How to Grow Tomatoes

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Where to Grow Tomatoes

Tomatoes need a very sunny spot with rich and fertile soil that has either been well manured or had compost dug into it. Chicken manure pellets are also a very welcome addition to the soil along with Growmore as these are greedy plants! Plants are ready to plant out when the soil is warm, frost chances are zero and the first flowers appear on the plants.

Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Outdoor tomatoes are ready for planting out when they have been hardened off and the first flowers are appearing. If there is a chance of late frosts hold off until you are sure there is zero chance. Always a good idea to cover the plants over night till they are well established. To avoid many problems tomatoes like no other crop must be watered and fed constantly otherwise you will get blossom end rot, splitting of their skins and weak plants more susceptible to diseases like blight.

Tomato Sucker Removal

Vine tomatoes will need support, and their side shoots and suckers pinching out and once 4 or 5 trusses have formed pinch out the tips to aid fruit growth. Most important when watering don't allow the stems or foliage of the plant to be splashed with water, as this will increase risk of blight

Category: Recipes

Pasta with Asparagus and Courgette

Asparagus and Courgette are made for each other in this dish!

Fagiolini in Umido

This is a great dish to use some of the abundant Green Beans that should be available in the summer months Fagiolini in Umido is an Italian dside dish simply means Green Beans cooked in Tomato.

Filo Pie with Swiss Chard, Ricotta Cheese and Tomatoes

Filo Pie with Swiss Chard, Ricotta Cheese, and Tomatoes

Stuck for an idea for how to use Chard, well why not try this dish?

Category: The Growing Season

Jobs to do in April

Spring should be here but watch out for frosts!

Sow seed outdoors
Vegetable growing really takes off this month. Chit and plant out second early potatoes in the first half of the month, maincrop potatoes in the second half. It's also time to sow seed outdoors in well-prepared soil.

Jobs to do in June

Summer should be here!

Usually the risk of frost has passed by now, and with longer days there comes more sunshine and time to be in your allotment. If the weather is dry, then water your seed drills well before sowing any seeds – this way the young plants will develop a good root system.

Jobs to do in January

Jobs to do on the Allotment in January
January is generally a very cold month with hard frosts freezing the ground and when the ground isn't frozen it is generally too wet to do much although there are no guarantees with British weather. Looking through my diaries, snow isn't that likely for a prolonged period but you never know.

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