Crops › Tomato (Standard)
How to grow Tomato (Standard)
in the UK
Sow March to April, plant out May to June, harvest July to October. About 75 days from seed to plate.
Tomatoes are just proper cracking, aren't they? Nothing beats the taste of your own home-grown tomatoes, straight from the plant. They take a bit of looking after, to be honest, but the reward you get for that bit of effort is well worth it, a proper chuffed feeling when you're picking them.
Sowing
We sow our tomato seeds indoors, usually around March or April here in the North East, you know, when it's still a bit chilly outside. You'll want a bit of warmth, about 18-21°C, so a propagator or a warm windowsill can work wonders, especially with a grow light if you've got one. Sow them thinly in seed trays or small pots, about 5mm deep, then cover lightly with compost. They'll pop up in about a week or two, if you're lucky.
Growing on
Once your seedlings have their first proper leaves, that's when you prick them out into individual 9cm pots. Keep them warm and watered, letting them grow on sturdy. Around late May for us up here, when all danger of frost is well past, it's time to harden them off slowly, then plant them out in the greenhouse or a sunny spot on the plot. Give them about 60cm between plants, and get some canes or string ready for support, 'cause they'll grow tall.
Looking after it
Tomatoes are thirsty things, so keep the soil consistently moist, but don't let them sit in water, mind. Once they start showing flowers and little fruits, that's when you want to start feeding them every week with a liquid tomato feed, like the app says. Pinch out those side shoots that grow in the 'armpits' of the plant too, keeps the energy going into the fruit, you know. Keeps the air circulating.
What goes wrong
Now, you might get a few problems, like whitefly or aphids, those little green or black critters. A good blast with the hosepipe can help, or just squish 'em with your fingers, proper satisfying. Blight can be a real pain, especially outdoors in wet weather, so keep an eye out for brown spots. Planting basil, marigolds, or nasturtiums nearby can sometimes help keep the nasties away, like I say, every little helps.
Harvest
After about 75 days from sowing, from July right through to October, you'll be picking your own tomatoes. Pick them when they're fully coloured and feel a bit soft to the touch, just twist them gently off the plant. Store them indoors at room temperature, never in the fridge, because that just ruins the flavour, takes all the joy out of them. If you get a glut, make a sauce or chutney!
I always grow a few more than I think I need, especially if I'm trying a new variety. You never know what the weather's going to throw at you, or what the slugs are planning, so a few spares just makes sense.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Moneymaker This is a proper classic, often seen in UK greenhouses for good reason. You can count on it for a reliable, steady crop all season. | No club votes yet |
| Alicante A very popular choice producing lovely medium-sized fruits. It's known for its good resistance to common tomato ailments, which is always a bonus. | No club votes yet |
| Shirley F1 An excellent F1 hybrid, perfect if you're growing under glass. It's got good resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, helping you avoid a headache. | No club votes yet |
| Ailsa Craig A cracking Scottish heritage variety, giving you lovely smooth, round fruits. It's a bit of history on your plate, with a good, old-fashioned flavour. | No club votes yet |
| Outdoor Girl As the name suggests, this one's happy outdoors, even in our cooler UK climate. It's an early cropper too, so you won't be waiting ages for your first taste. | No club votes yet |
| Red Alert If you're after the earliest outdoor tomatoes for the UK, this is the one to go for. It's a bush type too, so less faffing with side shoots. | No club votes yet |
| Nimbus F1 A cracking all-rounder, giving you reliable round red standard tomatoes. It's a steady performer, good for both greenhouse and sheltered outdoor spots. | No club votes yet |
| Ferline F1 This F1 hybrid is a proper star for outdoor growing, with good blight resistance built in. It's reliable and gives you tasty fruits even in trickier weather. | No club votes yet |
| Legend Another excellent choice if you're battling with late blight in your area. This variety is specifically bred for resistance, making outdoor growing a bit easier. | No club votes yet |
| Crimson Crush F1 A fantastic blight-resistant variety that doesn't compromise on taste, giving you lovely flavourful fruits. It's a cracking choice for outdoor plots, even in damp summers. | No club votes yet |
| Mountain Magic F1 This one gives you small standard tomatoes and is another great option for late blight resistance. Perfect for growing outdoors where blight can be a problem. | No club votes yet |
| Fantasio F1 A really solid choice if you're growing in a greenhouse, giving you lovely round red tomatoes. It's a reliable cropper and a good all-round performer under glass. | No club votes yet |
| Sweet Aperitif Don't let the name fool you, these small cocktail tomatoes are incredibly sweet, a real treat. Perfect for snacking straight from the plant or adding to salads. | No club votes yet |
| Principe Borghese An Italian heritage variety, traditionally grown for drying, making it perfect for preserving your harvest. It produces loads of small, plum-shaped fruits with concentrated flavour. | No club votes yet |
| Stupice This Czech variety is a cracking choice for cooler climates, quite cold tolerant and early to fruit. Great if you're gardening in a chillier spot or want an early harvest. | No club votes yet |
| Sub Arctic Plenty As the name suggests, this one is built for colder climates and is extremely early to ripen. You'll be picking tomatoes sooner than you think, even if your summer is short. | No club votes yet |
| Oregon Spring An early determinate variety, meaning it grows to a set size and then produces its crop all at once. Great if you want a quicker, concentrated harvest for processing. | No club votes yet |
| Glacier This very early variety gives you small standard tomatoes, perfect for impatient gardeners. It's a reliable performer, even in cooler conditions. | No club votes yet |
| Scotia A proper Scottish early variety, well-suited to our UK climate and known for good yields. It's a heritage choice that performs reliably, even in less than ideal summers. | No club votes yet |
| Matina This German heritage variety is an early standard tomato with really cracking flavour. It's a dependable choice for an early, tasty harvest, whether in the greenhouse or a sheltered spot. | No club votes yet |
| Maskotka A lovely Polish trailing standard, absolutely perfect for hanging baskets or pots. It cascades beautifully and gives you plenty of tasty fruits in small spaces. | No club votes yet |
| Red Robin This is a cracking dwarf bush variety, ideal for growing in pots on a patio or even a windowsill. It stays compact but still gives you a good amount of small, sweet tomatoes. | No club votes yet |
| Totem F1 A fantastic compact determinate variety, bred specifically for containers and smaller spaces. It's a neat plant that'll give you a good crop of standard red tomatoes. | No club votes yet |
| Balconi Yellow This is a lovely yellow dwarf bush variety, absolutely spot on for growing in pots on your balcony or patio. It's compact and gives you bright, cheerful yellow fruits. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
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Cook the harvest
A deeply satisfying Indian-inspired red lentil dal where ripe tomatoes do two jobs — they form the base of the spiced tadka and then collapse into the lentils, giving the finished dish a rich, slightly sharp backbone that tinned tomatoes simply cannot replicate. The crispy fried shallots on top are not optional; that crunch against the silky dal is the whole point.
50 min · easyA sharp, lively Indian street-food salad that is an ideal way to use up end-of-season tomatoes that haven't quite ripened. Firm green and semi-ripe tomatoes are tossed with crisp apple, red onion, and a tamarind and chaat masala dressing that is tangy, sweet, and spiced all at once. It is ready in fifteen minutes and works brilliantly as a side or a light lunch.
15 min · easyA savoury spin on the classic French upside-down tart, where whole tomatoes are caramelised in a sticky balsamic and sugar glaze before being topped with buttery puff pastry and baked. When you invert it onto a board, the tomatoes sit jewel-like in their dark, glossy syrup. Crumbled goat's cheese and fresh thyme scattered over the top finish it perfectly.
65 min · mediumThis is a quick, uncooked tomato sauce that relies entirely on the quality of your summer tomatoes — nothing is hidden here. Ripe tomatoes are roughly crushed and left to macerate with garlic, olive oil and fresh basil, then tossed through hot pasta so the residual heat does the cooking. It is one of the best things you can make in August.
27 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: basil, marigold, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Tomato (Standard) in the UK?
Sow Tomato (Standard) from March to April. Plant out May to June, after the last frost.
How long does Tomato (Standard) take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 75 days, with the harvest July to October.
Which Tomato (Standard) varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Moneymaker, Alicante, Shirley F1, Ailsa Craig and more.
Track your Tomato (Standard) from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.