Welcome to Tomato Growing where I share my experience of growing tomatoes, especially outdoors. Bush varieties are my favourite 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.

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.
 

If you are new to growing tomatoes it’s a good idea that you start with an easy variety to grow. In the UK I would recommend the bush cherry varieties of Tumbler, Tumbling Tom, Red Alert and Garden Pearl. These bush types are sometimes called “determinate”.

Among the easy to grow tall varieties, Alicante, Moneymaker and Gardener’s Delight are very dependable. These are also called “indeterminate” or “Cordon”.
 

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 they originally came from. 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.

 

Tomato Seeds UK Tomato Seeds USA Choosing which varieties to sow 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 at Amazon where they have a huge collection of tomato varieties from different seed companies. Preparing for the 2010 season can be an interesting time.

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

Tomato tips for the coming season.   How to avoid: Tomato Blight Blossom End Rot   Info. on: Watering Tomatoes Feeding Tomatoes   Start the season early ... The Benefits of Growing Tomatoes in a Greenhouse Make an early start this season with a greenhouse and extend both ends of the growing season.

Seed Sowing Times - When To Sow

To produce a crop of ripe tomatoes, seeds need to be sown no later than April in the UK (or two months before your last frost date). It generally takes around two months from sowing to flowering, and two months from flowering to fruiting ... depending on the variety.

For outdoor growing, sow (indoors) at the beginning of April to produce fruit around the beginning of August. Sowing early (the beginning of March for example) to produce an earlier crop is a good idea if you have the time and experience to cope with the difficulties of the cooler, less favourable conditions.

Cherry bush varieties are ideal for sowing early as they are easier to manage because of their size and height. You can also sow as late as the middle of May if you choose a variety that is quick to mature like Red Alert.

      Grow Your Own Vegetables in Small Spaces

Tips for successful tomato growing including FAQ  
 

I remember that when I first started to grow tomatoes I couldn’t work out from 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!

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

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.

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