Tomatoes are a popular crop due to how easy they are to grow – but there are two mistakes that gardeners can make when it comes to planting the crops during May
Tomatoes are a breeze to cultivate, provided allotment expert sidestep two typical blunders often made in May. Monty Don from Gardeners’ World highlighted on his blog the key tasks for May to prime gardens for summertime, pinpointing this as the moment to start sowing tomatoes.
He warned that early May is strictly for sheltered greenhouse planting of tomatoes, urging gardeners to hold off on open-air planting until late May’s kinder temperatures that are upcoming. The green-fingered guru advised: “It is time to plant out tomatoes in a greenhouse – although wait till the end of the month for outdoor ones.”
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Monty said: “This is because tomatoes hate too much temperature fluctuation and May nights can be chilly – especially if the days are warm.”
Outdoor tomato planting should await the retreat of the last frost, as these crops require balmy soil temperatures between 13C to 16C to thrive adequately.
Popping them into the garden too soon in May risks stunted growth, hindered pollination, subpar fruits, and even escalates the menace of plant fungal diseases in damp conditions.
Nonetheless, waiting until late May to transplant them outside minimises the peril of frosty setbacks, thanks to generally sunnier, hotter weather.
For green-thumbed enthusiasts keen on an early start with their tomato crops in the greenhouse, it’s essential to add a good amount of soil enriched with plenty of compost. Specifically, for potted plants, a minimum depth of 30 centimetres is crucial for encouraging robust root growth.
Gardening guru Monty Don has shared some pearls of wisdom, advising: “Plant them deeply, burying them right up to the bottom leaf as the buried section of stem will develop extra roots.”
Another common blunder that gardeners often stumble upon is neglecting to deadhead the side-shoots on tomato plants as they mature, leading to energy being diverted to leaves rather than fruit production.
Monty clarifies the situation, stating: “As the young plants grow they form shoots between the leaves and the stem and these are known as side-shoots.”
He further elaborates: “They grow with extra vigour and although they do bear trusses of fruit, they take energy from the plant and reduce the overall harvest as well as making a cordon plant straggly. So they should be removed as they appear.”
For best results, all you need to do is pluck the side-shoots using your fingers upon spotting them, reports the Express.
However, Monty cautions against one final misstep, which is attempting to deadhead during the evening when the morning is actually prime time.
Elucidating the correct technique, Monty asserts: “The best way to do this is in the morning when the plant is turgid, simply breaking them off with finger and thumb.
“However, in the evening they will be limper and may tear the plant so should be cut off with a knife.”
By steering clear of these three basic planting blunders, your tomato plants will thrive, yielding larger and more plentiful fruit this summer.