Welsh gardeners will have 'best year for tomatoes' after doing 1 easy job in June

Cultivating tomatoes in your garden can be enormously satisfying, and as June gets under way, gardeners should be reaping the rewards of their efforts. The tomato harvesting season is now well and truly upon us, and there are several steps you can take to ensure your crop is full and flavoursome. Tomato plants demand a degree of care and attention, and gardening enthusiast and TikTok creator Ish has shared his straightforward tips for producing the finest tomatoes this summer. Ish said: "If this year is gonna be the best year for tomatoes, then you better know the rules to make sure you get it done right. It's incredibly simple." To maximise your tomato yield, you'll want to ensure the fruits are receiving as much energy as possible. Achieving this is straightforward — gardeners simply need to thin out the plant slightly. While it might appear to go against instinct, removing the smaller, un-ripened green tomatoes will redirect energy away from those fruits and towards the ones already turning or fully red. Ish said: "If you've got an abundance of tomatoes; they're all green and there's a couple red, it's not doing very well, thin it out. Take some of the smaller tomatoes away, let the energy get focused on the bigger ones." Simply remove any smaller tomatoes that have yet to ripen. These can be pinched off using your fingers or carefully cut away with a pair of secateurs. Ish also advised gardeners to think carefully about where they position their tomato plants, highlighting that they thrive in steady warmth. Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse during cooler periods means they benefit from the humidity, which stops them from drying out. Rather than keeping the plants in greenhouses, now is the ideal time to move them outdoors into direct sunlight. The specialist explained that ample sunshine is "crucial" to ensure the fruits ripen swiftly. That said, take care that the plants don't dry out, whether they're positioned outside or within a greenhouse. Insufficient moisture can place the tomato plant under stress, causing the tomatoes to split. Should you find it difficult to water the tomato plants regularly enough, Ish recommended applying a layer of mulch over the soil to retain moisture. The secret to achieving abundant tomato plants and a generous crop lies in providing the right kind of feed. Put simply, all that's required is to give the plant a dedicated tomato feed. This feed should be applied every two weeks throughout the summer period. Tomato feed is rich in essential nutrients, including potassium and phosphorus, which encourage the fruits to develop larger and more flavoursome. This will produce a "healthy and happy harvest".