4 essential tips for growing your best-ever tomatoes

Tomatoes you grow yourself are gorgeous things, rich, sweet-yettart, and as they come in an array of hues, from orange, yellow and gold to bright green, your summer salad will be awash with vibrant colours. Plus, the odd shapes they grow into (think pear-shaped, finger length and as fat a lemon) add a little character too. Here’s how to grow your own

1.

As it’s a little too late in the year to sow the seeds, start with young shoots and plant them once they’re 15-20cm tall. Before planting, rake in a general purpose fertiliser; tomatoes are hungry plants!

2.

Leave approximately 45cm between the plants and 75cm between the rows. If you are growing tomatoes in grow bags or pots, remember they will require a lot more watering and care. Generally, plant no more than two plants per bag.

3.

With ’indeterminate’ and ’semideterminate’ varieties, tie the plants to a support as they grow. You will notice side-shoots appearing where the leaf stems joins the main stem. Regularly pinching out tomato side shoots will concentrate the plant’s energy into producing fruit. When it has reached the top of its support, cut out the tip of the main stem, two leaves above the top flower truss.

4.

Tomatoes need a lot of water and feed to get the best fruit. Water little and often for the best results. Feed your tomatoes with a general liquid feed until the first truss has formed then alternate with a high potash feed.

Have a look at some of the delicious recipes you can make with your homegrown tomatoes!

For some more tomato growing advice, visit www.growfruitandveg.co.uk