Tomatoes
There’s nothing more satisfying than growing your own tomatoes. Your crop will be the tastiest, freshest and healthiest tomato that you have ever eaten and if you grow them using organic principles and natural fertilisers they will be even better for you. Whatever method you use, growing your own tomatoes will bring you plenty of tasty, healthy fruit.
To cater for all gardeners, Westland and Unwins have a wide range of garden healthy products to choose from, including different tomato varieties, so that you can tailor your own garden to suit your own needs.
Bush Tomatoes
If you are new to growing tomatoes then bush or determinate varieties may be the best choice. They are compact growing and ideal for growing in outside in pots, in the vegetable garden or in growing bags. The plants branch freely with a flower cluster at the end of each stem. They can be allowed to grow as bushes and do not need to have side leaf shoots removed, so they are less labour intensive. Choose Unwins Tomato ‘Red Alert’ F1, the Unwins exclusive Tomato ‘Berry’ F1
with sweet strawberry shaped fruits all summer or the orange fruited Unwins Tomato ‘Auriga’.
How to Sow Tomato Seeds
Sow greenhouse tomatoes from January for an early crop. Outdoor tomatoes should be sown in April and May so that they are the correct size for planting out after the last frosts. For detailed help see our guide on How To Sow Tomato Seeds.
Flowers and Trusses
Tomato plants carry short side stems of flowers; these are called trusses. The flowers need to be pollinated either by insects, or if they are in a greenhouse, you may need to pollinate the early flowers with a paintbrush by brushing pollen from one flower and transferring it to the next. The truss has set when you can see tiny green balls of immature tomatoes in place of the flowers. Allow up to five trusses to set on outdoor tomatoes; anymore are unlikely to ripen outside before the first frosts. When the fifth truss has set, pinch out the top of the growing shoot to divert all the plant energy into swelling and ripening these fruits.
Feeding Tomatoes
In the early stages of growth the Westland compost that you have used will provide sufficient nutrients for the developing plants. If plants are looking a bit pale after 3-4 weeks of growth then feed them with a dedicated tomato food such as Nutri Tomato Feed. If you are feeding a lot of plants in the garden you can also use All Purpose Soluble Plant Food which offers good value when feeding large numbers of plants. Feed with a when the first truss of fruit has set, this will deliver all the necessary nutrients and trace elements to encourage strong healthy plants and a good crop of fruit. Follow the instructions on the pack and feed your plants at regular intervals, usually once a week or fortnight for soluble feed, to ensure good fruit set and development.
