Welcome to Tomato Growing where I share my experience of growing tomatoes, especially outdoors. Bush varieties are my favourite, and easy to grow, so I’ve included quite a few of these on the website.

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How many of us have actually tasted the full flavour of a home-grown tomato just picked from the garden? If you have, then you will know that there is a world of difference between some of the bland tasting specimens in the supermarkets and your own produce that is also guaranteed to be healthy.

When To Sow             How To Sow

You can grow your own tomatoes outside in pots & containers (you don’t need a greenhouse or conservatory) and growing cherry tomatoes can be done on a balcony, window-box or even a sunny windowsill.

So, if you would like to discover real tomato taste, and be able to eat your own home-grown for up to four months each summer, then I hope you’ll browse these pages and have a go yourself, at tomato growing.

Help Guide
Watering Tomatoes . Tomato Growing Problems	Tomato Growing Tips . Feeding Tomatoes

If you are new to growing tomatoes from seed it’s a good idea to start with an easy variety to grow.

The following bush/cherry varieties are highly recommended:

• Tumbler
• Tumbling Tom
• Red Alert
• Garden Pearl
• Maskotka

These bush types are sometimes called “determinate” and do not need their side shoots pinched out.

Two great ways to grow bush varieties is either in a patio planter or large pot so they can trail over the sides, or in an upside down planter such as a topsy turvy.

Among the tall varieties that are easy to grow are:

• Alicante
• Moneymaker
• Gardener’s Delight
• Golden Sunrise
• Black Cherry
• Sungold
• Stupice

They are all very dependable. These tall varieties are also called “indeterminate” or “Cordon”.

Tall varieties are best grown in pots at least 9 inches in diameter or grow bags. Grow bag pots are a very good way to grow tall varieties as they can be fed and watered through different parts of the rings.

The Ups and Downs of Last Season – 2011
In my part of the world, last season was relatively dry (unlike the previous three summers) and so I’ve had very few problems with fungal disease. However, fruit set was late on some varieties owing to a late arrival of flying insects who help pollinate the tomato flowers.

The best performers for me last season were Red Alert, Maskotka and Stupice. Sungold also produced a very good, early crop.

Choosing The Right Varieties for Your Part of the World

Many tomato varieties are best suited to the weather conditions of the countries and regions from which they originally came.

For example:
Siberian can cope with lower temperatures because it was developed that way – the name says it all!
Moneymaker is an old English variety that excels in a moderate climate and is very reliable.
Marmande originally came from France and requires the weather of the Southern Mediterranean to reach its full taste.
So if you grow tomatoes outside, choose varieties that will cope well in the weather conditions of your area.

You may also wish to choose a selection of varieties such as a cherry, a medium/salad and a large/beefsteak variety for slicing or the barbecue. Some large tomatoes can be eaten like melons they’re so juicy!

Bush varieties are great to grow in large pots and containers and can be positioned almost anywhere around the garden or patio without needing a wall to lean against. The plants themselves can be small or large (as well as the fruit) so a pot on a windowsill or a large container may be required.

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A Selection of Tumbling Tom red and yellow, Maskotka and Garden Pearl (below).

Choosing which varieties to grow each season is one of the most enjoyable jobs to do in the Autumn and Winter. You can browse the seed catalogues, or surf  online where you will find a huge collection of tomato varieties from different seed companies.

Growing Outdoors

Seed Sowing Time – March to end of April (UK).
You can sow into May if you choose a variety that matures early or
you have a greenhouse. For outdoor growing – always germinate seed indoors and in new compost.

Seed Sowing Time – When To Sow in Your Area.
To produce a crop of ripe tomatoes, seeds need to be sown indoors, around two months before your last frost date. They can be planted out when the risk of frost has past.

It takes around two to three months from sowing to flowering, and two to three months from flowering to fruiting … depending on the variety.

Therefore, sowing at the beginning of April will produce fruit from the beginning of August – if you grow a quick maturing variety.

Growing Under Cover – Unheated Greenhouse

A greenhouse will enable an earlier start and a later end to the season – a great way to increase your crop and have ripe tomatoes available for longer.

My own preference is to sow indoors and get the seedlings established first, before planting them out in the greenhouse.

The great thing about a greenhouse is that your plants are protected from rain and temperatures remain slightly higher.

Go for the biggest greenhouse you can afford , or have room for, as very small ones can create a lot of condensation – try to let the air circulate.

Some varieties can be sown slightly earlier or later
Cherry bush varieties are ideal for sowing early as they are easier to manage (movable in large pots) because of their size and height. You can also sow as late as early May (in the UK) if you choose a variety that is quick to mature like Red Alert.

I remember when I first started to grow tomatoes I couldn’t work out which part of the plant the fruit would grow from!

I still get excited when I see those little pea-like tomatoes appear and I’m amazed that I was able to produce a crop with the very little knowledge I had in my first season – more nature’s doing than mine – or beginner’s luck!

Are tomatoes easy to grow?  -  they can be if you choose the right varieties and follow a few essential tips. Try the cherry bush variety Tumbling Tom which comes in both red and yellow versions.

A few more tips
It’s best to use new, multi purpose or grow bag compost in a large pot or container and keep the leaves out of the rain. More tomato growing tips here.
Tomato plug plants are also a great way to begin growing tomatoes. This helps to avoid some of the problems associated with growing from seed.

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