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Growing Tomatoes Outside?
GemmaJF
Posts: 2,286
in Fruit & veg
I've got quite a few tomato plants going, wasn't really expecting to grow them this year as I don't yet have a greenhouse, but I got a free packet of seeds with a magazine. I'm aiming to keep a couple of plants in pots in a sunny porch.
They are Alicante and it says on the packet they can be grown outside. Is this worth a try with some of them? We are fairly sheltered here in Essex and it can be quite warm in the summers. Though often breezy because I'm not far from the coast.
Any tips on outside growing? I've got an area that was double dug last year, but should they be in full sun or partial shade, any help or tips with growing outside appreciated. 
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I don't have a full-size greenhouse so I always grow my tomatoes outside - most of them in pots on the terrace which is south-east facing but I have grown some ox-heart types planted in the veg patch and they did well too - the trick is to pick the right varieties and Alicante is one which should do well - I've always had a reasonable crop - last year's was great
I had 30 pots and watering was a bit of a bind - I'm determined to cut down this year - there was hardly room to sit on the terrace last summer 
Give them as much sun as you can and plenty of support with strong canes - maybe two or three per plant as they get bigger
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks Dove, I hadn't thought of just placing them outside in pots which I could do as well because I'll be building a patio this year. I'll try the porch, outside in pots and some in the veg plot and see how it goes.
I'm already a slave to the watering, with the herb pots and hanging baskets this year, so a few more to do won't harm me. 
Thanks Philippa, it just dawned on me that they may grow well by our front shed. That has a south facing side and is more sheltered from the wind than the back garden, would be easy to attach supports to it too.
I first grew tomatoes outside some 40 years ago in a very small back garden in Wiltshire. I planted a row of them not knowing how it would go (it would have been about 4 metres). We had absolutely tons of tomatoes. I didn't do anything really but plant and stake them though I suppose I must have watered them occasionally. I don't do anything quite as rash these days as there's only me to eat them all.
Hello , although got G/H I also grow a few in pots outside , I have found a sunny sheltered spot does fine , but definaetly needs watering
in past have grown little cherry toms in hanging baskets and if not to badly effected by wind do well
A good few years a go, I was in a trial for GW growing yellow Tumbling Tom. The ones outside did just as well as the ones in the greenhouse, Probably as I'd shoehorned loads of chillies in as well!
This is great news, thought I would have to sell off some of my plants as I didn't have space, now I know they should do well outside, I keep them all.
Build an angled sheet of plastic over the top. Flowerdew mentions something similar in his book, growing the tomatoes at an angle too so the water runs off onto their roots but the leaves are protected from the blight.
I had an accidental tomato plant in a pot in the garden in Aberdeen (Zone 7/8). I'm not sure what variety it was, I must have topped off the pot with the soil a tomato was growing in. It fruited despite its wind-exposed and mostly-shaded location. There are varieties for outside ( perhaps sub arctic plenty).
Downsouthshire may require a blight resistant cultivar.