| Other names: |
Lycopersicon esculentum |
| Popular varieties: |
From cherry tomatoes to giant beefsteaks |
| Interesting fact: |
Became popular in France during the French Revolution as the revolutionaries
wore this colour and eating red coloured food was a show of loyalty. |
| Nutritional value: |
Valuable minerals; vitamins A & C |
| When to grow: |
Early summer for outdoor growth |
| Grown from: |
Seed
that is sown in a pot or tray
8 weeks before planting outside; |
| Likes: |
Warm, sunny & sheltered spot; hot days and cool nights; free-draining
fertile soil; being in growbags or large containers and growing up
support
stakes; regular watering;
plenty of weeding; tomato
fertilizer |
| Dislikes: |
Frost; fluctuations between wet & dry; snails,
slugs and caterpillars |
| Harvest time: |
8 weeks after planting when they are fully ripe – the green
colour changes to red or orange |
| Watch out for: |
Blackened colour; splitting fruit; remove yellowing leaves; diseased
plants should be removed to avoid spreading infection; |
| Cooking tips: |
Eat on its own; salads, sandwiches; cook with fish, meat, beans,
curry, stew or as a sauce; drink as a juice |
| > |
Tomatoes
can be grown in greenhouses, on windowsills, in hanging baskets, containers
or out in the garden. |
| > |
There are lots of different types. Choose your tomatoes carefully.
Trailing varieties work well in hanging baskets and containers. Bush
tomatoes suit all locations except hanging baskets. Cordon varieties
need supporting by stakes and work very well in greenhouses and grow
bags. |
| > |
Scatter seed thinly on the surface of the compost. Cover lightly
with compost. Water in. Cover with cling film or put into a plastic
bag and fasten. |
| > |
Place in a warm spot where the temperature is between 60°-65°F
or 15°-18°C. The first leaves to appear are the seedling leaves,
the next ones are the true leaves. |
| > |
When these true leaves appear, carefully repot the seedlings into
individual 7cm pots. |
| > |
Bush tomatoes and trailing varieties need little further attention.
Let them grow, and repot into larger pots whenever the roots start
coming out of the bottom of the pot. They can be planted into the
garden when all danger from frosts has passed. Bush tomatoes should
be placed 38-45cm (15”-18”) apart. |
| > |
Cordon tomatoes need more care. When planting, place them 45-60cm
(18”-24”) apart. These tomatoes grow tall and the stems
need supporting.
They need to be firmly staked and stems should be tied onto the stakes.
At mid summer pinch out the top of the main stem. This will stop the
plant growing taller and encourage fruit to form. Sideshoots should
be broken off when they appear. |
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To protect against the slugs we recommend doing so organically with
biological
Nemaslug pest control. Nemaslug contains nematodes that are tiny
microbes which have to be watered into the soil and attack the young
slugs as they grow. |
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Tomatoes are very hungry plants. They need feeding
regularly, and should not be allowed to dry out. Keep them well watered.
When growing in a growbag we recommend using growbag
watering pots or a growpot – plant halo system – both sit in growbags and both direct water
efficiently to the plants. |
| > |
Harvest fruit as soon as it is ripe. |
