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In my opinion, there are few crops are so rewarding as home-grown tomatoes. Their expansive varieties, vibrant colour, juicy texture and unbeatable flavour make them a firm favourite for us British gardeners. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced grower, cultivating tomatoes can be surprisingly simple and deliciously productive with the right approach.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about growing tomatoes here in the UK, from choosing varieties to preparing the soil and caring for your plants throughout the season.
Tomatoes come in two main types:
Bush (determinate) – Compact plants that grow to a set height and are ideal for containers, hanging baskets and small raised beds. They require little pruning.
Cordon (indeterminate) – Taller plants that need staking or string support. They produce a steady supply of fruit through summer and are perfect for greenhouses or open ground.
Popular varieties for UK gardens include ‘Gardener’s Delight’, ‘Ailsa Craig’ and ‘Sungold’ for their reliable yields and superb flavour.
One of the joys of growing tomatoes is choosing from the huge range of varieties available. Whether you prefer to start from seed or buy young plants, there are plenty of options to suit your gardening style.
Starting tomatoes from seed gives you the greatest choice. You’ll find everything from classic salad tomatoes to unusual heritage varieties in a rainbow of colours. It’s also more economical if you want to grow several plants.
Tomato Revolution – A specialist supplier focusing exclusively on tomato seeds. They offer a diverse catalogue, from reliable favourites to rare and experimental varieties, making them a great choice if you want to try something new each year.
JustSeed – A well-established UK seed company stocking a broad selection of tomato seeds, including both traditional and modern cultivars. Their seed packets are often generous in quantity, perfect if you’re planning to grow in bulk or share with other gardeners.
When buying seed, check the variety’s suitability for your growing conditions. Some are better for greenhouses, while others thrive outdoors.
If you’d like a quicker start or don’t have the space to raise seedlings indoors, buying young plants is a good alternative. Many garden centres and online retailers stock tomato plug plants from late spring.
Advantages – Buying plants saves time and reduces the need for indoor growing equipment. It also means you can plant directly outdoors once frost risk has passed.
Things to look for – Choose plants with sturdy stems, healthy green leaves and no signs of pests or disease. Avoid leggy, yellowing or overcrowded plants.
If you’re looking for something fun, productive and decorative, Tumbling Tom Red is well worth a place in your garden, allotment or patio. This compact cherry tomato variety is perfect for containers, hanging baskets or window boxes, offering beauty and fruitfulness in one.
Compact & Bushy Growth: Tumbling Tom tends to spill over its containers, creating a cascade of foliage and fruit without needing complex training or support.
Fruit & Appearance: It produces abundant cherry-sized, red tomatoes which are both visually appealing and tasty. Because of its trailing habit, the fruit is displayed to good effect, making the plant as much an ornamental feature as a food crop.
Low Maintenance: Little pruning is required. You can optionally pinch out the growing tip once the plant reaches about 25–30 cm to encourage more side-shoots and fuller trailing growth. Tumbling Tom also doesn’t require staking.
Here are some tips for getting the best from this variety:
Planting Time: Sow seeds under glass from January to March. Once seedlings are large enough, transplant them into containers or hanging baskets after all risk of frost has passed.
Light & Position: Full sun is best. The more light, the better the fruit set and ripening.
Soil Conditions: Use a well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Good moisture retention helps, but avoid waterlogging. This is where choosing the right soil mix and amendments makes all the difference.
To give Tumbling Tom Red a great start and keep it performing well throughout the season, these products can be particularly helpful:
Topsoil: Use Equigrow’s Topsoil as a base in your container or hanging basket. It gives structure and drainage, which is critical since containers tend to dry out faster.
Compost: Mixing in our Organic Green Compost into the soil helps provide slow-release nutrients and improves moisture retention—important for container-grown tomatoes.
Manure: Incorporate our Real Farmyard Manure lightly when planting (if using larger containers) or as a side dressing to boost fertility without overdoing nitrogen.
Soil Conditioner: Ahead of planting, add our Premium Soil Conditioner to refresh reused compost or soil that’s become compacted. Good soil structure encourages roots to spread and access water.
Mulch: Since containers and baskets can lose moisture quickly, a layer of our Fertile Mulch on top helps reduce evaporation and keeps soil temperature more stable.
Watering: Keep soil consistently moist. Container plants can suffer from dryness between watering, so regular checks are important.
Feeding: Once flowering begins, weekly feeding (for example with a seaweed extract or tomato feed) will support abundant fruiting.
Preventing Problems: Keep an eye out for blossom-end rot and splitting, often caused by fluctuations in watering. Also remove any yellowing leaves to improve airflow and reduce risk of fungal disease.
Tomatoes thrive in fertile, well-drained soil that holds moisture without becoming waterlogged. Raised beds and containers are excellent for controlling growing conditions, especially in wetter regions.
To give your plants the best possible start, enrich the soil with high-quality organic matter:
Begin with a base of Equigrow’s Topsoil for structure and drainage.
Mix in Equigrow’s Organic Green Compost to add slow-release nutrients and improve soil health.
For hungry crops like tomatoes, incorporating our Real Farmyard Manure boosts fertility and encourages vigorous growth.
If you’re refreshing older soil, blending in our Premium Soil Conditioner helps restore balance and structure for stronger root development.
By combining these materials, you create the rich, crumbly growing medium tomatoes need to thrive.
Timing – Sow seeds indoors in March or April, then plant young seedlings outside after the last frost, usually late May to early June. Greenhouse planting can start earlier.
Spacing – Leave about 45cm between plants in the ground or one plant per large container.
Depth – Tomatoes root along their stems, so planting them slightly deeper than they were in their pots encourages stronger root systems.
Tomatoes are heavy feeders, especially once flowers and fruit develop. Regular watering is crucial – aim for consistent moisture to prevent problems such as blossom-end rot. Mulching the soil surface helps retain water and suppress weeds. Equigrow’s Fertile Mulch is ideal for this, as it slowly breaks down and enriches the soil.
Feed plants every 10–14 days with a high-potash liquid fertiliser once the first trusses (flower clusters) appear. This supports flower and fruit development.
Tomato plants grow tall (over one metre or three feet in old money) and will be heavy once they are bursting with fruit, so they will need support, for which a number of options exist – DIY-able or ones you can buy. An common technique with seasoned gardeners is to use bamboo, hazel wood or other canes to create a trellis or frame type support. The size and stability of which will depend on how many plants you have growing (we know of some gardeners who will plant 130 different varieties or more each year!). A handy trick is to measure a length of garden twine and plant the end of this into your soil with the tomato plant. The roots will grow around it and it will provide a superbly strong and steady vertical support up and around which your tomato plant can grow. The top of the string needs tying to the cane or string you choose to run along the top of your trellis or frame.
Another option is to invest in wood, metal or plastic cages or support rings to encase each tomato plant, with multiple rings to contain growth and prevent the plants falling over.
To keep growth healthy and strong, you’ll need to remove side shoots that develop between the stem and leaves. This directs the plant’s energy into producing fruit rather than excess foliage. Bush varieties need little pruning, though removing damaged or yellowing leaves improves air circulation.
Even the best growers encounter challenges. Watch out for:
Blight – A common fungal disease in wet summers. Good air circulation and crop rotation reduce the risk.
Split fruit – Caused by irregular watering. Keep moisture levels steady.
Greenback – A hard green area at the top of fruit, often due to high temperatures. Providing shade during heatwaves can help.
Tomatoes are usually ready from July onwards. Pick them as they ripen for the best flavour. If the season ends with green fruit still on the plant, bring them indoors to ripen in a sunny spot or place them in a paper bag with a ripe banana to speed up the process.
Growing tomatoes is one of the joys of gardening. With the right variety, soil preparation and care, you can enjoy a steady harvest of delicious fruit throughout the summer. By enriching your beds or containers with organic compost, mulch and manure, you’ll give your tomatoes the strong foundation they need for vigorous growth and bumper crops.
Whether you’re planting a few bush tomatoes on the patio or filling a greenhouse with cordons, the effort will be well worth it when you taste your first home-grown tomato.
A New Way to Grow with Equigrow At Equigrow, we’ve always believed
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