Growing tomatoes is a fun and rewarding job that gives you masses of fresh, nutritious tomatoes that taste better than anything you can buy in the shops. All types of tomato are easy to grow and taste best when grown in the sun. There are many different varieties to choose from, such as cherry, traditional heirloom and giant beefsteak tomatoes, each with its own fruit shape, flavour and uses in the kitchen.
How to Grow Tomatoes at Home
To grow tomatoes successfully, you need rich, fertile soil or peat-free potting compost and a good sunny, sheltered spot. Water regularly and feed weekly with a high-potash fertiliser once the plants start to flower.
Types of Tomato
Tomatoes fall into two main growing types:
- Bush (determinate) tomatoes, which need no pruning, as they stop growing at the tips of their own accord and develop into a bushy shape.
- Climbing (indeterminate) or semi-determinate tomatoes, which grow upwards and need support.
Bush types are usually grown in pots or hanging baskets, with their stems trailing over the edges. Climbing types are trained upwards and supported with a cane or stake.
If you grow climbing tomatoes, you will need a stake, such as a bamboo cane, to support the plant, and you will need to pinch out the side shoots so the plant fruits on a single main stem.
If you are new to gardening, cherry tomatoes are a good choice, as you do not need to pinch out their tips.
Our shop offers the widest choice of tomato varieties. Click here to see all varieties
Tomatoes are available as young plants, but if you want to try some of the more unusual varieties, it is well worth growing them from seed.
Sow from late January to early April. Sow the seeds in 7.5 cm pots of moist, peat-free compost, cover with a thin layer of vermiculite, water, then cover with cling film. Place them on a warm, bright windowsill or in a propagator.
Once your seeds have germinated, remove the cling film (or take them out of the propagator) and keep the compost moist. When the seedlings are about 2–3 cm tall, pot them on into 5 cm pots, feeding with a liquid organic tomato fertiliser (see it here). Keep potting them on as needed, and support the stems by tying them loosely to a pea stick with soft string.
Move your tomatoes outdoors after the last cold spells in April or May. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and plant them in soil enriched with plenty of organic matter, in 30 cm pots, or two or three to a growing bag. If you grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, try growing basil alongside them, as it thrives in the same conditions.
Growing Tomatoes in a Greenhouse
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is much like growing them outdoors, except that you get a longer growing season. You will need to shade your plants from excessive heat, which can cause tough skins, ripening blotches and – if you forget to water regularly – blossom end rot. So fit some blinds, use shading paint or hang woven shade fabric.
Caring for Climbing and Bush Tomatoes
Tall climbing tomatoes need their side shoots removed and should be tied to canes with soft string. When the first tiny fruits appear, remove the leaves below them to let in more light and air. Once there are four flower trusses, pinch out the growing tip of the plant.
Once the flowers appear, feed your plants weekly with a liquid tomato feed – see it here. Keep tomatoes well watered, as irregular watering causes the fruit to split or develop hard black patches, known as blossom end rot. This is caused by a lack of calcium, which the plant takes up with water.
Bush tomatoes, with their more relaxed growth habit, can more or less be left to get on with it. If the fruit is hidden under the leaves, thin the foliage a little to let the sun ripen it. Support heavy trusses on upturned pots to stop the stems breaking.
Harvesting Tomatoes
Let all types of tomato ripen naturally on the plant, as this greatly improves their flavour. Towards the end of the season, remove the older leaves to let in more light and prevent grey mould. If the weather turns cold, pick the trusses and ripen them indoors.
Storing Tomatoes
All types of tomato taste best straight from the vine, still warm from the sun. They do not freeze well, but you can keep them for about a week at room temperature. Avoid storing tomatoes in the fridge where possible, as this gives them a mealy texture.
The best way to preserve tomatoes is to make tomato sauce and freeze it.
