If there are too many tomatoes to eat you can keep the flavour of your perfectly ripe tomatoes by making a big pot of tomato sauce which can be stored in the freezer until you need it for sauces and soups. Removing the side-shoots also allows for better airflow around the plants. Pick out any side shoots that grow between the leaves and the stem otherwise the plant will grow big and bushy with less flowers. The more often you harvest the more the plant will flower and produce more tomatoes. Pick your tomatoes as soon as the colour is fully developed and the individual tomatoes are full size. If you are growing them in a grow bag, it most likely will contain enough nutrients for the whole growing season, but a liquid feed toward the end of the season will benefit the plants. Once the tomato plants have flowers it is time to start feeding. ![]() The secret to success with tomatoes is watering frequently and feeding them, particularly if they are growing in the ground. There are lots of liquid tomato feeds available with all the nutrients they need. Support your tomato plants with a bamboo cane or a narrow stake and tie in the plant with soft twine as it gets taller. Put the plant in a hole that is deeper than the pot, and ensure that the seedling is well supported by filling soil around it. Ensure that the soil is damp when planting into their final home. Young tomato plants, from the garden centre, can be planted outside in late May when they are 16cm high. But be sure to keep under cover until all danger of frost has passed, usually late May. You’ve done all the prep work to harden off your plants, prepared the ideal location, and amended the soil. It usually takes about 8-10 weeks for the seeds to grow to a size suitable for planting in their final position outside. To transplant tomatoes, you need to dig a hole twice as large as the pot and take out the seedlings. Seeds are best sown indoors from the second week of March to the beginning of May. You can either plant your tomatoes from seeds indoors or simply buy young tomato plants to grow on from your local garden centre. You can plant tomatoes directly in the ground or in growbags or raised beds. The number of daylight hours that a tomato receives is more important for boosting yield than heat. Plant tomatoes where they get plenty of sun. If you only have limited space in your balcony or hanging baskets, tomatoes can still be grown if you pick a variety that is compact and won’t spread too much, Tumbling Tom and SunGold are varieties that grow well in a large pot or hanging basket. Smaller tomatoes, such as cherry or Santini are great as they ripen faster than the large beef tomatoes. ![]() Removing leaves below the ripening truss does not improve ripening but can help reduce the spread of diseases such as tomato leaf mould or tomato blight where these are a problem.A great one to grow in raised beds and pots alike, home grown tomatoes take their sweetness from the sun and leave you with a tasty ingredient for any meal. Irregular watering, together with a lack of calcium in the soil leads to blossom end rot - the bottom of the fruit turns black and becomes sunken.įor indeterminate (vine or cordon tomatoes), there is evidence that removing some leaves above the ripening truss (which allows the fruit to be warmer during the day but cooler at night) can encourage slightly earlier ripening without negatively affecting cropping. ![]() Feed every 10-14 days with a balanced liquid fertiliser, changing to a high potash one once the first fruits start to set. ![]() Fluctuating moisture levels can cause the fruit to split. Dave If you are starting tomatoes from seed, give the seedlings plenty of room to branch out. Water your plants regularly to keep the soil/compost evenly moist. 01 of 10 Dont Crowd Tomato Seedlings The Spruce / K. Those grown as bush or hanging basket types do not need support. When eventually plants reach the top of the greenhouse or have set seven trusses indoors or four trusses outdoors, remove the growing point of the main stem at two leaves above the top truss. Remove the side shoots regularly when they are about 2.5cm (1in) long. Contents 1 Timing is Everything 2 Transplanting Tomatoes in 7 Steps 2.1 Step 1: Harden Off Your Plants 2.2 Step 2: Choose the Right Location 2. Plants for growing outdoors should be hardened off first.įor cordon tomatoes, tie the main stem to a vertical bamboo cane or wind it round a well-anchored but slack sturdy string. When the flowers of the first truss, the stem that bears the flowers, begin to open, transfer to 23cm (9in) pots, growing bags or plant 45-60cm (18-24in) apart outside.
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