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.
Wave goodbye to blight
Denne historien er fra June 04, 2022-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra June 04, 2022-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters