IT IS reasonably accurate to say that when you read about gardening techniques and methods that the majority of content on the page or screen is often biased towards the warmer climes of counties south of our own, writes TOM ATTWOOD.

So that when, for example the topic of growing tomatoes successfully outdoors is covered, its worth bearing in mind that the writer may not have had Cumbria at the forefront of their thoughts.

I’m not saying that you can’t grow tomatoes outdoors in Cumbria but speaking from experience the results can be (at times) less than convincing. In principle these are among the best varieties to try outdoors:

Red Alert produces delicious small tomatoes early, while French Cross produces very large tomatoes, and Sleaford Abundance a heavy crop overall. Sigmabush copes well even when the sun does not shine, and Sub-Arctic Plenty produces early tomatoes even in the cooler northern reaches of the UK (in principle).

If growing outdoors, a south-facing wall is an enormous bonus, sheltered conditions and good quality, moisture retentive, fertile soil. Without these the odds are stacked against you.

The best results will always be when you grow the plants in a greenhouse or a conservatory. A greenhouse (small or large) will provide the additional necessary heat to not only push on the plants growth but most importantly, to ripen the fruit. You should get your plants in over the next two or three weeks (if you’ve not done so already). If you’re using growbags then ensure you get decent large ones and don’t be tempted to cram too many plants in. I always like to increase the volume of compost by placing a large plastic pot with the bottom cut out on to the grow bag and filling this. It increases the moisture holding capacity and makes watering and regular feeding so much easier.

Next week I’ll talk about the varieties I favour most for growing indoors and the art of pinching out the side shoots and maximising your yield of delicious fruits.