Tasty tomatoes

Of all the things grown on the allotment, it's the tomatoes that give me the most pleasure. Easy to grow, with huge numbers of attractive fruit. And the taste margin over supermarket offerings is never greater. Sweet allotment versions seem quite a different fruit from the normal bland offerings.

So this time of year is full of hope and expectation. Plant the seeds. Watch them grow. Wait until near the end of May to avoid any late frosts. Then up with the tomato frames, in go the plants with a helping of my special compost. Finally, tie each plant to the frame.

One thing I've learned this year is how important it is to remove side shoots right from the start. Tomato plants have a desperate desire to become bushes. If you leave the side shoots on, it's not long before the upward growth disappears. All the plant's energy goes into developing the side shoots.

Here are a few of snaps of this Spring's tomato seedlings. There's more detail on how to grow tomatoes in Just Give Tomatoes a Go. For more extensive information on the health benefits, how to grow, varieties on offer, common problems and delicious recipes, click All About Tomatoes.

A forest of seedlings. Have I planted too many?

The first flower.

End of May and all planted out and tied up.

Chives

It's a good idea to ensure anything taking up space on your allotment earns its keep. That's part of the reason I've reduced the number of trials of more exotic seeds to one a year. Just too many failures otherwise.

One crop that's proving worthwhile are the chives. Grown from seed, last year I split the plants to make up a row, with good results. But in their second year look how well they're doing. Chives are easy to care for, only needing a trim in autumn. As well as the subtle taste that so perfectly goes with cheese you get wonderful flowers as shown in today's snap.

They're healthy to eat, with similar benefits to garlic. Chives also split easily to share with friends. If you haven't got a row of chives on your plot, get one soon!