Growing tomatoes for show

2006 was without doubt my best year for showing tomatoes, mainly because I gave them proper attention. I won 5 out of the 7 shows I attended from late August to early October, and the two I didn't I really felt I should have won also....but hey ho!

People are often in a hurry to sow their seed in late Jan or early Feb but mine tend not to go in until about the first week or two in March. I find this sowing date allows me to have strong plants that are ready for planting out during the first Bank Holiday weekend in May. After germinating they are pricked out into individual cells and then potted on accordingly as soon as the roots start to show through the pot they are in. This might mean they are potted on 2 or 3 times before being planted into the greenhouse border soil but it does allow you to bring them inside if frosty weather is forecast.

When planting into the greenhouse border soil, they actually get planted into a large bottomless pot filled with grow-bag compost, watered well then left for at least a couple of weeks so that the tap root goes down into the bed. This means they are less likely to suffer if you miss a watering now and again. The pots are useful for feeding as the feeder roots are nearer the surface of the compost.

A stout cane is secured next to each plant and tied to it as the plant grows. I don't feed until the first flower truss is showing small fruits, and only then every other day. I alternate with 3 feeds.....the usual proprietary tomato feeds from the garden centre such as Tomorite, and my own feeds made from nettles and comfrey. The leaves of each are chopped up and left in a bucket of water for several days and the resultant 'stews' strained off to give 2 concentrated liquid feeds. Pour them into bottles and label. A capful is put into a watering can in turn with the Tomorite.

I've heard it said that tomatoes are best watered in the early evening so that the water has time to get down into the roots and if you do cause some splashes onto the fruit then the sun is not at it's fiercest. If this happened in the morning the sun can be magnified through the water droplets and causes scorch marks on the fruit skins....leading to possible downpointing on the showbench.

One thing I shall be doing next year is the reduction of the fruit on the trusses to allow each fruit more room and to stop them having 'flat' sides. This is viewed as a fault on the showbench and again results in your exhibit being downpointed.

All being well, you should have plenty of fruits to choose from come show day, but make sure you choose 5 or 6 fruits (according to schedule) that are as alike and evenly matched as possible, and that are nicely coloured, well ripened but not overripe. Cut the stalk about 1/2" past the knuckle and pack securely in a box such as the seed trays designed to carry small plant pots. Each compartment should have some tissue paper lining to keep the fruit blemish free. Do NOT polish the fruit....but wipe off any minor marks carefully. At the show arrange the fruits around a paper plate, pop on your exhibitor sticker or card and go and have a cuppa whilst the judges do their work.

Hopefully, all your hard work will be rewarded with a 'Red Card' when the show opens. It's a great feeling.