October is tomato time! The soil temperature has increased and we can plant our tomatoes into the ground.
The Mighty Red is a tall growing tomato variety, it will need a large stake and is normally a prolific bearer of medium sized fruit.
There are approximately 30 different varieties of tomatoes available throughout the season including a good selection of Heirloom varieties. These more traditional varieties come in a great range of colours and sizes and are back in fashion because of their amazing taste! You cannot compare a freshly “picked from the garden” tomato to a supermarket bought one.
How To Plant and Grow Tomatoes
Tomatoes need at least half a day’s sunshine to perform well, but if this is a problem consider growing them in pots which you can move around to catch the sun. There are potting mixes designed for growing tomatoes and vegetables. Hold off on fertilizing your tomatoes until they begin to set flowers and then feed regularly with a tomato food which is normally high in potash to promote flower and fruiting.
Tomatoes like regular deep watering, Make sure you only apply water to the soil. If you water the foliage, you can promote fungal diseases. Regular spraying with a Tomato Spray or dusting with Tomato Dust will help to control some of these diseases as well as control green grubs which can attack your fruit.
As mentioned before nothing beats the taste of home grown so have a go at growing tomatoes this season.
More Information
Come into your local Stratco Garden Centre and speak to one of our trained staff for more information on planting and growing your tomatoes.