Our tomato growing diary is designed to help if you are looking to grow tomatoes for the first time, or maybe you are just looking for some tips on how others grow them on the West coast of Scotland.
15th March - Step 1
To grow tomatoes in Helensburgh you do need a greenhouse preferably heated, or a propagator and a cool greenhouse.
These seedlings were planted on the 1st of March in a propagator and now, the middle of March they are transferred to the greenhouse daily, and into the propagator overnight.
A much easier way to have home grown tomatoes, is to buy the young plants in April or May. Craigend has a good selection, and the plant stall in early May usually has plants grown by members at the annual plant sale.
23rd March - Step 2
So, if you decided to grow tomatoes from seed, round about now, they should be ready for pricking out.
Gently tease out the seedlings holding only the leaf. Not the stem. Place in a small pot and gently firm in the compost.
Label, and water very carefully. Keep in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill.
22nd April - Step 3
When the seedlings outgrow their small pots, pot them into a larger pot. Five inches (12cm) is about right.
Fill the pot with a suitable compost. It's a good idea to make a suitable sized hole using the smaller pot as a guide. Then very gently upturn the small plant, remove it's pot and place in the ready made hole. Gently firm around the tomato plant and water it in. Don't forget the label.