Tomatoes are in full force now, and it’s advisable to give them a bit of a health check to make sure that you get a huge number of lovely juicy and sweet tomatoes over the next few weeks.
- If you haven’t already done so, pinch out the growing tips before they reach the top of their supports
- Keep pinching out sideshoots to prevent your tomatoes from becoming unruly!
- Keep watering them regularly to make sure the soil is consistently moist and doesn’t dry out/get waterlogged. This will help to keep both leaves and fruits healthy, and will prevent blossom end rot and splitting.
- Check for aphids – if present, try squirting them off with a hose and put up a yellow, sticky trap (a yellow bucket smeared with vaseline often works)
- Check for blight and remove affected foliage at the first signs (brown blotches appearing on leaves and stems)
- If leaves start to curl, it’s likely that they are suffering from hot days and cold nights, even if growing in the greenhouse. Do your best to try and keep temperatures consistent where possible.
- If leaves are mottled (particularly with yellowy patches) it is an indication that they are deficient in nutrients. Try using a liquid feed to give them a boost. If the plantar old and it is only the older leaves that are affected then it’s not usually cause for concern.
- Cracked skins and blossom end rot are usually a sign of watering inconsistencies – try and water more regularly so that the soil isn’t drying out in between times.