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April is such a busy time in the garden; there is the lawn to regularly cut, the borders to maintain, final spring pruning to be completed, seeds to sow, vegetables to plant out and of course the weeds to suppress and control! It’s also time to plan your crop of tomatoes. There are hundreds of different varieties and types of tomato available nowadays, from traditional round reds, yellow pear-shaped, green striped and even black ones. They range in size from the mammoth Italian Beefsteak to tiny varieties smaller than a pea. Everyone can successfully grow a tomato plant, even if you don’t have green fingers or have never grown any plants before. If you are keen and have some experience, there is still time in April to sow tomato ; they require a warm windowsill or heated greenhouse to get them started. They must have a really well-lit position or the seedlings will become leggy and drawn in just a few days. Care is also needed not to get the compost too wet whilst they are young – let it dry out on top between waterings.
Alternatively you can just buy individual plants in April that are ideal for planting into your greenhouse – ideally the temperature should remain above 12ºC at night so you might need a heater on those chilly frosty nights we often get this month (if the leaves of your young plants turn purple, it’s a sign they have got too cold). If you don’t have a greenhouse, you can grow tomatoes outside in a sunny sheltered spot but I would advise that you wait until the end of May when all danger of cold night frosts has passed. Most tomato varieties are grown as “cordons” – you train one main stem up a stake and remove all the side shoots – this keeps the plant upright, allows the flowers to protrude into the open and the fruit to ripen earlier. There are many traditional varieties that suit cordon growing such as the ‘Moneymaker’ tomato which became popular in the 1960’s for its uniform size, reliability and flavour, and it’s still one of the most popular varieties. A great favourite of mine is the ‘Gardeners Delight’ tomato, which is one of the easiest to grow. It’s
usually grown as a bush form so there is no need to remove any side shoots. It produces long trusses of smaller fruits that are juicy and sweet – ideal to pop into a lunchbox! It really is easy to grow tomatoes, as I mentioned at the start of this article: everyone can grow tomatoes. If you have never tried before then please have a go. Here’s the easiest way: You need a pot or hanging basket that measures about 30cm (12 inches) across the top. Fill it with a good compost - ideally a vegetable compost as this contains more of the vital nutrients the plant needs. Pop in one plant of the either ‘Tumbling Tom Red’ tomato or ‘Tumbling Tom Yellow’ tomato. Then all you have to do is put your pot or hanging basket in the sunniest part of your garden. Water it every day and add a liquid tomato feed once a week. These varieties grow as small bushes and trail over the side of the container – they produce an abundance of sweet red or yellow fruits that are very juicy and tasty – ideal for beginner gardeners or even children to try.
Throughout the year Mark will be sharing his ideas for each month, and tips for your garden. If there are any gardening related questions you would like answered, please drop him an email: enquiry@newentplantcentre.co.uk 44
