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12 July 2009
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Tomatoes on the vine

Growing tomatoes

Growing tomatoes from seed is easy and there's a huge range of delicious varieties to choose from. Follow our easy care guide and sow during late February and March for a good summer crop.

How to sow

  • Scatter seeds thinly across the surface of 7.5cm (3in) pots filled with compost and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite.
  • Label and put on a windowsill.
  • Move seedlings into separate 7.5cm (3in) pots in about eight weeks.
  • When roots come through the drainage holes put into a 12.5cm (5in) pot.
  • When the first flowers have appeared, plant out and secure to a cane.
  • Regularly tie the tomato plant to the cane for support.
  • Keep the compost moist, feed weekly with tomato fertiliser and remove side shoots.
  • After four trusses (or branches of flowers) have formed, nip out top of plant.

Dig In
    More about growing veg

  • Read More...

Time needed


10 minutes to sow seeds

15 minutes to plant into growing bags

You will need

  • Tomato seeds
  • 7.5cm (3in) pot
  • 12.5cm (5in) pot
  • Seed compost
  • Vermiculite
  • Dibber
  • Growing bag
  • Growing bag frame
  • 1.8m (6ft) garden canes
  • Tomato fertiliser

In Lifestyle

Using a growing bag
Jobs in the kitchen garden
Grow crops in pots
Tomato recipes

Elsewhere on bbc.co.uk

Gardeners' Question Time
Gardeners' Corner

Elsewhere on the web

RHS advice on choosing tomato varieties
RHS advice on tomato blight
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