How to Grow Tomatoes

Popular choices for home-grown veg are potatoes and tomatoes, but the two are very different crops to grow. Potatoes are much easier, and need little attention, (see growing potatoes.) Tomatoes are the opposite and are more difficult.

Tomatoes need a lot of attention, starting with potting on, removing side shoots, thinning out the leaves as the plant matures, and regular feeding and watering. It's rewarding to pick fresh sweet tomatoes straight from the vine. For me, summer is the smell of tomato vines.

For a successful crop, tomatoes need warmth and plenty of watering and feeding.

So the starting point, when growing tomatoes outside, is a warm, sheltered spot. If you don't have this in your garden, Tomatoes are best grown in a greenhouse. Tomatoes are not frost hardy, so if you intend to grow tomatoes outside, only plant out when all risk of frost has passed. As a rule of thumb in the UK last frost will usually be at the end of May/first week of June. Plants are sold in the garden centres from Feb onwards but do not plant out, treat them like a bedding plant and wait until the conditions are warm. Tomatoes grown under glass will fruit earlier and be less prone to blight.

 If you are short of space, tomatoes are an ideal container crop. The only drawback is that Tomatoes grown in containers are more prone to drying out. If you are planning on growing tomatoes, you will need to water and feed them regularly and work out how to keep them watered if you intend to go away. It is very disappointing returning from a lovely holiday to find your tomatoes plants suffering from drought. In the summer, if it is warm, tomatoes need watering several times in a week and, if hot, daily attention. A gardening friend or neighbour is good, also there are also some effective irrigation kits on the market.      

Whether growing from seed or small plants decide what type of tomato to grow. The main choice is between bush type tomatoes which are, as the name suggests, bushy and suitable for hanging baskets. They are easier to grow compared with Upright, or Cordon tomatoes because they do not need the same amount of attention. Upright tomatoes need more attention and check out the pros and cons of both types of tomatoes.

The advice below applies to growing all types of tomatoes, whether bush or upright. Advice on the extra steps needed for growing upright tomatoes.

See also: Common problems and diseases when growing tomatoes and How to grow Upright (Cordon/In determinate tomatoes)

Follow the Sunday gardener's step-by-step advice about growing tomatoes to ensure you have a successful sweet tasty crop every harvest.