One of the most loved fruits in the world is the humble tomato, with more than 60 million tons being produced each year. This is because of the high yield, ease of care and wide range of uses for cooking. For this reason we want to help making growing them easier and simpler than ever, so you can all enjoy your favourite fruit, grown at home.
Tomatoes are an extremely rewarding crop, as homegrown will always taste so much nicer than store bought as they are fresh and haven't been adapted for long shelf lives.
Planting tomatoes
As a rule tomatoes are grown from seed, you can plant sliced tomatoes into compost, but for the best results seeds are your friend with these fruit.
Tomato seeds should be sown indoors, or under cover in warm conditions between February to April, in small pots. Scatter the seeds evenly in a small pot and water well, cover with vermiculite for better results.
To improve the success rate of tomato seeds it's common practice to plant them in greenhouses or in a propagator with a material such as plastic sheeting or old plastic containers covering the pots to increase the heat as they need around 18 degC for the best results. once the seedlings appear you can remove the cover.
It is becoming more of an opinion that growing tomatoes inside causes migraines, although not proven we do not recommend this.
Transplant seedlings when approx 3cm tall, but keep in 5cm pots. Do not move outside until after the last frost, which is typically between May and June in the UK.
What type of tomatoes can I use?
There are two broad types of tomatoes, determinate and indeterminate. This in simple terms means that they are either short, bushy and don't require any supports or they grow tall and require supporting respectively.
Along with these types their are also a number of tomato varieties to chose from, based on personal preference:
- Beefsteak
- Heirloom
- Medium
- Cherry
- Plum
If you do not know what type of tomato you like that it's always nice to experiment, although bear in mind that if you want a heirloom tomato (pure breed) and you plant other tomatoes next to it then when pollinated the seeds of the tomatoes will be hybrid seeds. This means that if you save seeds for replanting next season they will not be the same variety.
Where to plant tomatoes
Tomatoes can be planted straight into the ground or in pots, growing bags or hanging baskets (for determinate varieties). This is entirely up to you, the only rule of thumb with tomatoes is that they need to be planted in a sunny spot! If you do not have very warm weather where you live then it is advised for best results that they are grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
How to care for tomatoes
Indeterminate tomatoes, also known as cordon tomatoes need supports as they can grow extremely tall - this can be done in the form of canes where the tomatoes are tied directly to the cane or with support structured, but can also be done by simply tying up, as they grow you can tighten the tie to keep them upright. But without support they will fall over. If using support canes / sticks put them into the ground early, when the ground is soft and the roots are small; this will reduce the risk of damaging them and mean their support is there from day one. If using a tie then this should be added when the crop is a good couple of feet tall, so the stem is strong enough to tie to.
Side shoots need to be removed for these type of tomatoes to reduce the risk of leaf mould, rot and lower yields due to tomatoes.
Determinate tomatoes, also known as bush tomatoes don't need supporting and side shoots don't need to be removed, as a rule.
What are side shoots
Otherwise knows as suckers there are tiny shoots that grown between the main stem and the leaves, you just need to gently pick these off as if left you will get poorer yields; due to the plant using excess unrequired energy. They can be replanted for more tomato plants if left to grow big enough, a good few inches.
Fertiliser
We make our own fertiliser, which works well for our tomatoes. But here are some popular examples.
- A mixture of nettles, comfrey and borage in water to make a tea and literally add some to your watering can.
- Banana fertiliser is known to be successful also, banana skins soaked in water and diluted.
- Wood ash in the compost before planting is a slow release fetiliser
- Seaweed can be used in the same way as comfrey and borage
- Store bough tomato feed
Pruning
Tomatoes need pruning to ensure ample ventilation, to ensure they do not get mould of any kind. This is extremely important, so make sure you give your tomatoes a hair cut regularly. Of course don't remove any of the plant with flowers on, they are your tomatoes!
Watering
Tomatoes are extremely thirsty plants. Although they can very easily get root rot if watered too heavily all in one go, in weather conditions such as heavy downpours. This is the most common disease with tomatoes, as other than that they are extremely resistant to disease. The best way to avoid this is to schedule watering, let the soil dry out before watering again and ensure that they are planted in well draining soils.
To make watering easier you can add moisture-retaining crystals to help with their thirsty nature.
Problem solving
Even though us gardeners spend many an hour pruning, staking, watering, fertilising and tending for our tomato plants there are a number of issues that we all face. Here are some of the most common issues and what to do about them.
Root rot
Should you experience root rot with tomato plants you need to remove and dispose of the infected plants, sterilise all tools used and don’t plant tomatoes in the same location for a season; to stop the spread.
Blight
To get rid of blight you must remove all affected plants and / or leaves and dispose of them, do not put them in your compost or you will spread the disease next season.
Blight is caused by fungus in the compost splashing up onto the plant when watering, to reduce risk prune the bottoms of your tomato plants to just the stem and mulch around the base. This will significantly reduce splash back.
Blight also thrives is moist conditions so pruning plants to improve air flow and staking them to ensure the plant is not sat on the ground will also reduce your chances of getting this disease.
Just remember
Prevention is better than cure so make sure to remove all the affected plants and leaves, let the space dry, keep clean and ensure good air circulation.
Should you get blight you can use the same soil the year after, so no need to panic and throw it all away!
Leaf spot
Leaf spot, caused by fungus, is not fatal to your plants but can weaken your plants significantly.
This is very common and wide spread so cannot be avoided completely but when noticed if you remove the leaves and spray with organic fungicides that contain copper or potassium bicarbonate you can reduce the spread.
If left untreated this can spread so much your plants will be too weak to produce fruit up until maturity.
Wilt
To reduce the risk of wilt on your tomatoes fertilise the soil before planting them, often people put eggs in the ground under where they’re planting the tomato and ensure you water regularly.
Blossom end rot
This is commonly due to a lack of calcium absorption, and can be identified by a bruising appearance on the fruit. This is because without calcium the fruits outer walls collapse. If spotted early when just spotting and corrected you can still get a good harvest.
This is either lack of calcium itself in the soil or over watering, which in turn doesn’t give the plant chance to take the calcium from the soil. The best methods for adding more calcium to the soil is by mixing egg shells, banana skin water or bone meal into your compost and adding lime in autumn. You can also put an egg in the ground before you plant, directly underneath, or water 50/50 water and milk.
Splitting
Tomato splitting can be unsightly and also make the tomatoes inedible, the main reason for this is irregular watering, either from a heavy drought causing a lack of water or too much watering causing the insides to grow quicker than the outsides.
Remember to mulch and water when the tomatoes need it, scheduled. Don’t over water or under water. Once a week in normal weather conditions approx 2” is the right amount!
Harvesting tomatoes
Leave tomatoes on the vine until they are fully ripe.
When to your desired maturity pick the tomatoes either by cutting the vine or pick the tomatoes individually.
Towards the end of the growing season you will need to ensure regular pruning to let more light in, reducing the chance of fungus.
If the weather turns cold and you still have immature tomatoes, pick the trusses as they will either ripen inside or make a fabulous green tomato chutney.
Eating and storing
Tomatoes taste the best straight from the plant, but if you need to store them make sure you store them at room temperature. They last longer out of the fridge!
A tomato salsa or sauce is a great way of preserving excess crop, but you can also freeze them to use in dishes; just remember to cut a cross into the tomato base to allow for easy skin removal when thawed.
FAQs
When should I start pinching my tomatoes?
It is advisable to start pinching your tomatoes when they are about 6-8 inches tall. Pinching helps the plants to develop a stronger and sturdier central stem, which leads to better fruit production. It involves removing the shoots that sprout from the joint where a leaf meets the stem. Pinch off these lateral shoots, also known as suckers, when they are small and about 2-3 inches long. If allowed to grow, they can divert the plant's energy away from the production of fruit, making it less productive. Therefore, it is essential to start pinching your tomato plants early to promote healthy growth and ensure a bountiful harvest.
When should I feed my tomato plants?
Tomato plants should be fed throughout their growing season. As a general rule, feed tomato plants every two to three weeks during the growing season. Start fertilizing when the first flowers appear on the plants. Give the plants a balanced fertilizer to promote healthy foliage and blooms. Once the fruit has set, switch to a phosphorus-rich fertilizer to encourage larger fruits. Avoid overfeeding the plants as this can lead to an excessive growth of foliage and reduced fruit production. Be sure to follow the instructions on the fertilizer packet for the best results. It is also important to keep tomato plants consistently watered to ensure proper nutrient absorption.
When do I split my tomato seedlings?
When tomato seedlings have grown to about 2-3 inches tall and have developed their first set of true leaves, it's time to consider splitting them into their own pots. This is typically about three to four weeks after they have germinated. The seedlings will begin to compete for nutrients and space as they continue to grow, and separating them will allow them to develop stronger root systems and have room to grow without being crowded. When transplanting, make sure to use a quality potting mix and handle the seedlings delicately to avoid damaging their fragile roots. Providing each tomato plant with its own pot also makes it easier to control their environment, such as monitoring water and fertilizer levels, and can help prevent the spread of diseases that may affect plants grown too closely together.
Why have my tomatoes not germinated?
Sometimes seeds time longer than normal to germinate.
Don't over water but keep the soil moist. Make sure it's warm enough. Germination is all about keeping the seeds damp and warm, they don't need light until they germinate; but they need to be warm. You can gain heat required by using propagators, greenhouses, cold frames and polytunnels. Remember constant temp is important, so check the overnight temperatures! A greenhouse will keep the temperatures approx 2 degrees warmer at night than outside, but they won't maintain daytime heat. If it's too cold outside at night bring your seeds in.
What are the sweetest variety of tomato?
There are a number of sweet tomato varieties, we have listed a few below for you to try out for yourselves; in popularity order!
- Sungold
- Rosella
- Rigerella
- Piccolo
- Black Russian
- Honeycomb
- Golden sunrise
- Sweet aperitif
- Sugar drop
- Green zebra
What are the spots on the stems?
These spots are just new roots growing as tomatoes like to be planted quite deep, avoid by planting your tomatoes a good few inches deep. Just put collars around them and fill with compost, it’ll give them a boost. Or leave be, as nothing to worry about.
Useful recipes
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Courgette and tomato risotto |
Products we recommend
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50pcs Plastic Branch Fixing Clip |
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Vegetable Thump Knife |
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Bamboo Cane Holder |
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Tomato support roller hooks |