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THICK-SKINNED TOMATOES
STAR QUESTION WINS £25 VOUCHER
I have grown tomatoes in my greenhouse a number of times but they always have a thick skin. What am I doing wrong?
Jim Torrance, Galashiels
STEVE SAYS: Some varieties are more naturally thick-skinned than others, but the key to preventing them from becoming too thick and unpleasant to eat is to keep the plants (and therefore the fruit) growing reasonably quickly and without growth checks.
Last summer was quite a slow year for tomatoes I found, mainly due to a lack of sunny days at times and, of course, there isn’t much you can do about that. However, in a normal season it’s making sure the plants have plenty of water – they should never wilt but always have enough to allow them to keep growing and swelling the fruit. Even, regular watering will also help to minimise fruit splitting.