How to grow tomatoes
Tomatoes are summer staple in so many dishes and are really enjoyable and relatively easy food to grow.
Pick up your tomato plants in the garden centre from just £1.25!
Take a look at our top tips to help you get the best out of your tomato plants.
Top tips for thriving tomatoes
1. When to plant out your tomatoes
Temperatures should reliably be over 16°C before planting tomatoes outdoors. Before then, tomato plants can be started off in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill.
2. Planting conditions
Tomatoes love sunlight! Plant them in a spot that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Ensure they have enough space to grow and good air circulation to prevent diseases.
Tomatoes do well in large containers or growbags, either in a greenhouse or outdoors in full sun. You can plant one tomato plant in a large pot about 35-40cm or two plants in a standard growbag.
Get a FREE Westland Growbag worth £4.99 when you buy a Hozelock Growbag waterer in the garden centre.
3. Proper watering
Water consistently, aiming to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. A heavy layer of mulch can help retain moisture and prevent weeds. Leaves curling can be a sign that plants need watering more often.
4. Feeding
Feeding with a tomato feed can really help boost your fruits. Check out our tomato feed recommendations below. Follow the instructions on your choice of feed for best results.
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Levington® Tomorite® 1L + 20% extra free £6.49Not just for tomatoes, you can also use Levington® Tomorite® on all fruits and vegetables as well as flowering plants, all around the garden.
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Westland Big Tom Super Tomato Food 1L + 25% extra free £5.99Big Tom Tomato Food has unique PlantSense™ Technology. This means there is just the right amount of nutrients and a water management system perfected to work with peat free growbags and planters.
5. Supporting and pruning
Cordon tomatoes are tall, single-stem plants so will need supporting with stakes, cages, or trellises. Removing the side shoots helps encourage the plant to focus energy on the main stem and fruit production.
6. Pruning and maintenance
Regularly remove old or diseased leaves to improve air circulation and prevent the spread of diseases like powdery mildew. Trim runners to focus the plant’s energy on fruit production, and weed the area around your plants to reduce competition for nutrients.
7. Harvesting
Harvest your tomatoes when they are ripe and fully coloured for the best flavour. Pick off the fruit along with the stem. Cherry tomatoes are the first to ripen with larger varieties taking a little longer.
