Plant Care

How to Grow Tomatoes

Start your journey of growing tomatoes, and enjoy a bountiful harvest from the vibrant cherry varieties to the robust beefsteaks. Our guide will teach you how to grow tomatoes, covering the essentials of tomato plant care, and ensuring your tomato plants thrive whether in pots or the garden. Discover the optimal timings on when to plant tomatoes and gain insights into nurturing them from seedlings to harvest. Experience the rich flavours of homegrown tomatoes that surpass anything store-bought and bring pollinators buzzing to your garden.

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Seeds Needs Seasonal S.O.S.

Grow Tomatoes From Seed

Tomatoes come in many varieties. While young plants are readily available, growing from seed allows you to explore exotic types. Start from late-January to March, sowing in small pots with peat-free compost and vermiculite, then stand them in a warm spot. After germination, remove any covering and keep the soil moist. Transplant the seedlings into larger pots as they grow, providing support with sticks and string. Alternatively, sow directly into coir pellets in a warm place, repotting as the plant matures until it's ready for final planting. This method fosters robust growth - ready for the garden or greenhouse.

Sow thinly for good airflow.

What Tomatoes Needs

Watering: Water the soil, not the plant, tomato leaves and stems dislike getting wet. Feeding: For best results, feed weekly for bigger fruits. Protection: Protect from pests by underplanting with Basil or Nasturtiums.

Growing Tomatoes Across the Season

Spring

Sow seeds in late February through to April. Plant out under cover in April.

Summer

Plant outdoors May-Jun; stake, water, feed often. Harvest ripe and savour.

Autumn

If frost arrives, pick unripe fruit to ripen inside. Freeze ripe ones, and make chutney from greens.

Winter

Compost old plants to prevent disease next year.

Tomatoes S.O.S.

Tomatoes in greenhouses may suffer from whiteflies, while outdoor plants are prone to tomato blight in warm, wet summers. Blossom end rot, often due to calcium deficiency, and fruit splitting from uneven watering are common issues. Green shield bugs, though they may appear, are benign to tomatoes. In humid conditions, blight is a real threat. Blight causes dark blotches on the plants, spreading onto the fruits and eventually killing the whole plant.

How to Grow Tomatoes

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

In humid conditions beware of blight.