14 March 2025
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Bob explains the ins and outs of growing this most delicious fruit.
It ’s getting a picayune too tardy to sow tomato plant , as like most tender crop they are well commence earlier so there is a longer chance for them to suppurate and in full harvest before autumn . So , if you have n’t yet start out , it ’s better to buy ballyhoo plant to help you play gimmick - up . That said , if you have a warm and sunny windowpane , and the potential to house plants undercover later in the time of year , then why not give it a go .
Seedlings will grow chop-chop so water regularly and pot up again , until your works are quick to season off and go outside in about six weeks ’ time ( at the end of May ) . Well , I now say end of May , it ’s get unmanageable to pass judgment . I used to plant tomatoes out betimes to mid - May with temporary auspices . However erratic bounce have intend early outside plantings now rarely prosper . There are serious answer from waiting another week or two till the sun ’s much stronger and the soil has warm more .
Hedging your bets
If you grow mountain and raft of tomatoes then maybe you’re able to lay on the line put a few out early , well - protected if possible , and then more in stages later on . Or , perhaps ruthlessly , if you have more than sufficient plants those that work out early could be more easily then replaced by more vigorous back - up plant .
Make for plants for devoid
Fortunately , providing you ’ve somewhere warm and bright , then just one plant ( bribe in or farm ) from seed can potentially provide many more , volitionally . Most varieties are better grown as single cordon , meaning one root word with leaf and yield bunches but no side - shoots . Thus as we remove said side - shoot ( which appear in the leaf spliff ) we can secure many more ‘ plantings ’ in the process .
Pinch out side shoots to create new tomato plants for free
These cutting ( ideally about a finger in length)can be popped into moist compost and will readily root . Each can then be pot up to become a new plant , which is biologically as quondam as the parent , so start flowering and fruiting almost straightaway . This agency , with your extra stock of plants , you could risk playing with planting some ahead of time , mid and late , and among other plant , anywhere - in - fact you could squeeze them in .
Beat the blight
For out-of-door crops it ’s wise to buy or seed newly introduced outdoor varieties as these will almost certainly have been breed for resistance to blight . Many traditional outdoor potpourri are often now suffer to this disease . Indoors , if you grow tomato plants somewhere affectionate , vivid and dry , you may avoid blight on the whole .
Pinch out side shoots to create new tomato plants for free
Up against a south face paries in a sheltered cheery garden is nearly as beneficial as under cover . Of course if you could arrange a cover , say a plastic flysheet held over the plants to keep the rain off , then blight can also be forfend . Indeed , blight is not a given , it only strikes if the weather is warm and damp , and that ’s not every UK summertime . So why go for loads of love apple anyway !
you’re able to find out more about Bob via his websitewww.bobflowerdew.comand what ’s bump in his garden via Twitter ( now X ) @FlowerdewBob
