Page 21 - ALG Issue 1 2020

Tomato Masterclass
Possibly the number one vegetable grown by plotholders; below are my top tips to success.
1. Seeds are best sown in small pots, sowing on the surface of moist seed sowing compost and then lightly cover the seed with fine grade vermiculite.
2. Place sown pots into a heated propagator or on a warm windowsill where there is a minimum temperature of 18-21°C.
3. Once seedlings germinate, prick out/transplant into individual 9cm pots or large cell trays. Always hold the seedling by the leaves and never by the stem or root and insert the seedling into the compost so the seed leaves are almost touching the compost, as this will create a sturdier plant and encourage more root formation from the stems.
4. Sowing is best done in January or February if planting out in a heated greenhouse. Sow in March if planting out into a cold green- house or polytunnel and Sow in April if planting outside on the plot.
5. Plants are ready to plant in final positions when they reach approximately 20-25cm tall.
6. Under glass, plant out into large pots or into growbags. I like planting into bottomless 25cm pots, placed on top of growbags and filled with more growbag compost as this gives a deeper growing area, to help stop plants from drying out too quickly. Plants can also be planted directly into a glasshouse border that has had plenty of organic matter added to it. If planting direct into borders year after year, the soil is best changed each year to avoid soil sickness.
7. Cordon or indeterminate plants should be trained up with string
or tied to canes and the side shoots removed as the plants grow. Determinate or bush plants do not require side shooting. Semi- determinate plants are slightly taller and do not need side shooting unless very vigorous, when they may require some trimming.
8. Plants grown under cover can have the tops removed once they reach the roof of the glasshouse or polytunnel. Plants grown outside should have the tops removed after five trusses of fruit have set. Bush plants do not require their tops removing.
9. When growing tomatoes outside, always grow a blight resistant variety like Mountain Magic, Vesper or New Cocktail Crush. Do not plant out until all risk of frost has passed.
10. Tomatoesarehungryfeeders;fourweeksafterplanting,startto feed with a general fertiliser once a week until the first truss of fruit has set, then change to a high potash tomato food, again feeding once a week.
11. Keepplantswateredregularlythroughthegrowingseason,trying to avoid plants being constantly wet and then drying out as this can encourage blossom end rot (black cells) at the base of fruits. Always try to keep plants evenly moist at all times as this will also help prevent fruits splitting, often a problem with cherry types.
12. Asfruitsstarttoripen,afewofthelowerleavescanberemovedto allow more light to the fruits. Keep harvested fruits in a bowl on the kitchen worktop rather than in the fridge, as I think they will keep their flavour for longer when kept at room temperature.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 21