Plant out tomatoes

I do not plant my outdoor tomatoes until June at the earliest and sometimes as late as early July. This is dependent not on the heat of the days but the coldness of the nights as tomatoes hate temperature fluctuations. But once they are in the ground they will grow strongly and need regular tying up.

This is, of course, if you are growing cordon tomatoes rather than bush or determinate varieties. The latter can be propped up rather like an herbaceous plant instead of being tied in regularly.

As I tie the cordon tomatoes with soft twine, I also pinch out the side shoots and then water the plants. I do not feed the outdoor ones as our soil is plenty rich enough – and they had a good mulch of compost just before planting – but the indoor tomatoes will have a weekly seaweed feed at the same time.

From late July the risk of blight increases, dependent as it is on the combination of high humidity and warm days and nights. The best defence against blight for outdoor tomatoes is good ventilation – and stripping off the lower leaves as the fruits develop helps this, as well as giving the ripening tomatoes maximum exposure to the sun.

Use twine to tie the plant loosely to the stake. This will support the plant as it grows and the fruits get heavier, without damaging the stem