How To Grow Tomatoes

Home Historic Sites Models Heraldry Puzzles Garden Links

How to Grow Tomatoes

This is how I grow tomatoes in my greenhouse and polytunnel. I make no claims that is the best method or that it will produce the largest crops, but it has worked well for me. Whilst you can grow tomatoes outdoors in a sheltered position, I wouldn't recommend this at our allotments, as it is far too exposed.

Growth Types

There are two types of tomato plants in cultivation - Bush or Determinate, and Cordon or Indeterminate
Bush tomatoes can simply be planted in pots, grow-bags or even hanging baskets and need very little maintenance.
Cordon tomatoes will need support from a wire, string or cane, and will regularly need the side-shoots removing. I'll cover this process in more detail later.

Also consider growing different varieties for different purposes -
Grape and Cherry Tomatoes are small and sweet - perfect for salads
Salad Tomatoes are larger, and can be eaten raw in salads, sliced on sandwiches or cooked for stews etc.
Plum Tomatoes are an oval shape with less seeds and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked for sauces, soups, stews etc.
Beefsteak Tomatoes are larger still and tend to be less sweet. These are perfect for soups and sauces as it is much easier to remove the skins and seeds.

Sowing

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sow

Plant Out

Harvest

Note that tomatoes grow quickly. The seedlings will need to be kept indoors or in a frost-free greenhouse until the last frost date. Whilst most of the seed packets say they can be sown in January, you will probably need a conservatory or heated greenhouse if you sow them this early.

Click thumbnails for larger images

Step 1

Pass fresh multipurpose compost through a fine riddle to remove any lumps - I use this cheap plastic crate.

Step 2

Fill a half-tray with finely sieved compost and firm it down using a Compost Press.

Step 3

Make a series of holes using a Sowing Template. Sow one seed per hole, and pinch the compost closed around the seed.

Step 4

Gently spray with water so as not to wash the seeds around - I use an old shower cleaner bottle. Add a propagator cover if required.

Step 5

Set the tray in a warm, sunny place - a south-facing windowsill is ideal. The seeds should germinate in 2-3 weeks.

Potting On

Step 1

Sieve more fresh multipurpose compost, and part-fill one pot for each seedling.

Step 2

Carefully remove each seedling from the tray. I have found a couple of plastic forks to be perfect for this job

Step 3

Set the seedling in the pot and fill around the root-ball with more compost up to the seed leaves.

Step 4

Water

Step 5

Set the tray in a warm, sunny place

Planting Out

Step 1 You can grow tomatoes in a greenhouse bed, in grow-bags, 10 litre pots or Raised Planters Plants should be spaced at least 25cm / 10" apart.		Step 2 Fill your container with fresh compost.		Step 3 Remove the seedling from it's pot, and plant it as deep as you can, up to the first pair of leaves.
Step 4 Firm in the soil around the plant and water thoroughly to ensure there are no air pockets in the soil.		Step 5 Label the plants, and if growing cordon types, add support canes.		Step 6 Insert a Watering Funnel at the base of each plant. These make it simple to water, and when adding liquid tomato food, making it easy to ensure each plant has had the same amount.

Maintenance

Step 1 Water daily. In very hot weather, large plants in containers may need watering twice a day.		Step 2 Once flowers appear, add liquid tomato food to the water twice weekly.		Step 3 Add clips to secure cordon tomatoes to their canes. Alternatively tie a length of string or plant wire tightly to the cane, then loosely round the plant stem.
Step 4 Remove side-shoots on cordon varieties. These grow at the junctions of the leaves and the main stem, and should be pinched out or carefully cut with snips.		Step 5 Slightly larger side-shoots can be rooted as cuttings. Remove any large leaves and insert the stem into a pot of sieved compost. Keep the compost moist, and the cutting should root in a week or so.

More on Tomatoes

Save Tomato Seed
How to save seed from home-grown tomatoes.

How to Ripen Tomatoes
How to encourage tomatoes to ripen, both on and off the vine.

What do I do about tomato blight?

Home Historic Sites Models Heraldry Puzzles Garden Links

Contact me with suggestions, comments or questions.