Tomato Update: First Fruits at the Allotment

A quick update from the allotment, because the tomatoes deserve their own post. After starting them indoors back in March, moving them through the hardening off process in May, and planting them out at the allotment — we finally have actual tomatoes forming on the plants.

The Varieties This Year

I'm growing three varieties this year:

• Sungold: A classic cherry tomato that is genuinely one of the best-tasting tomatoes I've ever eaten. Very sweet, very productive, and the plants are growing aggressively. This one has been in my rotation every year since I started.
• Black Krim: A large, dark, beefsteak-type tomato that is supposed to be deeply flavoured with a slight smokiness. I've never grown this one before. The plants look healthy but are growing slower than the Sungold — which I've read is pretty normal for this variety.
• Yellow Pear: Small, pear-shaped, yellow tomatoes. I bought these on a whim at the garden center. They look fun and are covered in small flower clusters, so I think productivity will be high once they get going.

What I'm Doing Differently This Year

I've been more consistent about side-shooting (removing the small shoots that grow in the join between the main stem and a branch). Left to their own devices, tomatoes will put enormous energy into bushy side growth that ultimately reduces yield. Keeping one strong main stem and removing the side shoots as soon as they appear means more energy goes into fruit. Last year I was lazy about this — this year I'm staying on top of it.

I've also started feeding with a potassium-rich fertilizer now that the plants are flowering. As I wrote in my fertilizing guide, potassium supports fruiting, so switching from a high-nitrogen feed to a tomato-specific one at this stage makes a real difference.

The Peas Are Done

The peas had a great run but are essentially finished now. I've pulled most of the plants and dug the stems and roots back into the soil — legumes fix nitrogen from the air into the root nodules, so leaving those roots to decompose is a cheap and natural way to add fertility back to the bed. The bed will go to a late sowing of salad leaves for the autumn.