If there was ever an easy-to-grow-in-a-pot vegetable… I mean fruit! … then it’s the cherry tomato. Not only are they easy to grow, they taste wonderful! If you thought store bought tomatoes are good, wait til you taste the ones you grew yourself!

Botanical name: Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium

Height: 4-8 ft / 120-240 cm

Spacing: 24-36 in / 60-90 cm

Bloom time: The plant should give you fruit 69-80 days from planting seeds, providing the correct conditions are met.

Foliage: Attractive deep green foliage.

Soil: Well draining, fertile soil.

Sun: Full sun.

Water: Keep soil moist. I water mine every day or two, depending on the water. Tomato plants also let you know when they need more water as their leaves get kinda droopy and sad. Once you water them, they perk up again.

When to plant: Late winter or early spring.

How to plant: Sow seeds about 1/4 in / 0.5 cm in seed compost (seed raising potting mix). Keep moist and warm. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant to their final position. Water every day or every second day and feed regularly once the first truss has set.

Suggested soil: 1/2 potting mix, 1/4 compost and manure, 1/4 coarse sand.

Fertilising: Tomato plants are heavy feeders. Give them a complete fertiliser, preferably one with high phosphate, every 2 weeks.

Seed collecting: Let a few tomatoes fully ripen on the vine. Remove them and gently squash the tomato to extract the seeds. To clean and store the seeds, you can ferment the seeds.

Pests & Diseases: Tomato plants are quite resistant to diseases, but slugs and snails may nibble away at the ripening fruit if not kept off the ground.

Tips:

• Grow tomatoes with basil, they’re companion plants and you’ll end up with the perfect herb for your tomato recipes!
• There are miniature cherry tomato plants that are great for patios. Mr. Fothergill’s seeds have a variety of tomatoes to choose from.
• Most tomato plants require staking, except for the ones with determinate habit.
• Pinch out side shoots.