WHEN it comes to growing funky food, square tomatoes might just have the edge.
Sounds mad, and when Amanda Hall-Davis contacted me to explain the skill handed down from her dad, I wasn’t sure I believed her.
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Square tomatoes like this one might just have the edge when it comes to funky food growing Credit: Unknown
Amanda Hall-Davis learned the skill after it was handed down from her dad Credit: Unknown
But sure enough, she showed me her proof, pictures and method.
She told me: “This genius hack transforms beef tomatoes into cubic fruit that will be a talking point and add a twist to salads.
“But best of all? You don’t need fancy gadgets, just a few simple items.”
YOU WILL NEED:
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A perspex box from a DIY shop or online for under £10, or the bottom of a two-litre milk container.
String or garden wire.
“Big Daddy” tomato plants (or any large variety)
1. MILK IT: Buy a 10cm square perspex box, or cut the bottom of a 2L milk carton, leaving the top of the container open. .
2. PLANT YOUR TOMS: Get your tomato plants growing nice and strong — whether via a plug or from seed. Water regularly, keep in a sunny spot and once flowers appear use liquid tomato feed once a week.
3. BOX THEM UP: Carefully drill holes in each side of the container at the top edges. Cut wire or string into four lengths and thread through each hole.
4. POST POWER: Hammer two tall wooden posts with a crossbeam between in your soil or grow bag. Tie the wire around the beam, so the box is suspended above your plant.
5. SPOT THE BABIES: When small green tomatoes appear, identify the strongest ones. Slip them inside your boxes while they’re still attached to the vine.
Turn your tomatoes into cubic fruit with our step-by-step guide Credit: Unknown
They are a great talking point and can add a twist to salads Credit: Unknown
6. WATCH THE MAGIC: As your tomatoes grow, they will fill the container and take on the square shape over three to four weeks.
7. HARVEST TIME: Once your tomatoes turn red and ripe, carefully remove them from the boxes. Voila!
A bonus tip — why limit yourself to squares?
Try making different-shaped containers, for example heart-shaped tomatoes — perfect for romantic summer salads.
I’d love to see pictures of your finished product.
Send them to gardening@thesun.co.uk.
Also in Veronica’s Column this week….
Top tips, gardening news, Plant of the Week and a gazebo competition
For more gardening content, follow me @biros_and_bloom
WIN!: ROBERT Dyas is back with another amazing prize – the All Seasons 3m x 3m Superior Package gazebo, worth £299.
To enter visit thesun.co.uk/DyasGazebo, or write to Jattvibe Robert Dyas Gazebo competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP.
Include name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. June 13, 2026. T&Cs apply.
THIS WEEK’S JOB: Mulch around beans and courgettes will keep in moisture.
Cut down chives to the base to get more flowers. Keep going with beetroots, carrots and corn.
SALAD DAYS IN JUNE: JUNE is the best time to get your pick of salad leaves.
Forget sad, soggy bags from the supermarket – you can get fresh, crunchy leaves right outside your back door.
Grab a pot or a patch of soil and scatter seeds such as Lollo Rosso, Rocket or Oak Leaf lettuce. Cover them with a light dusting of peat-free compost, water and watch them grow.
Don’t pull them up by the roots. Once they hit four inches, snip the outer leaves with scissors and they’ll sprout back again within weeks.
You’ll be tucking into home-grown bowls of Red Frills mustard and Baby Spinach all season. Cheap, cheerful, and tastes like sunshine.
She Grows Veg have some lovely heirloom varieties if you fancy a change from the norm.
CRUNCH BRUNCH: FANCY a bit of crunch for your summer stir-fry? Growing Pak Choi is becoming more popular.
Sow seeds directly into moist soil, 20cm apart.
Keep the watering can handy, they’re a thirsty plant. Plant in shade. With a growing time of four to six weeks, they’re a great summer starter.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: BUTTERFLIES will loveNepeta faassenii, aka Catmint.
For 20 per cent off, see thompson-morgan.com/sunoffers.
The Royal Windsor Flower Show takes place on June 6, and Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie Wessex will co-design a show garden. See rwrhs.com.
