Easy Outdoor Tomato Tips for UK Gardens
Nothing beats a homegrown tomato, and they taste completely different to anything you’ll find in a supermarket. With so many different varieties to choose from and every size, shape, and colour you could imagine, tomatoes are a fantastic way to brighten up your garden. Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse or polytunnel can be a great way to increase the yield of your plants as well as extending your harvesting season. It also allows you to grow a wider range of tomatoes as there are some that are more sensitive to temperature and require more heat.
But if you don’t have a greenhouse or polytunnel, don’t worry! You can still grow great tomatoes outdoors if you follow these key tips:
Where to plant your tomatoes
Find somewhere in your garden that gets maximum sunshine but is also sheltered from the wind to get the most from your tomato plants.
If you have a south-facing wall or fence, placing your plants up against them is a great way to maintain heat, which your tomatoes will love.
If you don’t have a suitable bed, you can always use a grow bag on a patio or you can grow smaller determinate varieties like Veranda Red or Tumbling Tom Yellow in pots or hanging baskets.
Sowing tomato seeds and planting out
For optimum growth, we recommend sowing your tomatoes in March. Sow your seeds in small pots or trays and place them on a sunny windowsill to give them the warmth they need to germinate. If temperatures drop, move you seedlings somewhere warm to protect them as prolonged exposure to anything less than 10°C can cause them problems.
In April, you can pot them on into 4-6 inch pots to allow them more room to grow. Once the temperatures have warmed up towards the end of May, harden off your tomato plants by placing them outside before you plant them out.
Looking after your tomato crop
There are a number of things you can do to keep your tomato plants growing healthy and strong:
- Pinch out side shoots to encourage growth to the right parts of the plant.
- Tie in your tomato plants or clip them to a support to help keep them strong
- Feed your plants every 2 weeks in the growing season
- Remove any lower leaves to encourage good air flow, helping to keep your plants disease-free
- Around the end of August or the beginning of September, pinch out the tops of your plants to stop them growing more and help them put their energy into ripening the tomatoes
- Keep harvesting off the plant as they ripen – last year, we harvested our last tomatoes at the end of October! Remember that any green tomatoes that are well grown will ripen inside.
Choosing your tomato varieties
It can be quite daunting trying to choose what varieties of tomatoes to grow as there are so many different ones you could pick. One of the easiest ways to make your selection is to choose a variety that suits your culinary needs. Here are a few ideas:
Sauces:
San Marzano 2
Snacking:
Sungold F1
Salads:
Moneymaker
Make sure you choose a variety that is suitable for outdoor growing. Why not try these:
Honey Delight F1
Burlesque F1
Orangeto F1
We have found that F1 hybrids are more successful in UK gardens as they have been specifically developed to have high disease resistance as well as exceptional reliability and consistent high-yield harvests of uniform fruit. The newer F1 varieties also don’t compromise on flavour, making them a firm favourite for many gardeners. Why not try some of these:
Sweet Million F1
Limoncito F1
Big Mama F1
Outdoor tomatoes can be affected by end of season blight, especially if it’s been a wet summer. We’ve put together this blight-resistant bundle to help you avoid this. These varieties have been designed to combat blight and have proven to deliver better results in our outdoor trial garden. Here are three of these excellent varieties:
Crimson Crush F1
Black Moon F1
Nagina F1
With this knowledge, why not jump straight into our full range of tomatoes and get choosing today? You won’t regret it, and we can’t wait to see your beautiful harvests!
