The summer months are a great time to grow your own tomatoes. They grow well in garden beds and pots and are available in so many easy-to-grow varieties. You can also encourage your children to grow their own cherry tomatoes in pots.

• Choose a sunny spot and prepare the soil with a handful of 2:3:2 per square metre.
• Plant your tomato seedlings in rows 30-40cm apart. Water the seedlings well, but do not drown them – tomatoes do not like too much moisture around their roots. Try not to water the leaves, as this makes the plants more prone to fungal infections.
• Once your plants start growing, use a trellis or tomato cage to train them up.
• As soon as the fruit starts to form, feed your plants once every two weeks with a high nitrogen fertilizer like 3:1:5.
• Spray your plants regularly with an organic insecticide (try Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide or Ludwig’s Organic Insecticide). This is particularly important just before you want to harvest your fruits.

Did you know? Tomatoes will ripen quickly when picked and placed inside on a sunny windowsill.