Description
Gardener's Delight produces a heavy crop of bite sized, sweet and tangy, red cherry tomatoes that are ideal for sandwiches and salads. This RHS AGM variety is reliable and prolific whether grown in a greenhouse or outdoors on a sunny patio, and will grow up to 2m tall. An excellent heritage variety to grow to get that home grown flavour and a long harvest period.
| When to Sow | Sow indoors February to April, delay sowing for outdoor crops until late March /April. |
| Where to Sow | Tomatoes prefer fertile well drained soil. Gardeners delight can be grown either in a greenhouse or outside, in a sunny sheltered position e.g. up against a wall or garage, either in a bed, large pot/container or in grow bags. |
| Sow seeds 0.5cm (1/4in) deep, in modules or trays filled with moist compost and place in a warm light position such as a south facing windowsill or where temperature is 18–21°C (65 to 70°F). | |
| What to do Next | When the seedlings are about 15cm (6in) high, transplant to their final growing positions planting 40cm (16in) apart if in a bed or 2 to 3 plants per grow bag/container. If the plants are to be grown outdoors they should be hardened of for 7 to 10 days, after the date of the last frost and prior to transplanting. |
| Erect supports as soon as possible, either with canes or metal spiral supports at least 2m (6.5ft) tall. Tie in the main stem to the support as it grows. | |
| Water well to keep the compost evenly and consistently moist and keep weed free. | |
| Remove (pinch out) side shoots which appear between the leaf and main stem, and once 5 to 6 'trusses' have set remove the growing tip to ensure the plant focuses energy on ensuring that the remaining fruits mature and ripen. | |
| When the first fruits start to form, feed with a liquid fertiliser (high in potash) and every 2 to 3 weeks up until the end of August. | |
| Harvest | July to October. |
| Handy Tips | Try potting up side shoots as soon as they are removed, they should develop roots easily and will give you some additional plants. |
| Pick fruits before first frosts. If tomatoes are still green, pick and leave on a warm windowsill for them to ripen. | |
| Companion Planting | Good companions: Basil, chives, garlic, marigolds, nasturtium, parsley. |
| Bad Companions: Brassicas, sweetcorn, potato and fennel. | |
| Nutritional Information | Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants and are rich in Vitamins A and C and lycopene, all helping to stimulate your body’s immune system. |
| Serving Suggestion | Tomatoes are extremely versatile , eaten both cooked and raw. They can be sliced in a sandwich, eaten whole in a salad, chopped and cooked in various sauces, or if a bigger variety, they can be stuffed and baked. The unripened green fruits can also be used in a tomato chutney. |
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.