Growing Tomatoes from Seed This Year?
'Horus' is a very productive variety of tomato.
Each year, we grow many different varieties of tomatoes in the polytunnel. Other types of tomato plant take pride of place on the patio! No wonder really, as there are so many tomato varieties available for different culinary uses. The whole family likes a wide choice of tomatoes, so it is hard to resist sowing lots of different tomato seeds!
I usually sow my tomato seeds at staggered intervals starting in late January (indoors). I then sow a few at a time through to March which gives the longest possible harvesting season.
As soon as the tomatoes start to ripen on the plants, our children like to take a leisurely stroll down the garden to pick and eat a few fresh fruit – sometimes it can be a race to get to the fruit, especially the first ones!
There is nothing quite as nice as picking your home grown tomatoes. They have such a better taste than those bought in the shops, it is no surprise that the tomato is one of the most popular fruit to grow in the UK and worldwide, particularly as there are so many tomato varieties now available.
Sweet cherry tomatoes are often eaten fresh in salads and larger fleshy fruit can be cooked for sauces. Tomato plants are resilient and easy to grow, under cover or outdoors, depending on the variety. For those gardeners with little space or time, there are dwarf varieties that do not need “pinching out” and can be grown in pots.
Despite the popularity of tomatoes, many people still worry that they don’t know how to grow them. Over the next few days, I will be posting more tips on how to grow tomatoes as well as some botany, history and nutritional benefits of tomatoes. I will also be recommending a few varieties for different uses along with the all important advice on ways to consume your tomatoes once they have ripened!. Why not subscribe to our blog for immediate notification when these posts are published?.
