Focus on… Sowing glasshouse toms

MY retired smallholder parents grew thousands of glasshouse tomatoes each year, and that’s where I cut my horticultural teeth. Now is the time to sow to ensure success with toms, so how do you ensure bumper crops?

Although you can buy plants from garden centres, many of us sow toms because it offers the widest selection of varieties. Germination is strong and swift: sow eight-10 seeds on the surface of a 3½in (9cm) pot of well-watered seed compost, top with vermiculite and then place in a well-lit propagator at 18-22°C (64-72°F). Prick out into individual pots once 2½in (6cm) tall, positioning these at ever increasing spacings in a warm (15°C/59°F) spot until the first