How to care for tomatoes

Tomatoes need full sun and a fertile, moist but well-drained soil. They can be grown outside in a sheltered sunny spot or in a greenhouse.
Water regularly to keep the moisture level in the soil consistent. Dry periods followed by heavy watering can cause fruits to split.
Once the fruits start to form, feed fortnightly with a high-potash liquid tomato feed.
Tie cordon tomatoes in to canes or support wires as they grow. Once they have produced 5 trusses of fruit, pinch out the growing tips two leaf trusses above the highest fruit truss.
Pinch off the side shoots on cordon tomatoes. These are the small leafy shoots that appear in the angles where leaf trusses join the main stem. There’s no need to pinch off side shoots on bush tomatoes.
Harvest tomatoes when they have developed a good colour and are slightly tender to the touch, but not soft.

A guide to growing your own tomatoes.