A bit of a gamble here in Yorkshire - I don't have a greenhouse, and blight is such a problem.   I haven't tried seriously - yet.

Traditional outdoor tomatoes were bred for a short growing season.   They went outside after the last frost, grew for about 12 weeks, and then first September frost killed them.   The season is now longer - but the warmer autumn means the tomato plants get blight (probably in August).

It is worth selecting bush varieties developed for short, northern seasons - The Kitchen Garden suggested Imur Prior Beta, Sasha Altai, Siberia, Santiem, Budai torpe, Sub Arctic Maxi, Gem State.

Or grow dwarf varieties in pots - they tend to mature earlier.

How to do it

• Sow seed around 21st March - 2 inches apart in trays.
• Pot them into 3.5 inch pots, and then 9 or 10 inch pots (for pot grown tomatoes), or into 5 inch pots if the plants are going into your beds.
• Tips for northern climates
  • When transplanting tomato seedlings/plants, pick off all but the topmost leaves, and plant them deep enough to leave only those leaves showing above the soil.   The buried stem then grows tiny root hairs, and these become a tangle of healthy roots.
  • Do the same for the second transplanting, putting the ends of the roots right at the very bottom of the new pot, and pulling any leaves that will be covered by the new soil.
• Harden them off gently, and plant outdoors when the flowers of the first truss are opening, and soon after the last frost date - probably in early June.
  • Water them before planting out.
  • Best to plant them through slits in a black plastic sheet (but don't try other mulches that insulate the soil and keep it cool).
• Water regularly - the soil must be kept moist throughout the season.
• Bush varieties, as above, will not need supports, trimming or stopping - easy!
• Harvest the fruit when they are ripe and fully coloured - and before the disease season starts.   At the end, you can pick all the green tomatoes, place them in a tray in a drawer with a couple of ripe apples to ripen them (or make Love-Apple Pie!).

Homestyle Starting Tomatoes - Paul Gantz's step-by-step method.   He might be more reliable than me - given that he has tried seriously?

Back to top