Growing Tomatoes

Transfer outside in May or June. 

Plant in a container big enough for your plant’s roots and stem plus room to grow. 

Add compost to the container and bury the stem up to the lowest leaves. 

Choose a spot in full sun with at least two square feet of space or a large pot for each plant. 

Support stem with a cane. The plants can get to 5 feet. 

Water two or three times each week.

Fertilise occasionally with a “vegetable” or “tomato” fertiliser to produce juicy tomatoes all summer.

Tomatoes self-pollinate, but wind can help release pollen.

Prune by pinching off suckers, which are the small shoots that grow between the stem of a tomato plant and the leaves. Pinch out suckers when they are about 1/2 long. When the plant is about 5 feet remove the top of the stem to prevent further growth. Pruning encourages tomatoes to grow larger.

Harvest tomatoes when they feel firm, but not solid. When you give the fruit a squeeze, it should have a little give. 

Tomatoes come off the vine easily. Simply hold the tomato and gently twist it to remove it from the vine.

It is better to harvest a little too early rather than too late. Leave almost-ripe fruit on a windowsill for a day or two to allow to ripen.