A Tomato Journey: From One Tiny Seedling to a Bowl Full of Sun-Ripened Fruits

 There are times when gardening ventures start with a bang, full of energy, planning, and sack of seed packets. But this... this one was a quiet start. It was a small recycled container in the corner of my yard, the earth already heated by the morning sun, and a little tomato seedling that didn't seem like much, but was my silent promise.

Let me tell you the story later. For now, here is a tiny roadmap of today's journey.

What You'll Discover in This Post

In this article, I share with you my very own tomato growing experience in the hot and dusty Soshanguve area from that feeling of fragileness of the very first seedling up to the last harvest in my hand. You will learn:

How my tomato seedling survived and slowly built its strength. The emotional turning point when flowers appeared and fruit finally started forming. The small setbacks, fears, and lessons that shaped the journey. What it felt like to finally harvest tomatoes I grew myself. What you can expect when growing tomatoes in our Gauteng climate. The little things that nobody talks about the ones that make gardening feel personal and alive

This is not simply a "how to grow tomatoes" article.

It is a journaling of the very essence of patience… of the art of seeing life coming one leaf at a time.

Seedling Stage - Where Everything Starts

The tale was about to unfold with a seedling that was planted in a cut open container. I wasn't really confident that the plant would live when I took the first photo. The leaves were tiny and delicate, the stem was even thinner than a matchstick, and the soil was still loose and it seemed like it was not very familiar with its new tenant.

I used to go out every morning to check the plant before the wind started blowing, I would bend down and look at it as if it was a human baby that has just been born. I used to test the soil with my finger. At times it would feel that the soil was drying too quickly that's Soshanguve for you. The sun comes down very hard and you have to respond just as quickly. There were also days when the seedling seemed very lively, as if it had big dreams locked up in that tiny green body.

I recall telling myself: "If this one makes it through the first two weeks, I won't hold back." 

Maybe it did hear me, because slowly very slowly the leaves unfolded, the stem got stronger, and the plant became more and more visible in the pot. I put mulch on it to shield it from the hot sun. I watered sparingly, although I was tempted to give it lots of water with love.

The beginning stage of tomatoes always seems like parenting. You're scared of every little change, yet you're also amazed when new leaves show up overnight.

That was the time I became completely devoted to this plant.

Flowering + First Fruits - The Moment Everything Changes

It was just another morning and the garden suddenly felt different. I went out and noticed a flash of yellow that I had never seen before. Tomato flowers. Small, delicate, almost shy but definitely strong enough to change my whole day.

To see flowers on a tomato plant is like to see the very first sign of rain after a long drought. It makes you hopeful but at the same time a little bit nervous. This is because you know that tomatoes in Gauteng do not always produce fruit quite easily. The heat can be the cause of the pollination process not being successful. The wind can break the stems. The stress can cause the dropping of the flowers that may not even be open fully yet.

So I kept a close eye on them. I would change the watering. I would verify the mulch. I even put the container in the shade during the hottest hours when the sun was too piercing.

And then… magic happened.

From behind the withering flowers, small green tomatoes were getting visible.

I made that close up photo because I didn't want to forget that very moment. Those tiny fruits were like little promises. Small, shiny, and incredibly significant.

The plant had stopped merely growing.

It was inventing.

Each day, I would softly feel the branches in order to facilitate pollination. I used to whisper to the tomatoes, "Keep it up. Just hold on." And they actually obeyed. They got larger, more even, perfectly shaped small replicas of what would later be the contents of my basket.

It was an experience similar to seeing a baby learn how to walk for the first time.

Harvesting - Holding the Final Story in My Hands

It was harvest day and the tomatoes were slowly changing color just one tomato turning orange, then another getting red, and then quickly the bowl was full. I decided to pick the ripest one, held it in my hand, and I really felt that the weight of it was quite emotional.

I made the photo because I wanted to keep that moment:

I was holding a tomato that didn't come from a shop, wasn't in a plastic bag, didn't travel across provinces but was grown just a few meters away from my door.

Those were lovely tomatoes. Red, shiny, and well formed. The yellow tomatoes contributed their radiance, turning the entire fruit bowl into a festive sight.

Them were beyond belief very sweet, very juicy, and full of sun. It tasted like the mornings I got up early to water. Like the afternoons I was busy checking for pests. Like all the small anxieties and small wins.

It tasted like a thankful heart.

Harvesting tomatoes is more than just picking the fruit.

It`s grasping the last page of a book that you`ve been through.

What to Expect When Growing Tomatoes in Gauteng (My Honest Experience)

Growing tomatoes in Soshanguve or anywhere around Pretoria will be a journey for you. It will be full of ups and downs. The seedling stage will seem very delicate and slow. The flowering stage will seem very uncertain and you will be able to take a great gamble with it. And the harvest… that is happiness itself.

Prepare yourself to experience the emotional roller coaster of the plant life cycle:

the thrill, the concern, the faith, the satisfaction.

Be prepared to have the heat affect your garden, a soil that needs frequent watering, and days when you feel like you've done something wrong. Be prepared to have flowers that fall off and fruits that will survive anyway. Be prepared to have mornings when you have to put yourself in a lower position just to see that nothing has changed even when it really is so.

Also, be prepared to have the feeling of accomplishment which is hard to explain when the fruits are finally ripe.

Tomatoes don't just grow they teach you patience, attention, and gentleness.