Tomatoes

I'll try one or two varieties of tomato - including this cherry variety - starting with seeds saved and dried on paper.

Tomato seeds are covered with a jelly-like substance when fresh, making them difficult to dry individually.

To make them easier to handle, I picked the seeds out and placed them individually on a sheet of disposable kitchen towel.

When they're completely dry, I'll cut the paper into squares - the seeds can be planted along with their attached square of paper.

I filled some plastic module pots with multipurpose compost, watered them and pushed one tomato seed into each of 12 pots.

(The other 12 pots contain my chilli seeds).

I covered the sown seeds with plastic film - this will keep the compost moist until the seeds start to germinate.

I placed the pots on a tray and put them on a warm window sill - hopefully, they'll show some signs of growth soon.

03 April 2010 - Wow! - less than a week after sowing and the first shoots are here.

No sign of germination on the other side (the chillies) yet, but several of the tomatoes are pushing up delicate little green leaves.

The flat covering of cling film won't let the new seedlings grow up at all, and uncovering them will make them very prone to drying.

So I constructed a light frame out of bamboo skewers and draped a few pieces of cling film over that. I could have just bought a mini propagator cover, but where would be the fun in that?

09 April 2010 - In the few days I was away at Easter, the seedlings grew quite tall and spindly - I removed the cover to allow them more light - the decrease in humidity should make them grow a bit stouter too.

24 April 2010 - They're now about three inches tall and starting to look a bit uncomfortable in their little seed pots - time to pot them on.

I'm going to try several different ways of growing them...

I've got this large plastic bottle that I'm going to use to make a hanging planter.

I cut a large access flap in the side and melted through two of the bottom corners with a blowtorch (I chose this method in preference to cutting a hole in the corners, as it leaves a thick, smooth edge that won't abrade or cut a plant stem.

I carefully placed a seedling in each of the two corners, with the leaves sticking out of the hole, then filled up the rest of the container with compost.

I hung it up from the greenhouse roof using an S hook - it can be watered through the hole in the top - and I'm hoping the plants will trail down, producing fruit without needing any further support.

I potted up four other seedlings into big pots - these will be moved out onto the patio when the weather warms up sufficiently.

I made a tent of agricultural fleece around the plants to keep them from cold draughts during the night.

Finally, I've left a few of the seedlings in their small pots - I'm going to harden them off (i.e. acclimate them to outdoor conditions gradually) and plant them directly into the garden soil.

08 May 2010 - they're all doing well.

However, what we really need now is some hot sunshine - so far, May has been a unseasonally chilly and overcast.

20 May 2010 - look at this!

My next-door neighbour cut down a big bay tree that was overshadowing my greenhouse - now it's gone, the tomato plants are growing very fast.

This one has its first flower truss just developing.

Late July 2010 - the first signs of ripening!

The harvest isn't going to be a huge one - the plants grew quite spindly and they haven't produced tons of fruit, but there's enough here for a salad or two.

28 July 2010 - Three little tomatoes were ripe enough to pick - and don't they look fantastic?

Sadly, they weren't brilliant to eat - a bit hard and not very juicy or tasty. Maybe I need to let them ripen more on the plant next time.