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Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Tomatoes will grow 'anywhere' in garden with Alan Titchmarsh's technique
Tomato season is currently in full swing, and to get the best growth from your at-home plants there's a quick trick that Alan Titchmarsh has recommended. It's prime season for your homegrown tomatoes to begin flourishing in gardens, and Alan Titchmarsh has dished out a top tip to help you harvest plump and luscious tomatoes. The seasoned British gardener and television host swears by one simple technique to boost your backyard bounty. Starting off young tomato plants in a growth bag is standard practice, and it's ideal for those who are tight on space. On an episode of Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh, the green-fingered guru said: "There is nothing more satisfying than biting into a sweet, juicy, sun-warmed, home-grown tomato. And I'm going to show you how to grow your own, whether you've got a large garden, a small garden, or no garden at all." He added: "The beauty of a grow bag is it can go in any garden or no garden at all. So if you've got a balcony, a terrace, a patio, a yard where it's concrete, this is your man. Because just lay it on the concrete, plant into it, and you've got an instant pocket border." Grow bags offer incredible versatility and can bring life to balconies, terraces, patios, or anywhere—even without a traditional garden. But here's the kicker: not everyone realises that pairing them with grow bag canes can take their tomato-growing game to new heights. Bush tomatoes are one variety that stay grounded without needing support. However, cordon tomatoes, known for their singular tall stem, will need a bit of help to reach their fruitful potential, reports the Express. Most of these bags are perfect for growing a variety of produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and melons, and they're versatile enough to be placed just about anywhere. Whether you pop them in a greenhouse, on a soil bed, or even on a concrete surface, they contain everything your plants crave. Alan Titchmarsh's clever tip involves using cane supports with the bags, which can be easily manoeuvred around the bag for a snug fit. A little wiggle might be needed to slot the bag between the support's bars, but once done, it should encircle the bag perfectly. Cordon tomatoes, known for their lofty growth, need sturdy canes for support, and it's these varieties that Titchmarsh hails as "the best croppers". He recommends: "One, a red one called Shirley, and the other, a sort of orange-yellow called Sunset. I like a bit of colour on the salad plate, and those two should do very nicely." Tomatoes burst with flavour, and among them, cherry tomatoes stand out, growing on lengthy vines instead of bushes or tall structures. You'll find a rainbow of tomato types offering a spectrum of colours from red to orange, yellow, striped, and even black. Gardening buffs also advise that tomatoes love nutrient-rich, moisture-holding soil and bask in warm, sunny spots. They should be planted deep and spaced out as per the guidance on their seed packets, which will tell you the precise spacing required. The correct distance between your plants not only ensures they get ample sunlight but also enhances the air circulation in and around the soil. This can help to ward off any potential disease issues. How to cultivate tomatoes in grow bags Step one: Carefully cut slots out of the bag to expose the compost as small windows in which your plants will sit inside. Step two: Use a trowel to scoop out a decently sized hole and take the plant out of its original pot to then place it in the hole you've just made. Step three: It's time for your canes for added support. Jiggle the support beams over your bag of compost so it sits nicely in inbetween two, stabilising it on any surface.
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Alan Titchmarsh names 1 garden creature you want to keep in soil
This little garden creature is a great helper when it comes to spreading nutrients throughout your garden - it also helps improve soil structure and reduces contaminants Most of us aren't massive fans of bugs – but BBC presenter and expert gardener Alan Titchmarsh recommends keeping this one insect around. It might just help your plants grow even healthier. In a YouTube video posted to Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh, Alan recommended using a mulch, or soil improver, to give plants a boost. But he had one extra tip. He said: 'The great thing about this is it means when worms take this down into the soil from that surface mulch they're improving your soil at the same time.' He continued: 'They're adding nutrients as well as this organic feed that you've got here.' This is because worms burrow channels deep into the soil, creating intricate networks. When they eat organic matter, they excrete it in these channels, effectively recycling nutrients throughout the soil. This means that your organic matter doesn't just stay on the surface. You might spot little mounds on the top of your lawn or around your garden. This is actually worm excrement, which is an end product of their vital recycling process. This is why it's important to lay down compost or soil enhancers. These are typically packed with vital nutrients for plants, like nitrogen and phosphorus. Worms do more than just spread nutrients, however. They also help improve soil structure. This is because they mix and loosen the soil as they burrow into it, which leaves space for water to drain away. In fact, according to research by the European Union, soils without earthworms are 90% less effective at soaking up water. This can lead to problems like flooding and soil erosion. Despite often being labelled as dirty, worms actually help clean soil too. This is because they spread microorganisms through the earth, which help break down contaminants. If you don't have a soil enhancer or compost on hand to help your garden worms improve your garden, there are plenty of natural alternatives. Better still, many come from food waste. Banana peels make an excellent fertiliser, as they are rich in potassium. You can either grind them up or use them to infuse water, creating a banana tea for plants. You can even use your old pet hair. It sounds mad, but pet hair actually contains plenty of magnesium and nitrogen, which break down slowly, giving plants a gradual release of nutrients.
