Take extra care with watering throughout the season to prevent the mix drying out and add liquid feed fortnightly. We recommend Tui Tomato Mix as it is a perfectly formulated specialist tomato potting mix. Tomatoes are happy in containers or planter bags and can be easily cared for on decks and patios, they just requiring staking and training as you would plants grown in the garden. Prepare the soil by using Tui Tomato Mix on its own or dig through existing garden soil deeply. Tomatoes thrive in free draining soil which is rich in organic matter.

Position close to a wall, fence or trellis, or use a strong stake when planting. Tomatoes need plenty of sunshine, and some of the taller varieties need protection from strong winds. Other great companions for tomatoes are marigold, nasturtium and chives. Palmers’ handy tip: Growing tomatoes and basil together increases the vigor and flavour of both crops. Labour weekend is the traditional time for planting tomatoes but they can be planted outdoors as soon as conditions allow, usually after the risk of frost has gone. With protection, plants can be grown from August onwards. Tomatoes generally need three months of warm, frost free weather to produce well. The weather, rather than the calendar date, is the determining factor. Tomatoes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and tastes, including heritage varieties that are making a comeback along with tried and true garden favourites – there really is a tomato for everyone! Use pruning shears or your fingers to pull off the suckers if they’re less than two inches long.How to grow tomatoes Tomatoes are a favourite summer edible crop and home grown truly tastes best! Tomatoes can be grown from seed or are readily available from early spring in seedling punnets, various grade single pots or grafted varieties. The suckers will sap energy from the rest of the plant which could lead to smaller tomatoes, so it's important to ensure these suckers are removed when they’re as small as possible. Tomato suckers which appear as side shoots that grow in the “V” space between the stem and a branch of a tomato plant need to be removed, as these will grow into full-sized branches. However, yellow leaves could also be a sign of iron deficiency. Older tomato leaves can turn yellow because they’re trying to provide nitrogen to younger leaves. Remove any dead or yellowing leaves, as this is usually a key sign it’s time to start pruning.

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