Don't Put All Your Toms In One Basket

If you're like me, you've sown tomato seeds this season and you probably have too many plants.

The problem is, the plants get bigger and bigger, need potting into bigger pots on a regular basis and the bag of compost gets lower and lower and it's back to the garden centre - again! (I know I should have bought that 3 for 2 offer).

If you have a lot of plants, especially the ones like Tumbling Tom that are suitable for hanging baskets, the temptation is to put too many plants into one basket.

In my experience one, two at the most, is the right amount because tomato plants need a reasonable amount of room for their roots. Also, the more plants you have in a hanging basket, the quicker it will dry out in warm weather.

One well grown plant can produce the same amount of tomatoes (or more) as two poorly grown plants that have had to struggle in crowded conditions.

So don't put all your toms in one basket - if you run out of room, the easiest and cheapest solution is to use a grow bag at three plants per bag.

See also: Tomato Quick Start Guide at the Tomato Growing website.