Gardener shares common tomato growing mistake to avoid for a 'much happier plant'

With the sun finally starting to shine, many gardeners have already begun sowing seeds to sprout in the warmer seasons.

One such plant that is relatively easy to grow while producing tasty fare is the tomato plant, with experts like Monty Don planting them as early as February. If you weren't as punctual as him, there's still time to get planting, but it's important to avoid one "common" error that can ruin their growth.

In The Cottage Garden is a TikTok page that is home to plenty of gardening tips and tricks shared by one woman. In one clip, she explained the an error that can be easily fixed to ensure a "much happier tomato plant".

"Here's how to fix a very common tomato growing mistake," the enthusiast began. "If your tomato seedlings don't have quite enough light, they become leggy, which means they're stretching really tall to try and get closer to the light."

It is well-known that plants need plenty of sunlight to thrive and if you have any in your home or garden, you'll likely notice that they bend and grow towards the sunlight, particularly if they aren't getting enough. These leggy stems can weaken a plant's structure, while making them more susceptible to disease and pests.

Luckily, there is a simply to tackle the issue and bring it back to its proper length. According to In The Cottage Garden, a simple replant of the stalks deeper within compost will shorten them with no damage.

She explained: "All you have to do is put a little bit of peat free compost into a pot and then bury the tomato plant down as deep as possible. You can bury the plant all the way down to the first set of leaves.

"This means the plant will produce roots all the way down the stem that's been buried in the soil. Then you just need to water it, label it, and you'll have a much happier tomato plant."

It turns out that describing the planting error as common was correct, as many viewers flocked to the comments section to confess their guilt of making it.

One Person said: "Thank you. most of my seedlings have grown like this." While a second penned: "I am v new to this, my indoor tomatoes are now about 3-4ft tall. Is it true more roots more fruits? Idk [I don't know] how deep to plant them outdoors."

Others were delighted to learn the hack, with another writing: "I’m still learning so that’s great to know," with another calling it "great advice".

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