Focus on… Greenhouse Tomatoes
IF you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse, chances are it’s full of these tangy fruits all summer. Not only a salad and sauce essential, tomatoes are also packed with lycopene, which is known to help fight cancer and heart disease. My retired smallholder parents grew thousands of glasshouse tomatoes each year, and this is where I cut my horticultural teeth. Now is the time to sow to ensure success with toms, so how do you ensure bumper crops?
Although you can buy plants from garden centres, many of us sow toms because it offers the widest selection of varieties. Germination is strong and swift: sow eight-10 seeds on the surface of a 31/2in (9cm) pot of well-watered seed compost, top with vermiculite and then place in a well-lit propagator at 18-22°C (64-72°F). Multi-directional light is vital to deter leggy growth.
“Sowing tomatoes gives
