Planning
First ask yourself these questions to see whether tomatoes are the right crop for your present situation.

Do you have a sunny outdoor spot or greenhouse in which to grow them?
Tomatoes are outdoor plants, needing plenty of direct sunshine to fruit well, so have a good look at the place where you plan to grow them, and note when the sun reaches it throughout the day.  They’ll need plenty of water too, so look at how close they are to a water source.

However, if you are growing in a greenhouse your plants will need some shading to reduce the temperature.  Heat trapped by the glass builds to intense levels, evaporating so much water from the leaves that it outstretches the roots’ capacity to draw up sufficient water to replace the losses, even in moist soil. This leads to scorched, curled, bronzed leaves and blossom end rot in the fruits.  

You can provide shade by fixing some special shade netting to the greenhouse frame, or by painting the outside of the glass with temporary shading solution.  Both are hard work, requiring lots of overhead arm movement, so a beautiful assistant may be needed.

Tomatoes also make poor indoor plants because they need pollinating insects, particularly bees, in order to set fruit. They are self-fertile, meaning that each fruit can pollinate itself, but this requires a bee or other insect to create the vibration that loosens the pollen.  They can set fruit indoors, but this will require a lot of extra work on your part to hand pollinate the fruit, so why not let the bees do that work for you?

Do you have space and large enough pots with support for a tall, enthusiastic plant, or would it be better to go for a dwarf variety in a hanging basket or pot?
Tomatoes come in two forms:

Indeterminate or cordon tomatoes
These are big plants, growing sometimes five feet tall or more and requiring some serious staking to keep them upright, particularly with a heavy load of fruit. They need pruning to prevent them growing huge amounts of leaf, taking up energy that is better put into the fruit. They will also use a lot of water, so grow in as big a pot as possible, or in the ground to reduce the frequency of watering needed.  

Determinate or bush tomatoes
These are lower growing, bushy tomatoes that don’t need pruning, or as much support as indeterminate tomatoes. They are much easier for a beginner or someone short on space and/or energy.  Some, like Tumbling Tom, are bred especially for hanging baskets.  I love a variety called Yellow Currant, which produces masses of tiny, intensely flavoured, yellow fruit the size of my finger nail.

Do you have space for trays of young plants indoors or in a greenhouse while you wait for the last frosts?
Tomatoes are tender and can’t stand the cold weather outdoors, let alone a frost.  Don’t be tempted to plant seeds earlier than March, preferably mid-March, or you will find yourself with a houseful of very tall, spindly plants that you can’t put outside until mid-May.  Seedlings get like this because they are putting all their energy into reaching better light and it makes them weak and unstable. Ideally they need somewhere sunny but cool,  growing shorter but greener and sturdy.  A warm house will also make them grow too quickly, creating an indoor jungle and the greater challenge of hardening them off to avoid the temperature shock when you move them outside.  I keep my seedlings in an unheated porch.

Time Taken / Energy Needed
Think about whole process before you  start, to avoid exhaustion and disappointment.  

Sowing seeds can be done in a chair, but tomatoes are outdoor plants (in the soil or under glass), so you may need help with the lifting and stretching involved in planting them out and you will need to be able to visit your plants regularly, perhaps even daily in a hot summer, to give them the care they need.

Time and energy: sowing seeds
This requires very little energy, although you may need help carrying compost.  If you are doing this alone, try leaving the bag where it is and scooping out a little at a time, carrying it to your work-space in an easily managed bucket.  After a relapse this year I was low on energy in early March, so had to break up the task into a series of short bursts. I gathered the tray, pots, seeds and some compost first, stopping for a tea break while writing on my plant labels, then I planted the seeds, took another break and then moved the tray of pots to a sunny windowsill.  Another break (overnight actually) before tidying everything away the next day.  I knew the dining table would be free for that time, so felt no pressure to get it all done at once.

Time and Energy: potting on
In three to four weeks, you will need enough energy to set up your potting tray again, this time with more compost, to transfer your young seedlings each to its own pot. Again, this is manageable if you have the energy to do some gentle walking and to sit up while you pot your plants on, and if you plan well and take your time.

Transferring your larger tomato plants to their final containers / ground and setting up adequate support
This takes more energy as you can’t sit down, unless you have a portable stool or are in a wheelchair with an accessible planter to work in.  Working with your arms outstretched to lift even small plants, or to tie supports together, is surprisingly energy intensive, so you may need help or at least plan for short bursts of activity.

Time and Energy: longer term care of your plants
From this point on the challenge is more one of time and the energy to check your plants as they grow, pruning back their exuberant leafy growth to encourage more fruit and ensuring that their soil/compost is always moist.  Again, planning can reduce these demands.  Always use as big a pot as you can manage and set up self-watering systems to reduce the heavy task of watering as far as possible.

Time and Energy: harvesting
While pottering around your plants, picking the ripe fruit doesn’t make huge demands on your energy levels, do think about how many tomatoes you can cope with.  A bumper harvest gives a wonderful sense of achievement, but can leave you with the pressure of processing all that bounty before it begins to rot.  If in doubt, stick to one or two plants and resist the urge to pot on every single seedling.

Time and Energy: clearing up
At the end of the year your plants will have exhausted themselves and started to die.  You will be left with the need to pull out the old vines and dispose of them, to clean out old compost and sweep up any dead leaves and general detritus, which can harbour diseases over winter.  Again, this may be something to seek help with or tackle it a little at a time as you feel able.



Equipment
To sow tomato seeds you will need:

•  A packet of seed suited to your conditions (cordon or bush).
•  A large tray to hold the compost, or newspaper on a table.
•  Good quality, peat-free compost.
•  As many small plant pots as you have types of seed.
•  Plant labels and a pencil.
•  A shallow tray with no holes, or a saucer to hold your plant pot/s.
•  A small container of water.  You can use a small watering can with a nozzle, or make your own from a 500ml drinking water bottle.  Use a skewer to make holes in the screw-top to create a sprinkler (a rose).  This process is much easier and safer if you heat the tip of the skewer on your hob to melt the holes, rather than forcing the tip through.  If you need to reheat the skewer make sure to wipe off any residual plastic so you are not burning it and breathing in the fumes.

Instructions
•  Set up your tray or table with the compost, seeds and other equipment close at hand.
•  Write up a label ready for each pot.
•  Fill a plant pot with compost, within 1–2cm of the top
•  Firm the compost gently with another pot or the back of your fingers.  Don’t squash it down hard; just create a level, smooth surface for your seeds so they all have the same distance to grow to the light.
•  Shake a small amount of seed onto the palm of your hand, keeping the rest dry and safe in the packet.
•  Place 5 or 6 seeds, spaced well apart on the compost and cover with a light sprinkling, ½ cm, of compost.
•  Label the pot and place it in the tray/saucer.
•  Water gently, using a sprinkler nozzle.  If you don’t have one of these, pour water into the tray and let the compost soak it up from beneath.
•  Place the tray on a sunny windowsill and check daily to ensure the compost stays moist (never wet).
•  Your seedlings should emerge in a week to two weeks, depending on how warm they are.  A propagator can speed this process up.
•  Let your seedlings grow until they are 2–5cm tall and big enough to handle easily, then pot them on into individual pots to grow on .


Read my other activity posts as I complete them for instructions on potting on your plants, planting them in their final positions and caring for the plants.  This will help you to plan ahead and avoid difficulties.

What are your favourite ways to eat tomatoes?