Tomato Growing tips, the easy way to grow your own tomatoes

Tomatoes can be bought as individual plants or grown from seed. Tomato plants can be single stemmed vine varieties or bush varieties. Bush varieties can require little if any training or support, if the plants do grow too big or bushy then you can thin them out a little. You can also support the stems with string or ties while fruit develops. Vine varieties require the developing side shoots removing which grow at an angle where the leaf joins the main stem. You should do this weekly along with tying in any new growth. Tie or train them with string or tie them to a single strong cane

Thinly sow seeds in moist seed compost and lightly cover in a tray or pot. Place a polythene bag around the tray or pot and place them on a windowsill. Or you can use a propagator with temps at 18-21C 65-70F. Within two months time the seedlings will be big enough to be potted individually into 3inch pots (8cm). Feed young plants with liquid tomato feed before you plant them out.

Plant the tomatoes outside in a growbag, pot or in the ground. If using growbags then plant a maximum of two plants per growbag and pierce the bottom for drainage. Plant out during early summer when the risk from frost has passed. An ideal spot should be sheltered from the wind in a warm sunny spot.

If planting in a greenhouse then use a prepared soil border or plant in 15inch (40cm) pots using a multi-purpose soil mix or organic compost. Water the plants well when you plant them out and reduce until first flowers open increasing gradually when the first fruits start to swell. Sink a plastic bottle or plant pot with the bottom removed near the plant and pour the water down that for simple watering. This tip will also ensure that the water and feed will travel to the roots where it is needed.

Fruiting container grown plants require watering daily sometimes twice daily. Tomatoes grown in the ground can go a couple of days without water weather depending. When the plants are planted in final place feed once a week and increase to twice a week when with crop. Outdoor tomatoes should be ready early autumn. Tomatoes undercover will continue to ripen fruit into late autumn.