Time For Tomatoes
1st May 2005

The month of May is the traditional time for planting tomatoes in a cold greenhouse. Earlier certainly in mild areas but where frosts are likely until mid-May then “bide your time” is a good motto.

Traditionally they were planted into the soil in the greenhouse and, providing your soil is disease free, this method still produces the best crops with the least hassle.

Constant cropping in the same soil brings serious problems such as corky root, wilt and eelworm.

Thereafter you must change the soil every few years digging out the old soil and replacing it with humus rich, loamy soil from a part of the garden that has never cropped potatoes (a close relative of the tomato).Alternatively you can plant in containers or grow bags. A tip for users of growbags- plant two tomatoes rather than three. The roots will enjoy the extra space.

Unless you are feeding the neighbours there is little sense in filling the house with tomatoes. They will start to fruit from mid-June continuing through until October.4-5 plants should be sufficient for the average amily with a surplus for friends.

Plant them 18-24 inches apart. The more space you can allow the better the air circulation will be through the foliage thereby reducing the risk of fungal disease.

Use canes or cords suspended from the roof for support. If the cord is tied to the base of the plant and left slack then it can be twisted around the stem holding the plant upright.

Watering is important in the early stages. Keep the roots of the tomato as dry as possible until the first truss of small yellow flowers has set and the tomatoes are the size of a small pea. If necessary dampen the foliage over during the day to prevent them wilting. If too much water is available after planting the plant will quickly grow and the truss will be high up on the stem resulting in less fruit per plant.

Once the first truss is set start feeding the tomato plants with a high potash liquid feed diluted as per the instructions on the container. After the fruit on the fifth truss starts to swell apply 2 feeds of a higher nitrogen liquid fertilizer to provide a surge of growth. Then revert to the high potash feed for the rest of the season.

It is important to remove all the side shoots when they are small. Don’t cut them off as the stump may be attacked by fungus such as grey mould disease. Snap the shoot by bending it one way and then the opposite direction.

Air circulation is essential throughout the life of the plant. By early June top and bottom ventilators should be open to provide a movement of air. As the fruit ripens the old leaves below the finished truss may be removed by breaking them off close to the stem.

Tomatoes are prone to various virus diseases the most prevalent being tobacco mosaic virus. Symptoms include yellowing of the leaves. If you smoke wash your hands before touching the plants as the virus transmits easily.

Varieties for flavour are a matter of personal choice. I still love Ailsa Craig. The one thing you can be sure of is that home grown will have more flavour than those purchased in a store.

back to John's index page