My tomato plants are beginning to fruit, so I’m dedicating this month to support and care tasks that will encourage a bumper crop.
Knowing what to do with tomato plants in July is crucial if you want them to produce as many harvests as possible – especially in light of recent (and upcoming!) heatwaves. If you’ve grown your own tomatoes before, you’ll know that hydration is key, but there are a few other tasks that I’ll be ticking off over the course of this month to nurture them into strong, healthy plants.
Add these jobs to your July to-do list, and you might just grow your best crop of tomatoes yet.
What you’ll need
Levington
Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food, 1L
Feeding your tomato plants will reward you with more tomatoes. Levington Tomorite has long been a bestselling classic tomato fertiliser.
Halatool
2 Pack Tomato Cages
You can build these tomato cages as tall as you like (up to 160cm, using snap-on arms and connecting pipes). They come with 60 plant ties, too.
TradeXone
Strong Heavy Duty Professional Bamboo Canes
I usually use bamboo canes and string to support my plants. They’re durable, budget-friendly and can be cut to size using a small saw where necessary.
1. Provide support
One of my tomato plants in particular has shot up at speed over the last month. It’s become very top-heavy, especially now that tomatoes are starting to form – so I had to put a plant support in place, fast.
Staking is crucial for cordon tomatoes (the ones that grow tall). So far, I’ve used some jute string and a simple stick from an old bunch of peonies, but I’ll be ordering these bamboo canes from Amazon when it’s time to support my other tomato plants.
You can even buy tomato support frames like these Halatool tomato cages from Amazon.
2. Keep them hydrated
Tomatoes are thirsty plants, which is why watering remains paramount in July. If you’re growing tomatoes in pots, they’ll need extra hydration because they’ll dry out faster – and the same applies if you’re growing tomatoes in hanging baskets.
‘Inconsistent watering can cause flowers to drop and lead to problems such as blossom end rot and split skins,’ says Annelise Brilli, Thompson & Morgan’s horticultural expert. ‘Water deeply, then allow the top two inches (5cm) of soil to dry out before watering again.’
3. Feed the plants
Fertiliser is no joke when it comes to tomato plants – it really can make a world of difference to their fruiting potential, and July is the perfect time to feed it to them.
‘Tomatoes are also hungry plants and benefit from regular feeding,’ says Annelise. ‘Add a liquid fertiliser to the watering can once a week, using a high-potash tomato feed to encourage strong flowering and abundant fruit production.’
Levington Tomorite, which you can order from Amazon for just £4, is one of the most popular choices, and it’s a fertiliser that’s earned me tons of tomatoes in the past.
This year, though, I planted my young tomato plants in Dalefoot Wool Compost for Tomatoes (available at Crocus), which is said to feed plants for the entire season. So far, that’s proving to be more than accurate – I’ve never seen a tomato plant grow so fast, and the stems are already piling on the fruit!
4. Pinch out side shoots
Don’t overlook this July tomato job if you’re growing a cordon tomato variety. Pinching out a tomato plant’s side shoots (those little pairs of leaves that sprout in the junction of the main stem and adjacent stems) is absolutely key to conserving the plant’s energy for the fruiting stems.
‘Remove side shoots as they appear so the plant’s energy is directed into developing fruit,’ says Annelise.
This tomato pruning technique takes seconds, but it can make a huge difference to your plant’s overall yield. Plus, it allows you to enjoy that signature tomato leaf scent!
5. Tidy dead growth
My main cordon tomato plant is thriving right now, but one of my other tomato plants isn’t enjoying the same success yet (I think that’s owing to a lack of pot drainage, so my bad!). I’ve noticed a fair amount of yellowing leaves at the base of the plant – and according to Annelise, it’s best to get rid of it as soon as you can.
‘Remove any dead or yellowing leaves from around the base to improve airflow and reduce the risk of disease,’ she advises.
You can usually remove dead tomato plant material by hand, but if you’re using a pair of snips, make sure you clean your garden tools with something like this Agralan Citrox Ready To Use Natural Citrus Disinfectant Spray from Amazon before and after.
Keeping these five tomato care tasks on your list for July, and you’ll set yourself up for a summer of delicious harvests.
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