Tomato: Matina (organic)

Plant seeds in trays or modules of good organic compost between January and March at a temperature of 18-21 degrees C. Seed can also be planted in March and April – putting the trays on a sunny windowsill – if you do not have a propagator for earlier sowings.

Pot up into 8cm pots when the first few true leaves appear and the plants are approximately 8cm tall. Use a good quality organic potting compost with good nutrient levels and grow on at 10 degrees C. The plants grow rapidly and need the nitrogen particularly to stay green and healthy.

If you are growing in pots keep potting up the plants until you get to the largest size you have. Plant out in growbags, inside borders, or outside borders – depending on the variety, in April and May. Tomatoes are not frost hardy. Feed with an organic liquid feed when the first trusses of Tomatoes form and keep feeding and watering as required.

Try to keep the watering consistent and try not to let the plants dry out. Support tall growing varieties with strings or canes and pinch out the side shoots that grow from the base of the leaf joint, but not the flower stems!

Once the plants have set 3 or 4 trusses of fruit you can pinch out the growing tip of the plant. Remove older, yellowing leaves from the base of the plant and this will improve light and air flow to the lower trusses of fruit. Harvest your tomatoes when ripe from June until October.

25 seeds

Tamar Organics are on a mission to encourage people to grow at least some of their own food and to do it organically.

Organic growing helps to protect the environment, improves soil and encourages biodiversity. Using organic seeds means that you are supporting organic farmers and acres and acres of land under organic management.

Tamar Organics started as a small organic market garden in 1994. They have been registered as producers with the soil association since that time. They added their processor license in 2000 when they became one of the first UK companies to offer organic seeds.

They are inspected every year by the Soil Association, and the plant health seed inspectorate. They participate in the GMO audit. They do not support the development of genetically modified seeds and none of Their seeds are GMs.