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To grow tomatoes in the UK, choose a variety suited to your growing space, keep young plants protected from cold, and give them a warm, sunny position with consistent moisture. Check whether yours is a bush or cordon tomato before pruning: the two need different treatment.
A healthy plant and a routine you can maintain are a better starting point than a long shopping list of feeds and gadgets. Get the basics right, then adjust to what your plants and the weather are doing.
Choose the plant before choosing its support
Read the seed packet or plant label for growth habit, mature size and outdoor or greenhouse suitability. “Cherry tomato” describes the fruit, not the size of the plant. Some cherry varieties grow into tall cordons.
| Type | Growth and care | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Cordon / indeterminate | Train upright with support and remove side shoots | Enough height and time for regular tying-in |
| Bush / determinate | Leave side shoots to develop; support heavy branches if needed | Mature spread and container size |
| Trailing or tumbling | Usually grown as a bush type over a container edge | The named variety’s instructions and watering needs |
Neither heritage nor hybrid status guarantees better flavour or disease resistance. Choose named characteristics that matter to you. Disease resistance can reduce risk, but it does not make a plant immune or frost-hardy.
When to sow and plant tomatoes in the UK
As a broad guide, sow indoors in late February to mid-March for greenhouse crops, or late March to early April for outdoor crops. Follow the variety’s instructions and consider the conditions available to raise young plants. Sowing early without enough light or protected space can create extra work.
Move plants outside only after gradual hardening off and when local frost risk has passed and conditions are warm enough. That is often late May or June, but location and weather matter more than a fixed date. An unheated greenhouse still gets cold at night.
The RHS tomato-growing guide covers sowing, planting and the distinction between bush and cordon care.
Set up a manageable growing space
If you are considering protected growing, our glass versus polycarbonate greenhouse comparison covers glazing, ventilation and the costs to check before buying.
Choose somewhere warm, bright and sheltered with easy water access. Plan the mature plant’s space and put supports in before growth becomes awkward. A tomato beside the back door is easier to check than one hidden at the far end of the garden.
Use suitable peat-free container compost for pots and follow the variety and growing-bag instructions on plant numbers. Do not squeeze extra plants into a small root volume to increase the harvest: you also increase competition and watering pressure.
For beds, start with our raised-bed filling guide. For deciding how tomatoes fit around other crops, see how to start a kitchen garden.
Water according to moisture, not the calendar
Check the growing medium regularly and aim for consistent moisture without leaving roots waterlogged. A large plant in a small pot can dry quickly in warm weather; a cool, recently watered bed may need nothing more.
Water at the root zone and check that it is soaking in. If water runs straight through a very dry pot, rewet it gradually rather than assuming the roots received enough. Arrange help with watering before holidays, especially for containers.
Why tomatoes develop blossom-end rot
A dark, sunken patch at the flower end of a fruit can be blossom-end rot. Calcium is not reaching the developing fruit adequately, often because moisture supply is uneven. It does not automatically mean the soil lacks calcium.
Improve watering consistency and check root conditions. Adding crushed eggshells is not a quick treatment for an affected crop. Existing damaged fruit will not repair itself, but later fruit may develop normally. See the RHS blossom-end rot advice.
Feed carefully and keep useful leaves
When fruit starts forming, use tomato feed according to its label, allowing for nutrients already in the growing medium. More concentrated feed is not a shortcut to more tomatoes. Keep a note of feeding dates if several people share the watering.
Do not strip away healthy foliage to expose every fruit. Leaves support growth, and excessive removal can disrupt the plant’s balance. The RHS guide to tomato ripening problems explains the risks of excessive de-leafing.
Train cordons; let bush plants branch
For cordons, check regularly for small shoots at the junction between a leaf and the main stem. Remove those side shoots and tie the main stem loosely to its support as it grows. Do not confuse a flower truss with a side shoot.
Leave bush tomato side shoots in place because they contribute to the crop. Support branches where the weight of fruit makes that necessary. If the label is missing, identify the variety before a major pruning session.
Spot problems before reaching for a treatment
Considering marigolds or herbs for protection? Read our guide to pest-repellent plants and the evidence behind them before relying on a companion plant to protect your tomatoes.
- Splitting fruit: changes in water supply can contribute. Aim for steadier moisture and check ripe fruit regularly. See RHS advice on splitting and cracking.
- Rapidly browning foliage or dark stem patches: investigate promptly. Blight is one possibility, but other problems can look similar. Compare symptoms with the RHS tomato blight guide.
- Wilting: check root-zone moisture and temperature before adding more water. Wet roots and dry roots need different responses.
Give plants room, ventilate greenhouses appropriately and inspect regularly. Avoid homemade washing-up-liquid sprays or adding several products before identifying the problem.
Harvest and learn for next season
Pick fruit as it reaches the ripe colour for its variety. Record which plants suited the site, how much tying and watering they needed, and whether you enjoyed the fruit. Those notes are more useful for next year’s choices than chasing the biggest theoretical yield.
Can I grow tomatoes without a greenhouse?
Yes. Choose an outdoor-suitable variety and a warm, sunny, sheltered position. Expect weather to influence both the timing and size of the crop.
Should every tomato be pinched out?
No. Routine side-shoot removal is for cordons. Bush and tumbling types generally keep their side shoots; follow the named variety’s instructions.
Are coffee grounds or eggshells enough to feed tomatoes?
No. Kitchen scraps are not a dependable complete feed. Our guide to kitchen scraps in the garden explains their practical uses and limits.
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Reviewed and updated October 2026. By Niki Wilkinson, Back To The Good Life.
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