How to sow your free tomato seeds
Grow succulent, flavour-packed tomatoes from the free seed in our April 2021 subscriber edition of BBC Gardeners' World Magazine.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | yes | yes | yes | |||||||||
| Plant | yes | yes | ||||||||||
| Harvest | yes | yes | yes |
It's often said that the taste of home-grown tomatoes can't be beaten and with good reason. Fruits picked from the plant have an intensity of flavour that shop-bought, shrink-wrapped tomatoes can rarely offer.
Your April subscriber edition comes with a free double-pack of seeds of basil 'Lettuce Leaf' and tomato variety 'Red Cherry'. This will produce heavy crops of small, sweet tomatoes that work a treat in summer salads.
More on growing tomatoes
Follow our comprehensive tomato Grow Guide and discover more gorgeous varieties to try, in our collection of March extras. Plus, find out how to prevent problems such as tomato blight and tomato splitting.
Grow great tomatoes by following our step-by-step video guide, below.
You Will Need
- Tomato seeds
- Multi-purpose compost
- Pencil or dibber
- Plant label
- Watering can with rose attachment
- Skewer
Step 1
Pour multi-purpose compost into a small pot. Gently tamp it level to about 1cm below the rim to leave room for watering.
Step 2
Place the tomato seeds on the compost. Use a skewer to move them into position, about 2cm apart and cover with 0.5cm compost.
Step 3
Water using a small watering can with a rose, so the seeds are not dislodged. Place in a warm spot and keep the compost just moist.
Step 4
Gather your seedlings, some slightly larger pots, fresh multi-purpose compost and a dibber. Fill one new pot with compost.
Step 5
Gently ease the seedling out of the pot, holding it gently by a leaf and avoiding touching the roots.
Step 6
Transplant each seedling into its own pot, slightly deeper than before. It will grow more roots from the stem and be more sturdy.
Step 7
Label the pot and water in gently, using a small watering can with a rose attachment. Don't let the compost dry out, keeping it just moist. When the roots reach the edges of the pot, pot on.
Coming up - more free seeds
May: Cosmos and carrot
A couple of classics in this double pack worth £5
- Cosmos 'Purity' - this much-loved favourite will give you a dazzling display of large white flowers right through summer. Also great for cut flowers
- Carrot 'Royal Chantenay 3' - sow direct in the ground, or in containers. Kids will love growing and eating this fast-growing variety and the small, sweet roots are delicious cooked whole
June: Zinnia and cornflower
Get speedy results with this colourful couple, worth £4.80
- Zinnia 'Early Wonder' – large dahlia-like blooms in a mix of showy, vibrant colours
- Cornflower 'Blue Ball' - easy to grow, with masses of bee-friendly blooms, cornflowers are the perfect cottage garden flower
Exclusive Gardeners’ World Reader Event at Ridgeview Wine Estate
Thursday 28 August 2025, £185pp.
