There is nothing more rewarding than growing your own tomatoes, with just one crop providing plenty of fruit for the entire season.
However, it can be hard to know how to look after them, which can often result in plants getting diseases and dying or not producing enough tomatoes.
Luckily, Monty has shared some important advice, which involves an important job to help the plant thrive.
In his August gardening tips blog post, Monty wrote: “Tomatoes are coming up to their prime harvesting period but to extend this and make sure that all the current green tomatoes fully ripen over the coming month or so, there are a few things the tomato grower should do now.
“The first is to strip off the bottom half of the leaves on each plant. This will let in light and air so that the growing fruits get more sun and also the extra ventilation will reduce the risk of disease.”
It’s best to work when the leaves are dry to avoid spreading disease, so the morning is the best time before watering.
This process should be continued weekly until there are no leaves left at all.
Monty also recommended reducing the watering in August unless it is very hot, which it is in most areas of the UK.
Watering too much can cause the fruit to split but it is advised to keep up with a weekly feed or liquid seaweed.
If you can make it homemade, Monty recommended a comfrey feed. He added: “Both are ideal for maximising flower and fruit production.”
Tomatoes can be picked when nearly ripe, especially if it’s coming towards the end of the growing season.
Ripening can then be sped up by putting the fruit in a paper bag, or cardboard box to trap the ethylene gas.
Other jobs to complete in August include pruning lavender and continuing to deadhead flowers like dahlias.
Monty said: “To avoid woody, leggy plants, lavender should be pruned every year. The best time to do this is as soon as the flowers start to fade, which, depending on the variety can be any time between mid-summer and the end of August.
“But do not wait for the seed horns to form or the flowers to turn brown as you want to allow the maximum amount of time for regrowth before winter.
“Cut back hard to a good compact shape but be sure to leave some new shoots on each stem, lavender will not regrow from bare wood.
“These new shoots will grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover to protect the plant in winter and provide the basis of next year’s display.”
