Tomato Sauce Garden Guide (PRO Tips) INSTALL-IT-DIRECT

There are plenty of options when it comes to jarred and canned tomato sauces found on grocery store shelves. This, of course, means that all you need to do is run to the market if you ever get the urge to make pizza or spaghetti. However, there is something really satisfying about making a meal from ingredients you have grown, and it is definitely more fun to head out to your backyard garden to harvest tomatoes and basil with your kids than to have to strap them in in the car and drag them with you to the store.

Growing your own food also allows you to know where the food came from and what was used in the growing process, which is particularly important if you try to feed your family organic foods or foods grown locally.

Most of us do not have the time or space to grow a majority of our food at home, which is why growing a smaller, themed garden – such as a tomato sauce garden or a salsa garden — is often a good choice. This can be particularly helpful for new gardeners who are not sure what to grow or if they will really use the foods produced in their backyards. This way, you are growing something that you will definitely use and, even if you have a bumper crop, nothing will go to waste. A spaghetti sauce garden is also good for beginner gardeners, because all of the ingredients are easy to grow and you can use these same ingredients to make other recipes, such as pizza sauce or tomato soup.

Tomato Sauce Garden Guide: What to Grow

The five main ingredients you will want to grow in your pasta and pizza sauce garden are tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and oregano. Of course, this may vary depending on how you like to make your sauce – and there are many, many ways to make pasta sauce — but these are the basics that you are going to find in just about every recipe.

Aside from these five basic ingredients, you can expand your ingredient list to include just about any fruit, vegetable or herb, depending only on the amount of space you can dedicate to gardening, the amount of time you have to tend your garden, and what you like in your pasta sauce.

Here are some examples of popular ingredients you may want to consider growing alongside your tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and oregano:

• Zucchini
• Carrots
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Thyme

All of the items on this list can be grown in containers, raised beds or in the ground, which allows you to choose the option that works best with your landscaping design. If you have limited space, you should note that the zucchini plants and tomato plants will take up the most room. To make the best use of your space, grow the larger plants, such as the tomatoes and bell peppers, in the center of your raised bed then add a second row around those plants that includes your medium-sized plants, such as your basil and parsley. Around the outer edges, you can grow your carrots, onions, garlic and spinach.

You can save some space by choosing determinate tomato varieties, which are also called bush tomatoes, since these do not spread out as much and are easier to contain. Determinate tomatoes also give you the bulk of the harvest at one time, which allows you to make a big batch of sauce to use, share and save.

Canning is the best way to preserve your tomato sauce for later use or for giving as gifts to friends. You can also use canning jars to store what you plan to use soon, which you can keep in the refrigerator.

A Few Things to Note…

Garlic and onions are members of the allium genus, which means they are toxic to cats and dogs. Therefore, you may want to grow these in containers or a garden bed that is separate from where your dogs and cats live and play, or you may want to skip growing these ingredients and pick them up at the store. Many gardeners grow them in backyard gardens that are shared with animals and do not have a problem, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Backyard Food Gardens: Further Reading