Focus on... Outdoor tomatoes

Everyone should have a crack at growing tomatoes outside, whether they’re tumbling over pots or cordon-trained. Here’s how to cultivate the tangiest toms, says Lucy

- Lucy Chamberlain

BEING the daughter of commercial tomato growers, I’ve spent a lot of time among these plants. Breeding continually improves the selection available, so let’s take a detailed look at this must-grow crop.

These days, outdoor tomatoes are a cinch for beginners to grow. The increasing introduction of patio varieties (see page 20) allows you to plonk a plant in a pot, apply water and feed, pray for rays of sunshine, then wait for numerous fruits to form – no faffy pruning is required – bliss! Dwarf cherry varieties, in particular, are well catered for (like ‘Maskotka’, ‘Totem’ and ‘Tumbling Tom’).

If you hanker for larger-fruited slicing and beefsteak toms, then cordons are your answer (my favourites are ‘Ferline’ and ‘Tomande’ for flavour) – and the way these are grown is being revolutionised by grafted plants. These have supercharged roots, giving more vigour, plus earlier and longer cropping. The strength allows multiple stems to be trained rather than the conventional one, boosting cropping power.

Perfect planting 

The range of varieties is astounding. You can opt for tradition with ‘Shirley’ and ‘Ailsa Craig’, or try something modern like ‘Indigo Rose’ – a black-skinned cherry tom with high antioxidant levels.