Solanum lycopersicum 'Shirley'

RHS Plant Profile
tomato 'Shirley'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Solanum lycopersicum 'Shirley'?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
tomato 'Shirley' Michael John Day
tomato 'Shirley' RHS

Synonyms

Lycopersicon esculentum 'Shirley'

Award of Garden Merit
Annual Biennial Fruit Edible
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
10 Suppliers

A cordon tomato grown as an annual either in an unheated greenhouse or outdoors. Produces heavy trusses of medium sized red tomatoes from June to September.

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H1C

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Solanaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, Climbing
Genus
Solanum can be annuals, perennials, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or twining climbers, with simple or pinnnately lobed leaves and star- or bowl-shaped, 5-lobed flowers with prominent stamens, followed by fleshy fruits
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Start from seed or buy as small plants and grow on in a heated greenhouse or on a warm windowsill. Move to an unheated greenhouse or outside once all risk of frost has passed, and provide support for the plant to grow up. Water regularly to keep the growing media evenly moist; inconsistent watering can lead to splitting and rot. Feed every 10-14 days. See tomato cultivation for more detail. For help with diagnosing tomato problems see our video What's gone wrong with my tomatoes?

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Pruning

Pinch out the growing tip when the plant has reached the desired height, either reaching the top of the greenhouse or support, or when the plant has set seven trusses indoors or four trusses outdoors. Regularly remove all side shoots.

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), May be susceptible to Tomato leaf mould and tomato viruses. This cultivar shows good resistance to Tomato blight