Terrific tomatoes

Tomatoes are a warm-weather crop and the plants are available to buy from late September. If you don’t have a greenhouse or some other protection from the cold, wait until October before you plant.
Tomatoes require consistent conditions to ensure a healthy harvest, so plant them in light, free-draining soil in direct sunlight out of the wind. Choose only the healthiest seedlings to transfer to the garden.
Preparation is the key to success:

• Soil preparation can be done a few weeks beforehand.
• Just prior to planting, work the soil through with generous amounts of Results Compost and a handful of blood and bone. These extras aren’t needed if you are using a pre-prepared tomato soil mix.
• Lightly water the plant and gently tip it out of the pot, keeping the root ball intact. 
• If you are going to use stakes, pop them in now so as not to disturb the roots later on.
• Remember to keep supporting the plant as it grows. McGregor’s plant ties are excellent, as they will not cut into the stem.

 Water is vital to the success of your tomatoes, so water them regularly and deeply. They require more water and food once they become established. When the fruit starts to appear, fertilise the plants more regularly with a liquid fertiliser. These can be easily mixed in a watering can and applied directly to the soil. Avoid getting too much fertiliser on the plant foliage, as it can encourage fungal disease. Apply approximately every two weeks.
Laterals are the side growths that grow in the angle of each leaf on the main stem. Regularly remove side laterals when they are small to get one strong central leader.
Tomatoes do have a few enemies, but a healthy plant will be better able to fight off bugs and diseases. The easiest way combat them is to check your plants on a regular basis and remove caterpillars and bugs by hand. There are many pesticides that are friendly to food crops available from Yates:

• Pyrethrum sprays are a natural insecticide derived from pyrethrum flowers, which can be used on fruit, vegetables and ornamentals.
• Pyrethrum sprays have a withholding period of 24 hours.
• Pyrethrum spray is toxic to bees – avoid using it when they are around, as we need them to pollinate our plants.
• No Caterpillars spray is an organic certified spray that is an effective stomach poison for caterpillars. It can be used on fruit, vegetables, vines and flowers.  
• Sticky traps work throughout the garden by luring and capturing bugs.

 
There are many tomato varieties to choose from: heirloom, yellow, green, purple and even black. If you just want to grow a standard tomato, here are a few varieties that have stood the test of time and are still among the most popular.

Tomato varieties

Variety	Fruit	Notes
Grosse Lisse	Medium to large-sized fruit – crops well	Tall, vigorous growth
Russian Red	Medium-sized fruit	Sturdy growth habit – good for cooler climates
Moneymaker	Medium-sized fruit – crops well	Tall, vigorous growth
Roma	Egg-shaped fruit	Medium growth habit
Sweet 100	Masses of tiny bite-sized fruit	Grow against a fence for support, as it grows wild

Grafted tomatoes: These bear a much larger crop than normal tomatoes because they are two plant types grafted together. The top part of the plant is chosen for the flavour, size and colour of the fruit and then grafted on to rootstock chosen for its vigorous growth, root development and disease resistance.
 They have a few special requirements:

• The clip that you see around the plant near the bottom is where the graft has been attached. This needs to be planted above the ground, as it will fall off by itself as the stem grows.
• Grafted tomatoes grow large; when you plant, place them at least 1m apart to prevent overcrowding.
• They will also need a framework to grow up, rather than just one stake, so place 2.5m (or higher) stakes about 30cm apart. This will give you a framework to attach plastic netting to.
• Alternatively, grow them up a wall or trellis with string to support the plant.
• When your tomatoes are about 30cm high, pinch out the growing tip; this will encourage the side shoots to grow and the vigorous rootstock will provide up to ten or more leaders. Let the leaders grow without pinching out the tips, but remember to remove the side shoots or laterals.

Tricks of the Trade

• Tomatoes shouldn’t be planted in the same place as the previous year. Crop rotation will minimise the spread of bugs and diseases that may be left in the soil.
• Tomatoes like onions, garlic, basil and sage as neighbours.
• Harvesting time is often up to personal choice but it’s best to pick the fruit when they are fully coloured and firm to the touch; this will allow the fruit to stay firmer longer and encourage the plant to produce more fruit.