Question 6

When and how do you harvest red clover?

 

1. 
   Harvest it 2 to 3 times per season. Do your first harvest 60 to 70 days after planting. After that, wait 30 to 35 days in between each subsequent harvest. If you don’t want to harvest your red clover, release cows or goats into the field and allow them to graze instead of harvesting.^[9]
2. Use pruners to cut the stem. Take a look at an individual clover, then find the leaf growth just beneath it. Hold your pruners at an angle and clip the stem, then collect the flowers and dry them out in the sun before using them.^[10]

   • Red clover is edible, and you can use them as a garnish or in a summer soup.
   • You can expect to see seedlings at the end of the summer.

Question 7

Do you need to mow red clover?

 

1. 
   Yes, mow red clover in the late summer. Keeping the clover at the same height is important for next year’s bloom season. After your last harvest of the growing season (usually in late summer), use a lawn mower to mow the clover down short and get it ready for the fall.^[11]

Question 8

Does red clover come back every year?

 

1. 
   It will come back for 2 to 3 years after you plant it. While clover can come back every year, its natural predators usually prevent that from happening. Disease and pests will most likely kill your crop after a couple years, so be prepared to till and reseed the area.^[12]

 

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How to Attract Honey Bees

 Honey bees help your garden to become more fruitful and beautiful then ever before. Having bees buzzing around to act as pollinators brings life to the yard and makes flowers and other plants lush and abundant. You can attract bees by planting wildflowers, fruits, native plants, vegetables and sunflowers; letting your yard grow a little wild; and providing water and shelter for bees. Read on to learn more about how to attract honey bees. 

 

Part 1

Planting Bee-Friendly Flowers

1. 
   1
   Plant flowers native to your area. Bees evolved with wildflowers, and the bees in your area will respond best to the flowers they "grew up with," so to speak. What flowers are native to your area? If you're not sure, go to a local gardening store and ask for a native wildflower mix, or do some research online before ordering seeds. If you don't want your garden to be completely wild, choose at least a few species that will complement the rest of your garden and attract bees.

   • The more wildflowers you plant, the more bees you'll attract, and the better your garden will grow. Planting wildflowers is beneficial in more ways than one!
   • Aim to plant a great diversity of flowers with a range of shapes and textures, not just one or two types. The more diverse your garden is, the better it will support different bee species as well as other beneficial insects and wildlife.
2. 
   2
   Plant flowers with single petals. Flowers with a single row of petals, rather than flowers with more than one row, are more attractive to bees. Single-petaled flowers have more pollen than other flowers, so they provide a little more food for hungry honey bees. It's also easier for bees to reach the pollen when there is only one row of petals to crawl across.^[1] Here are a few flowers bees particularly love:

   • Asters
   • Calliopsis
   • Clover
   • Cosmos
   • Crocuses
   • Dahlias
   • Foxglove
   • Geraniums
   • Hollyhocks
   • Hyacinth
   • Marigolds
   • Poppies
   • Roses
   • Snowdrops
   • Sunflowers
   • Zinnias
3. 
   3
   Plant yellow, white, blue and purple flowers. These colors attract bees more than pinks, oranges and reds do. Your garden doesn't have to be exclusively yellow, blue and purple, but having a good amount of flowers with these hues will keep the bees buzzing in your yard.
4. 
   4
   Plant flowers that bloom in sequence. If all of your flowers bloom at the same time, the bees will have a feast, then run out of food before the summer's end. Plant a variety of flowers that will bloom throughout the spring, summer, and into the fall to keep the bees in your neighborhood fed and happy.
5. 
   5
   Plant flowering vegetable and fruit plants. Berries, melons, squash, cucumbers, and fruit trees, especially cherry trees, all produce fragrant flowers and fruit that are attractive to bees. Bees are beneficial to these plants, so providing them in your garden will be a treat for you both.^[2] Bees adore these fruits and vegetables:

   • Blackberries
   • Cantaloupe
   • Cucumbers
   • Gourds
   • Cherry trees
   • Peppers
   • Pumpkins
   • Squash
   • Strawberries
   • Watermelons
6. 
   6
   Plant herbs that attract bees. If you have space for a little herb garden, that's another great way to attract bees. Mints attract certain types of bees, as do sage, rosemary, thyme, bee balm, and a number of other herbs. Here's a list of herbs that bees love, for your reference:

   • Bee Balm
   • Borage
   • Catnip
   • Coriander/Cilantro
   • Fennel
   • Lavender
   • Mints
   • Rosemary
   • Sage
   • Thyme

Part 2

Making Your Yard a Bee Haven

1. 
   1
   Let it get a little wild. If your grass is close-clipped, every stick has been picked up, and there's not a muddy spot to be found, bees will have trouble finding a home in your yard, no matter how many wildflowers you plant. Bees are wild creatures who need a wild habitat to thrive. If you want them to take up residence in your yard, do the following:

   • Allow for some open, meadow-like spaces in your yard and garden.
   • Leave an area un-mowed and let wild clover grow. If you don't have clover in your yard, scatter some white clover seed over the area in the fall.
   • Leave a small brush pile and some leaves lying where they fell. Bees will use them to make a home.
   • Leave patches of exposed dirt that turn to mud when it rains. Some bees live underground and will thank you for access to the mud they need.
2. 
   2
   Make a bee bath. Bees have trouble using birdbaths, because they aren't able to land in deep water. They need an island to land on so they can walk to the edge and take a drink or a bath without drowning. To make a bee bath, take a wide, shallow dish or tray and line the edges with flat rocks. Pour water over the rocks and into the bottom of the tray. Place it in your garden near the flowers that attract the most bees. The bees will be able to land on the rocks and access the water.
3. 
   3
   Provide a bee shelter. Rotting vegetation and stumps are great shelters for bees. More and more backyard gardeners are installing hives and other bee shelters to provide nesting spots for bees. If you're serious about attracting bees to your yard and helping them thrive, this option might be something to consider. You can start by building a small bee "house" using the following method:

   • Take a small wooden box and paint it a bright color, preferably white, yellow, bright blue or purple. Use organic paint so the bees won't get sick.^[3]
   • Layer the box with nesting tubes, standing them upright. You can buy them from a garden store or make your own by rolling brown craft paper around a pencil, pinching off the end and holding it together with tape, leaving the ends open.^[4] Fill the box to the top with these tubes standing upright, so that the exposed holes are open for the bees to climb in.
   • Turn the box on its side. Be sure you've used enough tubes so that they don't slip out when you move the box. Hang from a tree or a post at eye level in an area sheltered from rain.
   • Dig up an area of the ground nearby to expose dirt and clay the bees can use to build their nest.^[5]
4. 
   4
   Stop using pesticides of any kind. Bees are susceptible to pesticides and other chemicals sprayed and used in gardens. Aim to have a pesticide-free garden and use pest-ridding remedies that are natural and not reliant on chemicals. If you do spray plants, only do so after dusk, when pollinators are least active, avoid using chemicals known to harm bees.

   • Integrated pest management combines many different methods of pest control to reduce the need to use pesticides. Research integrated pest management methods to find the right system for your yard.
5. 
   5
   Plant flowering trees to attract bees. Trees provide large amounts of food for bees when they are in full bloom. They are also a beautiful addition to the landscape.^[6] If you are in North America, some good trees include:

   • American Basswood
   • Southern Magnolia
   • Sourwood
   • Redbud
   • Crabapple
   • Locust
   • Serviceberry
   • Tulip Trees

 

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How to Grow Big Tomatoes

 Whether eaten on their own, served with a dish, or turned into a sauce or paste, tomatoes are a wonderful way to sweeten anyone’s day. Though store-bought tomatoes are fine, nothing beats the feeling of growing a big, juicy fruit on your own terms. If you know what seeds to get, how to plant them, and what they need to grow, cultivating large, fresh tomatoes can be an easy, fun, and rewarding process. 

 

Part 1

Picking Seeds

1. 
   1
   Figure out your climate region. Before looking for seeds, consult the US Department of Agriculture’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map or your country’s own equivalent guide. Different types of tomato grow best in different climates, so be aware of your region’s minimum and maximum temperatures, as well as how long individual seasons last.^[1]
2. 
   2
   Look for large tomato varieties. Cherry tomatoes may be tasty, but they won’t yield the big fruit you’re looking for. Look for tomatoes listed as Big Boys, Beefsteaks, Colossals, Abraham Lincolns, or Beefmaster Hybrids, among others. Local shops will often sell specific named strains, so if you’re having trouble finding a large species, ask the store attendants.^[2]
3. 
   3
   Look for regional heirloom seeds. Regional heirloom seeds grow types of tomatoes specific to a single area. Because they have been cultivated in local farms over a long period of time, heirloom seeds are particularly good at dealing with the regional climate. Due to their growing conditions, these seeds are typically sold by specialty shops.^[3] Some good, large strains include:

   • Early Boy tomatoes, a Big Boy variant designed for colder weather and shorter growing seasons.
   • Creole tomatoes, large, slow-growing tomatoes designed or warm, southern climates.
   • Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, a heavy Beefsteak variant designed for long seasons.
4. 
   4
   Test your soil at a local garden center. To make sure your garden soil contains all the nutrients necessary to grow large tomatoes, place a small amount into a plastic bag and take it to a local garden center. The center will be able to test your soil for component pH balance and direct you to any manure or dirt supplements necessary for growing your chosen seeds.

Part 2

Seeding Indoors

1. 
   1
   Plant your tomatoes in late spring or early summer. Because your tomatoes will eventually be put outside, they need to be planted early in the year. Look at the average amount of time it takes for your strain of tomato to grow. Plant them in late spring or early summer so that they will be ready to harvest between late summer and early fall. Strain-specific growing information will be available from the store you purchased from.
2. 
   2
   Fill a biodegradable pot with moist seed-starting mix. Purchase a biodegradable pot and fill it with seed-starting mix. You can buy this pre-made at a local gardening store or mix your own using equal amounts of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. Make sure the mix is moist before potting.^[4]

   • Because you are growing large tomatoes, avoid flimsy seed-starting trays.
3. 
   3
   Place a couple tomato seeds in the pot and cover them with .25 inches (0.64 cm) of soil. Place two or three tomato seeds in the center of your pot. Cover them with about .25 inches (0.64 cm) of soil and stamp it down with your fingers. Sprinkle the soil with water.

   • Planting multiple seeds gives you backups should the first one not germinate.
4. 
   4
   Keep your tomato plant in a warm, lit area. Keep your tomatoes near a window where they can get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight every day. Keep your growing room at a temperature of at least 60 °F (16 °C). To help your seeds germinate more quickly, place your pot under a heat lamp or grow light.^[5]
5. 
   5
   Water your plant daily. While it is developing, make sure to touch up your plant’s water supply every day. You want the soil to stay consistently moist, but not damp or flooded. For hotter climates, you may need to water your plant more often.

Part 3

Transplanting Your Tomatoes

1. 
   1
   Harden off your tomato plant when it is 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) tall. When your tomato plant is 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) tall, begin acclimating it to the outdoors. Over the course of 10 days, take your tomato plant to a sheltered area in your garden and let it sit. Start with a few hours on day one and add a bit more time each day. This process is known as hardening off your plant.^[6]

   • When choosing a spot, look for an area where your plant will receive filtered sunlight, such as through tree branches, and is protected from wind and debris.
2. 
   2
   Mix your soil with compost and fertilizer. In the spot you plan on planting your tomatoes, use a digging fork to loosen your soil to about 8 inches (20 cm) deep. Spread about 2 inches (5.1 cm) of organic compost over the soil, followed by a similar amount of balanced all-purpose fertilizer. Make sure the compost and fertilizer are evenly spread and mixed into the soil. Let the ground sit for a few days before planting.^[7]
3. 
   3
   Dig a hole a few inches deeper than your plant. Use a ruler or tape measure to find the height of your plant from the bottom of its container to the top of its stalk. Use this number to create a hole in the middle of the area you will transplant your tomatoes to. The hole should be a few inches deeper than the plant itself.
4. 
   4
   Transplant your tomato plant. Carefully remove the seedling from its pot, being extra gentle when loosening the roots. Place the plant in the hole with only the top leaves sticking above ground. Fill the hole with soil, press it down with your hands, and water it.^[8]
5. 
   5
   Water your tomatoes after transplanting. To help it grow, make sure to water your tomato plant immediately after relocating it. Sprinkle water over the ground until the soil is moist.

Part 4

Harvesting Your Tomatoes

1. 
   1
   Water your plant when the soil dries out. To keep your plant healthy, make sure to water it whenever the soil dries out. Just like when it was inside, you want to keep the soil moist, but not damp or flooded. Depending on how rainy your local area is, you may need to water daily or once every few days.
2. 
   2
   Tie your tomato plant to a stake for every 6 inches (15 cm) of growth. When dealing with large varieties of tomato, you may need to support and train your plant for optimal results. As your plant starts to grow, place a tall, thin stake into the ground to support it. For about every 6 inches (15 cm) of growth, gently tie your plant’s stem to the stake using plant tape or garden twine.^[9]
3. 
   3
   Prune your tomato plant of excess stems. To keep your plant contained, cut off stems that extend from the main stalk. This will prevent the plant from drooping and overextending its nutrient resources, keeping its focus on the primary tomatoes.
4. 
   4
   Add a pound of fertilizer once every two weeks after the fruit sets. Once your tomato plant has sprouted fruits, add about a pound of fertilizer to the ground every two weeks. For best results, side-dress the tomatoes by sprinkling the fertilizer around the growing area, not directly on the plant.^[10]
5. 
   5
   Harvest your tomatoes when they are very red and firm. Your tomatoes will be ready to pick and eat when they are mostly firm to the touch and a strong shade of red. If your tomatoes are soft or dull red in color, let them ripen for longer. Look to your strain’s expected growing cycle for an approximate harvest date, which will usually be during the Summer or early-Fall.^[11]

   • If a tomato falls off before ripening completely, put it in a paper sack with the stem pointed up and store it in a dark, cool room.

 

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