Mr Fothergill's Grosse Lisse Tomato Vegetable Seeds

Tomato 'Shirley' is one of the most reliable and popular cordon tomato varieties. An intermediate early-maturing variety, perfect for growbags in a unheated greenhouse, 'Shirley' is a heavy cropper with good disease resistance. Height and spread, 200cm x 50cm (7ft – 20in) Tender (H2 – frost-free conditions) Grow outdoors in a sheltered very sunny location or in open beds, large container or growbags in a cool greenhouse. If grown from seed sow on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed compost then cover with a thin layer of dry sieved compost or vermiculite. For best germination results place your seed tray or trays in a propagator on a sunny windowsill or greenhouse bench at a constant temperature of around 15-20C (59-68F) until after germination, which takes 7-14 days. Once your seedlings have two real leaves carefully transplant into individual 7.5cm (3") pots of compost and grow on at a minimum temperature of 15C (59F). When growing in a heated glasshouse tomato plants may be transplanted at the end of May or when the first flowers are showing, if earlier. Allow 3 plants per growbag, or one per 25cm (10") pot, or plant tomatoes directly into the greenhouse soil. If you are growing outdoors wait to plant until the risk of frost has passed. Gradually harden off (acclimatise) them to outdoor conditions over 7 - 10 days before planting out from early June when tomato plants are 20cm (8") tall. Choose a sheltered position in full sun on fertile, reliably moist, well drained soil, and transplant at a distance of 60cm (24") apart. Drive a (5') cane into the soil adjacent to each plant to support them as they grow, and tie each main stem to its support with soft garden twine.