Vegetable
How to grow tomatoes
The crop most people start a garden for.
Overview
Tomatoes are warm-season plants that reward steady care with weeks of fruit. Determinate (bush) varieties stay compact and ripen in a concentrated window, which suits pots and small beds. Indeterminate (vining) varieties keep growing and fruiting until frost, but need tall support and regular tying in.
Common problems and what to do
Blossom end rot
A sunken dark patch on the base of the fruit, usually linked to uneven watering rather than a disease. Mulch and water on a steadier rhythm.
Leaf spotting on lower leaves
Often follows soil splashing onto foliage. Mulch the surface, water at the base, and remove badly affected lower leaves.
Lots of leaves, little fruit
Usually too much nitrogen or too little light. Ease off high-nitrogen feeds and check the plant really is in full sun.
Harvesting
Pick when the fruit is fully colored and gives slightly under gentle pressure. Fruit picked just before full ripeness will finish indoors at room temperature.
Beginner tips
- Bury the lower stem when planting — tomatoes root along buried stems and anchor better.
- Put the stake or cage in at planting time, before roots spread.
- Remove the lowest leaves once plants are established to keep foliage off the soil.
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