6 nuggets of advice for growing tasty tomatoes

With tomatoes available in many shapes, colours and sizes, a garden delivers few rewards more cherished than the flavour of a ripe, homegrown beauty. Here are six pieces of growing advice.

Determinate, or bush, tomatoes are bred to be compact, and the tallest determinate varieties grow to only 1.2 metres.

•  Smaller ones are happy to grow in pots, and determinate varieties often mature early and require very little staking.
• The tradeoff? All the tomatoes ripen at about the same time, then the plants go downhill.
• However, vigorous determinates, such as 'Celebrity' will often make a comeback if you prune the plants back by half their size.

Indeterminate, or vining, tomatoes continue to blossom and set fruits for as long as the plants are healthy.

• They tend to have very long branches that require serious staking, but their flavour is often excellent.
• Popular indeterminate tomato varieties include the red hybrid 'Better Boy' and cherry tomatoes such as 'Sweet 100.'

Plant leggy seedlings in trenches because tomatoes grow roots from buried sections of stem.

• Lay the root ball on its side in a rectangular hole dug to a depth of at least 15 centimetres.
• Hold the stem erect while covering the root ball and the lower part of the stem with soil.

• Surround plants with aluminum foil, shiny side up.
• In cool climates, radiant heat reflected from the foil will speed ripening of the fruits by about two weeks.

Blossom drop often occurs in cool, wet weather or on hot, windy days.

• On a day that's warm, calm and dry, aid pollination by gently shaking the plant or tapping its stake.
• Welcome big bumblebees: they are excellent pollinators.

• When the fruits begin showing colour, add a spoonful of sugar to their water — the tomatoes will be sweeter and juicier.

But go easy: minimizing water while fruits ripen enhances their flavour.

Historical old varieties that have been treasured for many years have earned their way into the tomato flavour hall of fame.

• However, few heirlooms resist common diseases and they are rarely as productive as hybrids.
• When selecting heirloom varieties, stick with names that are known to grow well in your area.
• Local greenhouse growers are often a good source of locally adapted heirloom tomato plants.

Good tomato fertilizers are low in nitrogen because too much nitrogen promotes foliage growth and makes fruits taste watery and bland. Creative gardeners have discovered other tricks to satisfy tomatoes' appetites.

Epsom salts: Every week, for every 30 centimetres of height of your tomato plant, add 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) to four litres (one gallon) of water and pour it on. The magnesium in Epsom salts is a good nutritional supplement.

Banana peels: When buried in the bottom of a tomato planting hole, fresh banana peels act as a slow-release fertilizer, providing potassium and trace elements.

Eggshells: Every week or two, crush eggshells in a blender and add them to the water for your tomatoes — about six shells per litre (quart). The extra calcium aids growth of the leaf tips and blossom ends and prevents blossom-end rot.