Family: Solanaceae
Countries: Mexico, Peru, South America
Tomatoes, also known by their botanical name of Solanum lycopersicum, are wonderful plants, with a distinctive perfume that envelopes the garden’s air in summertime. Tomatoes are a member of the Solanaceae family; they are related to potatoes and deadly nightshade and produce fruits in a wide range of sizes, shapes, colours, and flavours.
When growing tomatoes, it’s important to remember that these plants are tender – frost will kill tomato plants. We need to time our sowings to make the most of our summer months and ensure we allow our plants sufficient time to produce and ripen their fruits before the frosts arrive in autumn. In the UK, in order to successfully generate a harvest of tomatoes, we need to give our tomato plants a head start and to do this we sow tomato seeds in pots inside polytunnels or greenhouses, porches or conservatories; alternatively, if you don’t have any of these, you can sow tomato seeds on a particularly bright and sunny window sill. Tomato seeds can be sown undercover in containers of good quality compost from February to April (from early to mid spring). The seeds need warmth to germinate and plants need heat or protection until the frosts have passed.
Once all risk of frost has passed, which in the UK can be anytime from the end of May to the middle of June (late spring to early summer), tomato plants can be gradually hardened off by moving the plants outside in the daytime and then remembering to bring the tomato plants safely back undercover at night and repeat this every day. Hardening plants off may seem like an unnecessary hassle or a waste of time, but I promise you it is worth it; as your plants will repay you by more rapidly adjusting to their new environment, thanks to your investment in them. I’d recommend spending a minimum of two weeks (but ideally four weeks) to harden off your plants and ensure they’re fully acclimatised to their new outdoor space before you make it their permanent residence.
After being hardened off, your tomato plants are ready to be planted outdoors in garden beds and borders, or in containers filled with good quality composts. Alternatively, the tomato plants can remain where they are, as tomatoes can be grown to full size inside polytunnels or greenhouses – this is often a preferable option for gardeners in colder areas.
Although tomatoes are easy to grow, these plants suffer from quite a number of pests and diseases, so not every plant makes it through to produce ripe tomatoes successfully. Many advances have been made with tomato growing and breeding – grafted tomato plants are now widely available. Tomato varieties with varying resistance to Late Blight and other diseases are now available to home gardeners.
The taste and flavour of a tomato is the most important factor for me when growing tomatoes. To see information and plant pages for a wide range of vegetables, including a range of tomato varieties, please click here. To see all of my tomato articles, please click here.
Articles that mention Tomatoes:
- Feb. 2021 – Tomato Compost Trial
- Feb. 2021 – Essential tips for gardening success
- Dec. 2020 – Tomato ‘Irish Gardener’s Delight’
- Dec. 2020 – Tomato ‘Flamingo’
- Dec. 2020 – Tomato ‘Rosella’
- Nov. 2020 – The Quadgrow Self Watering Planter
- Oct. 2020 – The Tomatoes in my Quadgrow are still growing!
- Sep. 2020 – What to do with your tomatoes in September & how to ripen unripe tomatoes!
- Sep. 2020 – Tomato ‘Golden Sunrise’
- Sep. 2020 – Tomato ‘Black Russian’
- Jul. 2020 – 2020 Compost Trial: Growing Broad Beans
- Jun. 2020 – Tomato ‘Veranda Red’
- May. 2020 – Tips & Tricks for Growing Tasty Tomatoes!
- Apr. 2020 – Announcing the winner of Burpee Europe & Mr Fothergill’s Competition to name their new blight-resistant tomato!
- Apr. 2020 – Dalefoot Composts Wool Compost for Tomatoes
- Mar. 2020 – WIN seeds & the chance to name a brand-new blight-resistant tomato!
- Mar. 2020 – Making Meadows
- Feb. 2020 – Peatlands and peat bogs: precious environments that need our protection
- Dec. 2019 – Book Review – East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes by Meera Sodha
- Dec. 2019 – Christmas Gifts for Gardeners 2019
- Nov. 2019 – A Trial of Garden Twine
- Oct. 2019 – Tomato ‘Purple Ukraine’
- Oct. 2019 – Tomato ‘Orange Banana’
- Oct. 2019 – Tomato ‘White Cherry’
- Oct. 2019 – Tomato ‘Blue Fire’
- Oct. 2019 – Growing Garlic
- Sep. 2019 – Growing Tomatoes in Dalefoot Composts’ Peat Free Compost
- Aug. 2019 – More Ideas for Sustainable Living
- Aug. 2019 – Tomato ‘Sungold’
- Jun. 2019 – Tomato ‘Y Ddraig Goch’
- Jun. 2019 – Medwyn Williams wins his 12th Gold Medal, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019
- Jun. 2019 – RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 (part two)
- May. 2019 – RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 (part one)
- May. 2019 – Tomato ‘Nagina’
- Apr. 2019 – April Gardening Opportunities
- Mar. 2019 – Treat Yourself to a New Asparagus Bed!
- Feb. 2019 – Grow Top Performing, Tasty Tomatoes!
- Feb. 2019 – Haxnicks Vigoroot Planters
- Feb. 2019 – Trial of New Tomato Varieties
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Summer Frolic’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Super Mama’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Shimmer’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Patio Plum’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Orange Wellington’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Oh Happy Day’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Green Envy’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Crimson Crush’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Consuelo’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Cocktail Crush’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Cherry Baby’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Big Daddy’
- Dec. 2018 – Tomato ‘Honeycomb’
- Nov. 2018 – Trug Makers Daffodil Trug
- Nov. 2018 – Growing vegetables in a Vegepod!
- Mar. 2018 – Remembering Loved Ones and Celebrating Special Events with Plants!
- Mar. 2018 – How I am making changes to reduce my plastic use and live sustainably
- Dec. 2017 – Christmas Gifts for Gardeners 2017
- Nov. 2017 – Access Garden Products Classic Growhouses
- Aug. 2017 – Jonathan Hogarth and his Hostas at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017
- Jul. 2017 – Juliet Sargeant and the RHS Kitchen Garden
- Jun. 2017 – Jon Housley and ‘500 Years of Covent Garden’
- Jun. 2017 – The Chris Evans Taste Garden
- Dec. 2016 – Book Review – Blue Ribbon Vegetable Gardening
- Oct. 2016 – Taste of Autumn Festival 2016
- Sep. 2016 – Book Review – Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales
- Aug. 2016 – The National Vegetable Society visit to Eric Wall Ltd.
- Dec. 2015 – Suttons Seeds Bodacious Sweetcorn Shoots!
- Nov. 2015 – Gardening Advice for Mid-February to Mid-March
- Nov. 2015 – EarthBox Review
- Nov. 2015 – Lakeland My Kitchen Food Dehydrator Review
- Nov. 2015 – Gardening Advice for Mid-March to Mid-April
- Sep. 2015 – Creating a Garden for Retirement
- Aug. 2015 – Just Retirement: A Garden For Every Retiree, The Planting List
- Aug. 2015 – The Just Retirement Book Of Gardening By Tracy Foster
- May. 2015 – Book Review – Straw Bale Gardens Complete
- May. 2015 – Book Review – Epic Tomatoes
- May. 2015 – How to Enjoy Your Garden and Keep Healthy
- Apr. 2015 – Book Review – The One-pot Gourmet Gardener
- Apr. 2015 – Book Review – Small-Space Vegetable Gardens by Andrea Bellamy
- Apr. 2015 – Gardening On A Budget
- Feb. 2015 – February In The Garden
- Nov. 2014 – Garden Advice for mid-February to mid-March
- Nov. 2014 – Garden Advice for Mid-June to Mid-July
- Nov. 2014 – Gardening Advice for Mid-September to Mid-October
- Nov. 2014 – Garden Advice for Mid-May to Mid-June
- Nov. 2014 – Gardening Advice for Mid-July to Mid-August
- Nov. 2014 – Gardening Advice for Mid-April to Mid-May
- Nov. 2014 – Gardening Advice for Mid-May to Mid-June
- Nov. 2014 – Garden Advice for Mid-July to Mid-August
- Nov. 2014 – Garden Advice for Mid-April to Mid-May