Bob discusses the how-to’s and whys of growing the most delicious fruit.
It’s getting a little too late to sow tomatoes, as like most tender crops they are best started earlier so there is a longer opportunity for them to mature and fully crop before autumn. So, if you haven’t yet started, it’s better to buy plug plants to help you play catch-up. If you have a sunny, warm window and can house plants in a sheltered area later in the year, it’s worth a try.
Seedlings will grow rapidly so water regularly and pot up again, until your plants are ready to harden off and go outside in about six weeks’ time (at the end of May). Well, I now say end of May, it’s getting difficult to judge. I used plant tomatoes outside as early as mid-May, with temporary protection. Early outdoor plantings are now less likely to prosper due to the unpredictable springs. There are better results from waiting another week or two till the sun’s much stronger and the soil has warmed more.
Hedging Your Bets
If you have a lot of tomatoes, you might want to risk planting a few early. Make sure they are well protected if at all possible. And then you can plant more later. Or perhaps, ruthlessly if you’ve got more than enough…
