Ruthje Salad Tomato (vine)

Because of our cool, short summers, all tomatoes need starting early, so they’ll have a chance to ripen before the weather gets too cold for them.  Sow them in modules or a seed tray with some seed compost any time between mid Feb and the end of March.  Keep them in a propagator between 18 to 22 degrees, then, once germinated (usually within 14 days), move them somewhere nice and light to stop them getting thin and leggy, but still indoors where it’s warm.  Pot them on when they get a bit bigger, then plant them out once the weather’s warmer – normally at the end of April, but this will depend on local conditions, and whether they’re going in a greenhouse, or outside.  Dig in plenty of organic matter initially, and feed and water regularly throughout the season.

Vine / Indeterminate tomatoes grow tall (over 8ft if you let them) and skinny, so will need strong supports – either a very tall stake, or string.  We attach ours to an overhead line with string, and wind it round the plant as it grows.  They will require their side shoots ‘pinching out’ regularly throughout the season, concentrating the growth within the central, fruit producing stem, and you can also pinch out the top if they get too tall, which will also result in the fruit ripening quicker.  Fruit trusses are generally long, and the tomatoes will ripen slowly over the season, resulting in a long cropping period and a heavier crop for the amount of space the plant takes up.