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April: Tomatoes

I don’t think there is any point sowing tomato seed much before the end of March, unless you have a heated greenhouse or propagator. I sow 2 seeds per paper or 5-8cm pot, about 1cm deep in moist compost, in my unheated greenhouse, then as the seedlings grow I pinch out the weakest. The seedlings will be sensitive to frost so you need to cover with bubble wrap or even newspaper on a cold night if you haven’t a greenhouse heater with a frost setting. (Or keep them on a light window sill).

Tomatoes can be slow to germinate, but once they get growing, shoot up quite fast. My seedlings are about 16-20cm tall by the time I plant them into growbags in the polytunnel, but if you plant them out in the garden you must wait until you are certain the last frost is past. Plant the seedlings out as deep as you can – up to the first leaf if possible, with a cane in place, water in, and tie them up as they grow. As the plants grow you will need to pinch out the side shoots that appear at the leaf joints (leaving the leaves in place!), and as the lower leaves yellow or wither during the summer, discard them as well. Tomatoes hate to dry out, so need watering indoors at least once a day, and feeding on a regular basis as well.

So much depends on the weather and the tomato variety, but you should be harvesting by the end of July, and they will continue to produce until the first heavy frosts, although tomatoes outdoors are prone to potato blight, particularly if we have yet another wet summer. I prefer the cordon varieties (which grow straight and tall rather than bushing). A cherry tomato such as the famous Gardener’s Delight, is a must for eating straight from the plant, and I grow a beef tomato for breakfast fried tomatoes on toast; a plum variety for making sauce; and a medium size variety for everything else!

Tip: If you want to be a more eco-friendly gardener, I would recommend those wooden moulds that form newspaper pots. They work brilliantly, and as you plant the whole thing into the ground you end up with less root disturbance.