Tomatoes whatever the weather

Discover how to grow your best-ever outdoor tomatoes with Jack Wallington's expert guide

Last month we looked at some of the best-performing outdoor tomatoes in our growing trial on my chilly, hillside veg plot in West Yorkshire. Thanks to a particularly hot and dry summer, none of the varieties on test were affected by fungal blight and most of them grew strongly, with some varieties producing tasty tomatoes all summer long, and well into autumn.

Cherry tomatoes, such as 'Apero' and 'Golden Crown', did particularly well, as did the bush tomato 'Koralik'. And some of the medium-sized tomatoes, such as snazzy 'Green Zebra', were top performers, too.

Armed with these insights on the best varieties to grow outside, it's time to get growing for the year ahead - and around now is the ideal time to sow tomato seeds.

Although I'm explaining in this article how to grow tomatoes outdoors using organic methods, the advice I give will largely apply to plants grown under cover, too.

Big crops... made easy

Growing a bumper tomato harvest is simpler than it looks - just follow these simple steps

Sowing and growing on 
Give your tomato plants a strong start

First things first, gather your seeds and write the variety name and the date on a plant label - essential if you're growing more than one type to prevent mix-ups later. I use sustainable wooden labels.

Sow tomato seeds 3cm apart into trays, or individually in modular trays, filled with peat-free compost to just below the top (this prevents compost and water spilling over the sides when watering). Cover seeds with a fine layer of compost and sit the tray in a larger tray with some water in it, so this can soak up into the compost from below; using a watering can is fine but it can wash seeds around.