TOMATOES UNCOVERED

Once again, Martin Fish lets us in on some of the secrets of successful tomato growing. Martin's wife Jill explains how to make a delicious roasted tomato sauce

- Martin Fish

Of all the edible plants I grow, tomatoes are right up there at the top of the list. I love the taste of home-grown tomatoes and I thoroughly enjoy growing them. My first experience of growing tomatoes was when I was 13 years old. My uncle built a makeshift greenhouse out of old wood and polythene in my grandma’s garden, and we grew half a dozen tomato plants that produced an abundance of fruit. I’ve grown them ever since and every spring I look forward to sowing seeds.

SOIL CONDITIONS

To grow well, tomatoes need a well-drained but moisture-retentive soil, whether growing under cover in a greenhouse or polytunnel or outside in the garden. Tomatoes like plenty of moisture when growing, but they don’t like to be saturated. To create a fertile soil, work in organic matter such as garden compost or very well-rotted manure to the area before planting. If growing in containers, use a good quality multipurpose compost or one of the specialised vegetable composts.

Tomatoes also like plenty of sunshine and warmth, hence the reason many are grown under cover, but many types can be grown perfectly well outside in a sheltered and sunny spot.

SOWING