Tomatoes are classed as a fruit although we tend to eat them with a salad or as a savoury ingredient. They can be very sweet and juicy, and they come in a wide variety.
If you want to learn how to grow tomatoes, you’re in the right place. We discuss everything tomatoes related here, including planting, caring for, and harvesting!
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The best time to grow tomatoes in the UK is during the warmer months, typically from late spring to early autumn. To give your tomato seeds a head start before moving them outside, sow them indoors in March or April.
Do check your variety seed packet instructions for sowing, growing and harvesting your tomatoes. Also, make sure you purchase them from brands that offer the best tomato seeds.
There are many tomato varieties that differ in size, shape, texture and taste as well as the method by which you grow them. Some will grow into tall plants and others are bushy or trailing.
Depending on the tomato variety, some may be suitable for large containers and others in a hanging basket or trained to grow. You may decide to grow them within the added warmth of a greenhouse or outside during the summer.
To sow your tomato seeds, sow thinly in small pots or a modular seed tray. Sow a few in each pot or section as you can thin out keeping the stronger seedlings later on. They will need to be in warm and moist compost, and it is best to grow the seedlings within a propagator or a lidded seed tray. Cling film can work just as well!
Once the tomato seedlings grow, you will need to re-pot them, giving them their own individual growing space. They will need plenty of light and warmth. They may even require repotting before being transferred to their permanent growing place, which may be a tomato grow bag, large container or soil bed.
As the tomato plants grow taller, they will require the support of canes. Remember to pinch them out so that the fruit benefits from the nutrients more so than extra foliage.
The plants require consistent watering. If you experience a dry spell and then drench them, this results in the tomatoes splitting and other common problems can occur. Once your tomato plants start to flower, misting them can also aid pollination.
Your tomato plants will require feed that is rich in potassium once the fruits begin to form. Once per fortnight should be sufficient.
Keep pinching out your plants and monitoring the support in place. The plants may require further help when they are heavily weighed down with tomato fruits. You may need to keep training your tomato plants, depending on the variety you are growing.
Tomatoes will form, grow and ripen from green to a rich juicy, plump red during the summer months. They will be easily picked off when they are ready, and go a deeper red as they ripen. Early ripening will be firmer and a light, orange-like colour.
If you are waiting for tomatoes to ripen towards the end of the plant's life, you may want to pick them and place them on a sunny windowsill indoors to help them.
It should be fairly clear as to when to pick your tomatoes.
As your tomato plants grow and bear fruit, be mindful of the common problems below. This can include aphids, tomato blight and blossom end rot. These problems usually occur when conditions are not ideal.
Generally speaking, tomatoes are easy to grow if they have good sunlight, warmth and consistent watering.
Growing different varieties of tomatoes is an essential part of establishing which ones are your favourites.
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Growing tomatoes allows you to relish the joy of harvesting your own fresh fruits straight from the vine. You can use this versatile crop in a variety of ways.
Tomatoes are delicious eaten freshly picked and if you have a large glut, you can make soups, sauces, purees and chutneys too.
Want to know how to grow tomatoes in a few easy steps? Read this!
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