How to grow tomatoes from seed?

Sow tomato seeds from January to April underglass, 0.5cm deep in pots or trays of a good seed sowing compost. Lightly cover seeds with a sprinkling of vermiculite or compost. Place into a propagator at a temperature of 18-21°C. Prick out seedlings once they’re large enough to handle, into 9cm pots. Transplant to the greenhouse border, soil, individual large pots, or 3 plants per grow bags when they are 20cm tall. Water seeds with tap water only!

Can you grow tomatoes outside?

Delay sowing for outdoor crops until April. Plant our the last week of May or early June once all chances of frost has passed. Plant in rows with 45cm (18”) apart, and with 75cm (30”) between each row.

How often do you need to water tomatoes?

Water and feed tomato plants regularly with a high potash feed once the first truss has set. Uneven watering can cause fruits to split, or black blotches can form on the base of the fruits, known as blossom end rot.

What types of tomatoes are there?

There are many different types of tomato. There are 3 main types of tomatoes:

Indeterminate (Single stemmed tomato plants. Any side shoots should be removed)

Determinate (Bush type – don’t require any pruning. Suitable for growing in hanging baskets)

Semi-determinate – (Similar to determinate types, but they grow slightly taller. Side shoots do not need to be removed)

There are also many different varieties of tomatoes:

Cherry – smaller tomatoes

Main Crop/Mid-Season – Most commonly grown

Plum tomatoes – Commonly grown for canned tomatoes

Beefsteak – Large tomatoes usually used in sandwiches

Do tomato plants need support?

Indeterminate tomato plants with need to be supported. We have grafting clips available in our sundries section!

When can you harvest tomatoes?

Tomatoes should be ready to harvest from July to August, depending on variety, and when the seeds were sown.

What problems are there with growing tomatoes?

Diseases can be a problem when growing fruit and vegetables. The most common tomato problem is blight, which affects outdoor tomato plants. It is caused by wet weather and can spread quickly. One of the first signs of blight is brown patches on the fruit. Blight will kill the vines and rot the tomatoes. If blight does affect your crops, do not compost them.
F1 hybrid varieties have the bests tolerance to diseases.
We recommend trying the following tomato seeds:
1.  Fandango
2. Vesper
3. Lizzano

Have a look at our wide range of tomato seeds. We have over 50+ varieties to choose from, including organic seeds too!