Gardening: Still time to sow cherry tomatoes despite conditions
Like most of us, I'm way behind my usual schedule of sowing, thanks to the terrible weather.
The cold, wet and corresponding low light levels overtook my natural desire to rush ahead with sowing.
I used to sow my cherry tomatoes in early February with a grow light but this year March 5 was the date – that extra light makes all the difference. You still have time to sow now.
People think tomatoes need heat – they do to germinate (approximately 21C) but keep them at that temperature and you’ll end up with leggy, drawn seedlings that are more likely to fall victim to damping-off disease.
Once you see them poking through, I turn down my heat mat to about 15-16C and make sure they get the best light possible.
I cover my seed trays with Perlite, which is white and every little helps in the good light stakes.
As our summers are so uncertain, I always grow tomatoes in the greenhouse and conservatory, using indeterminate or cordon varieties, which need staking and side-shooting. They don’t take up much horizonal space but do hit the ceiling!
This year’s choice is:
Garnet
A dark bronze cherry producing long trusses with fruits of up to 15g each.
Sweetness/acidity balance is supposed to be good, with Sweet Aperitif as one of its parents. Good germination rate.
Santonio F1 Hybrid
An improved Santa type, glossy red cherry plum with 8g fruits. TMV and Fusarium resistant.
Acidic bite and lingering sweetness. Good germination rate. Unusual rosy flesh and skin
Rosella