TOMATO TROUBLESHOOTER
QWhy take out sideshoots?
Cordon plants are trained as a single stem with fruit trusses along its length. However, nature isn’t quite so neat and sideshoots will appear diagonally between the main stem and leaves. To keep plants as a narrow column and to concentrate energy on
developing fruit, it’s best to snap off these sideshoots when they’re small. The shoots are very easy to root as cuttings if you like; take them early in the season and you’ll have extra plants to crop this year.
QDo I need to feed my plants?
Apply weekly feeds of high-potash tomato fertiliser once the first fruit has set, especially when growing in pots. An exception is plants grown directly in fertile soil that has been enriched with plenty of well-rotted organic matter.
QWhy are my tomatoes splitting?
Erratic watering is usually to blame, so do your best to keep things constant, especially for containers. An evenly moist growing medium also prevents problems with blossom end rot, where black patches appear on the fruit base due to calcium deficiency.
QWhat does blight look like?
Watch for brown patches on stems and leaves as well as browning on fruit. Dispose of the plant immediately in the hope the blight hasn’t spread to its neighbours. Try growing blight-resistant cultivars instead.
QCan I save the seed?
Absolutely, as long as you’re collecting from open-pollinated (not F1 hybrid) cultivars. Most tomatoes are inbreeders and won’t cross with their neighbours so your seed should come true. Harvest from ripe fruit and soak in a jar of water for a few days. It smells pretty unpleasant, but this process removes the germination inhibitors. Pour off the surface scum and rinse-clean the seeds that have dropped to the base of the jar. Dry well and they should keep for five years.