Focus on... Outdoor tomatoes

Whether you prefer rows of cordon-trained toms or fruity pots and baskets, it's time to plant tomatoes outside. Lucy Chamberlain shows you how to forge a feast

- Lucy Chamberlain

Your Gardening Week with Lucy Chamberlain, AG's fruit and veg expert

BEING the daughter of commercial tomato growers, I’ve spent a fair few hours (probably years!) among these plants. Breeding continually improves the selection available, so let’s take a detailed look at this must-grow crop:

These days, outdoor tomatoes are a cinch for beginners to grow. The increasing introduction of patio varieties (see panel) allows you just to plonk a plant in a pot, apply water and feed plus rays of sunshine, then wait for numerous fruits to form. No faffy pruning is required – bliss! Dwarf cherry varieties, in particular, are well catered for (such as ‘Maskotka’, ‘Totem’ and ‘Tumbling Tom’). If you hanker for larger-fruited slicing and beefsteak toms, then cordons are your answer (my favourites are ‘Ferline’ and ‘Tomande’ for flavour) – and the way these are grown is being revolutionised by grafted plants. These have supercharged roots, giving more vigour, plus earlier and longer cropping. The strength allows multiple stems to be trained rather than the conventional one, boosting cropping power.

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