‘Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.’ — Miles Kington.

Anyone who has enjoyed eating tomatoes straight off the vine will appreciate their sweet, delicious flavour and that unmistakable tomato scent.

Growing tomatoes is relatively easy, and you don’t need a greenhouse or a large garden. Tomatoes can be grown successfully in containers, small growing tents, hanging baskets, or directly in the garden.

With such a wide variety available, growing your own tomatoes means you can enjoy special varieties that never make it to the supermarket shelves. Another benefit of growing your own is knowing how they’ve been grown; fresh, seasonal and chemical-free.

How to Grow Tomatoes

There are three main choices for growing your own tomatoes: from seed, from plug plants, or from young plants.

Growing from seed can be the most cost-effective option. Sow tomato seeds in March or April, around six to eight weeks before the final frost, or earlier if growing in a greenhouse. If you plan to plant tomatoes outdoors, sow seeds indoors now, with gentle heat, so temperatures will have warmed by the time they are ready to go outside.

Tomato plants: If you want to plant tomatoes directly outdoors, you can buy young tomato plants from garden centres that have already passed the early stages of development. These may include grafted plants, where a disease-resistant rootstock is used to produce healthier, higher-yielding crops. Plants will still need to be gradually acclimatised to outdoor conditions (hardened off) before planting out in early summer.

Choosing Varieties

For reliable outdoor crops, trusted favourites such as ‘Moneymaker’, ‘Gardener’s Delight’, and ‘Alicante’ all perform well. If you’re growing tomatoes in hanging baskets, try trailing varieties like ‘Tumblin Tom Red’.Cordon varieties such as ‘Sungold’ produce fruit over a long season, with harvesting starting in July and continuing through to October.

Feeding, Watering & Care

Plant tomatoes in the ground or in containers using a good-quality tomato compost and a suitable fertiliser. Tomatoes grown in grow bags or containers will need extra watering and care. Always water the soil rather than the plant itself to help prevent disease.

Companion Planting

I love companion planting — an age-old tradition of combining plants for mutual benefit. It’s a natural way to deter pests and works particularly well with tomatoes.

Good companion plants include basil, marigolds, garlic, borage, carrots and nasturtiums. These help repel pests such as aphids, whitefly, hornworms and nematodes, while attracting beneficial insects and pollinators and improving soil health. Herbs and alliums like chives, garlic, parsley and onions also support tomato growth by discouraging unwanted insects. Try planting basil beneath tomatoes as a sacrificial crop — whitefly is often drawn to basil rather than the tomatoes themselves. Garlic, nasturtiums and tagetes (marigolds) can also be used effectively to repel aphids. Avoid planting tomatoes near corn, fennel or potatoes, which can share pests or inhibit growth.

Whether you’re growing a single plant on a sunny patio or nurturing a full crop in the garden, tomatoes reward even the smallest effort with exceptional flavour. With so many varieties to choose from, and simple techniques to suit every space, there’s real pleasure in harvesting fruit that has ripened naturally on the vine..

Jobs in the March Garden

By mid-March, it’s time to welcome the start of spring, a busy, hopeful and happy time for us gardeners.

• Fertilise your beds. We recommend Westland fish, blood and bone all-purpose plant food.

• Add supports for climbers.

• Feed your roses. We suggest Westland Rose Feed.

• Continue to plant summer flowering bulbs.

• Keep an eye out for slugs as the weather warms.

• Prepare the ground for laying turf which can be done now.

• Check pot grown plants and re-pot if root bound, using fresh compost.

• Begin weeding as the weather warms.

• Deadhead daffodils, leaving foliage to die back naturally. Divide clumps of snowdrops, replanting elsewhere to increase stocks.

• First early potatoes can be planted in the second half of March.

Photo: getty