Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden

The tomato originated in the Andes, South America where tomatoes grow wild. It is believed that they were first cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas, possibly as early as 700 AD. The tomato plant arrived in Europe in the 16th century, supposedly brought back from Central America by the Spanish Conquistadors, although another legend suggests that two Jesuit priests took them to Italy from Mexico.

At that time tomatoes were also known as wolf's peach and Peruvian apple. In the UK, the Elizabethans thought the bright red colour of tomatoes was a danger signal and regarded them as dangerous fruits. In fact, it is true that tomatoes are related to the nightshade family.

Tomatoes are sub-tropical plants and therefore require a full sun position when grown in temperate zones. A position against a wall or fence will give an even better chance of success as long as they can receive sufficient water.

Tomato plants grow very well in raised beds, they appreciate the soil conditions which provide moisture without water-logging.

Two or three weeks before planting, dig the soil over and incorporate as much organic matter, such as compost or well rotted manure, as possible. The aim is to make the soil able to retain the moisture needed so much by tomatoes.

Tomatoes are unable to tolerate any degree of frost, the timing for planting or sowing outside is therefore key to successfully growing tomatoes. If the tomato seeds are to be sown directly outside (not really suitable in cooler climates), they must be sown when the soil temperature is (and will remain) above 10C (50F) - any lower and the seeds will not germinate. In practical terms this normally means 3 weeks after the last frost date in your area.

Where the seeds are sown under cover (poly tunnels or cloches) or indoors, aim to sow the seeds so that they reach the stage where they can be transplanted outside, three weeks after the last frost date.

Tomato plants plants take roughly 7 weeks from sowing to reach the transplanting stage and they should be transplanted outside one or two weeks after your last frost date. Therefore you should sow them 7 weeks before you plan to transplant them outside.

Bush varieties do well for cultivation outdoors because they require no pruning for most of the season. Remove any yellow or decaying foliage as soon as possible to avoid the spread of disease.

If your bush tomatoes become too large to support themselves, either trim out a few major branches or add more support canes - the side branches can then be tied into the additional support canes. Limit the number of trusses of tomatoes to seven or eight by pinching out any surplus ones.

Upright varieties are commonly cultivated in pots, grow-bags, the greenhouse and sometimes outdoors in open soil. When the first fruits begin to form, the plant will produce side-shoots in between the main stem and the leaf stems.

These side shoots should be removed by pinching them out with the fingers. If allowed to grow they will produce a mass of foliage but few tomatoes. Any shoots which have been overlooked and allowed to grow should also be removed.

Lower leaves which show any signs of yellowing should also be removed to avoid the risk of infection.

When the plant has developed six or seven trusses of tomatoes (normally around July time), 'stop' the plant by breaking off the growing tip. If any more than seven trusses of tomatoes begins to develop, pinch them out to encourage the plant to produce good quality tomatoes rather than an abundance of low quality late-maturing fruit.

Pick as soon as the fruits are ripe (colour and size will identify this) for the best flavour - eat as soon as possible. This also encourages the production of more fruit. As soon as a frost threatens, harvest all the fruit immediately and ripen them on a window sill. With upright varieties, it is possible to gently flatten the plants onto the soil and cover with horticultural fleece to protect them from the frost.