Copia
Tomato (Specialty) in the UK

Getting these specialty tomatoes started, it's an indoor job for us up here in the North East, like I say. You'll want to sow your seeds indoors, March or April, in small pots or modules, about 1 cm deep. They need a bit of warmth, a propagator or a warm windowsill will do, and if you've got grow lights, even better, gives them a proper head start. Keep the compost moist, and they should pop up within a week or two, ready to grow into those interesting shapes and colours in about 75 days. You can often find plug plants for these too, if you miss the sowing window.

Once they've got a couple of proper leaves, you'll need to prick them out and pot them on into bigger pots. They're a bit tender these, so no rushing them outside until all danger of frost is well past, usually mid to late May for us. Harden them off properly first, then plant them in the greenhouse or a really sheltered, sunny spot on the plot, giving them a good 60 cm between plants. Most of these will need staking or tying in as they grow, or even a good big container for some of the smaller types.