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Tomatoes
Outdoor culture
Plant out in late May/June after all fear of frost has diminished. Choose a sunny sheltered site; grow either in pots, gro-bags or directly into fertile well-drained soil.
Bush or Semi-bush types (determinate) are best suited to outdoor cultivation these require little staking and the side shoots do not have to be removed.
Health Benefits of Tomatoes:
Tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene and are a rich source of Vitamins C and E and a variety of other beneficial phytonutrients, like flavonoids and carotenoids. Lycopene is attracting increasing attention due to it’s biological properties as a potent antioxidant with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Increased intake of tomatoes and tomato products containing lycopene has been shown to be associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes.
Greenhouse culture
Plant out in large pots, gro-bags or into a soil border, the important factor is that the soil must be sterilised and free from pests and diseases that is why gro-bags are the perfect solution. Plants are available from March onwards but remember that tomatoes require a minimum temperature of 16-18 ºC to grow well. Keep well watered and start feeding weekly with a high potash liquid fertilizer such as Tomorite after the first truss is set. This needs to be increased to twice weekly after the second truss is formed. Most Tomatoes are the vine (indeterminate) type and need support. The side-shoots should be removed from the leaf axils to concentrate the plants resources into producing fruit. Stop the plant by pinching out the growing tip when the plant reaches the ridge of the greenhouse. The main pests that the tomato is likely to encounter are white fly & red spider mite both of which can be controlled biologically by using nature’s natural predators, these are available from our garden shop for you to order. Alternatively another natural method to keep white fly at bay is to plant either African or French marigolds amongst your tomato plants, this applies to both inside and outside crops and finally the other suggestion which is almost a must, is to hang yellow sticky traps amongst the plants, this most certainly keeps the white fly population at a minimum.