£2.95
Seeds Organically produced in Cornwall. Vigorous Cherry tomato which ripens to dark purple. Tall growing plants are vigorous and healthy. Good tasting fruit that are about 25g in weight each.
Sow the seeds in a tray or module of good organic Seed & Cutting compost between January and March/April. They will need a temperature of 18 to 21°C so a small propagator is ideal or use a sunny window sill.
Once the seedlings have become small plants of about 4-5 cm high, pot them up in a small 8cm pot using a richer Multi-Purpose compost and ensure they’re kept warm. To do this take a large plug of the starter compost with the seedling to ensure as little root damage happens in the process.
Once they have grown on to about 10 cm tall you can plant them out 4 to a quality deep fill tomato planter or into the greenhouse/polytunnel border 20-25 cm apart. They will need some support and tying in as they grow.
Feed with a good organic liquid feed when the first trusses of Tomatoes form and keep feeding and watering as required.
Try to keep the watering consistent and try not to let the plants dry out. Overwatering tomato plants leads to fruit that is less sweet as they do not have to work so hard to absorb the water (just like grapes on a vine). Support tall growing varieties with strings or canes and pinch out the side shoots that grow from the base of the leaf joint, but not the flower stems!
Once the plants have set 3 or 4 trusses of fruit you can pinch out the growing tip of the plant. Remove older, yellowing leaves from the base of the plant and this will improve light and air flow to the lower trusses of fruit. Harvest your tomatoes when ripe from June until October.
Pests and diseases: Tomatoes can be affected by whitefly, aphids, red spider mite and also potato blight. For greenhouse pests use a biological control if required. Blight shows as brown patches on the leaves and it can spread to the fruit. Remove affected leaves and be careful not to transmit it from the potato patch to the greenhouse on muddy boots.
