The Tomato plant is a must have for any vegetable gardener. In fact I don't think I know of any veg gardener that doesn't have tomatoes growing somewhere in their space.
Even if you do not have a greenhouse the smaller varieties will grow quite happily on a windowsill inside a home and some hardier varieties will actually grow outside in a grow bag such as Big Tom Tomato Planter bag with just a sunny wall and a little support for protection.
The end of February and the beginning of March is when to start sowing from seed. Here is a guide on where to start and what to do;
Variety.
There are two main types of tomato plant, Bush plants and Vine plants. Bush plants need less support and are hardier so better suited for outdoors. Vine plants need support such as canes and are more suitable for indoor greenhouse growing.
Once you have decided where you want your plant to grow, you can then decide what variety to pick. Different varieties have different strengths and so you will need to choose accordingly. Here are some options;
'Ormato'- this is a vine type cherry tomato. It needs full support and is best suited to greenhouses or outdoor sunny spot against a wall.
'Yellow Submarine' - again a vine cherry tomato. Needs full support and is best suited to inside or greenhouses.
'Micro Cherry' - this Bush type is an excellent choice for growing indoors as well as for hanging baskets in warmer outside areas.
'Raspberry Ruffles' - If you are short on space, this is the plant for you. It's a micro Bush type and will happily grow in a little pot on a windowsill with no supports needed.
Once you have chosen the plant you want to grow, get a seed tray such as The Grow It Seed a Cutting Tray and fill with potting soil such as Traditional Gro+ Seaweed Compost 60l. Place 2-3 seeds per pot on top of the soil and then cover with a light layer of Gro-Sure Vermiculite or Perlite. (Very fine peat moss can also be used).
Water well ( making sure there's drainage holes) and then cover with some cling film and leave in a warm spot.
Once the green shoots start to appear, usually around the 14 day mark, remove the clingfilm. If you notice that they are leaning to one side towards the light, gently turn the pots around to straighten them out.
When the plants get to about 4-5cm in height you can repot them into bigger pots so that their root systems get strong enough for outside. Alternatively if they are going into a greenhouse you can plant them directly in there at this stage.
Once your plants have hardened off you can then transplant them outside into position around the end of May once the warmer weather has arrived (hopefully).
If you lack the soil space in a garden but have an unused area of sunny wall The Big Tom Tomato Planter can be used. Simply place it beside the wall, cut holes in the top and poke drainage holes in the bottom and place the plants into it. Fix canes into the bag for plant support and your tomatoes will happily grow there!
Finally the main thing to remember is that tomatoes are nutrient hungry plants and do need feeding regularly. This is why I always suggest tomato feed for all plants, because it really is the most nutritious. There are many different types of tomato feed available but one of my current favourites right now is, Maxicrop Organic Tomato Fertiliser 1l. It is made from seaweed and is completely natural so doesn't disturb any of the friendly insects in the garden such as the bees.
Happy Sowing!
