Crop type: Tomatoes

Solanum lycopersicum ‘Shirley’ AGM

Common name: Tomato ‘Shirley’

Crop slug: tomatoes

This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile.

1 - Overview

‘Shirley’ is a cordon tomato grown annually in an unheated greenhouse or outdoors. It produces heavy trusses of medium-sized red tomatoes from June to September and combines this yield with good tomato-blight resistance. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

2 - Size

Ultimate height: 1.5–2.5 metres
Ultimate spread: 0.5–1 metre
Time to ultimate size: 1 year

The bushy climbing cordon needs tall support.

3 - Growing conditions

Suitable soils: Loam
Moisture: Moist but well drained
Soil pH: Acid or neutral

Even watering is important because fluctuations can split or rot fruit.

4 - Position and hardiness

Light: Full sun
Aspect: South- or west-facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness: H1c — grows outside in summer above approximately 5–10°C but does not tolerate frost

An unheated greenhouse provides reliable shelter and warmth.

5 - Colour and seasonal interest

Season	Flowers	Foliage	Fruit
Spring	—	Green	—
Summer	Yellow	Green	Red

Heavy trusses of medium red fruit distinguish this productive cultivar.

6 - Botanical details

Family: Solanaceae
Native to Great Britain and Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy and climbing
Name status: Accepted
Award: RHS Award of Garden Merit

Genus

Solanum includes annuals, perennials, shrubs and climbers whose five-lobed flowers develop into fleshy fruits.

7 - How to grow

Cultivation

Raise seed or small plants in warmth, then move them under unheated glass or outside after frost. Support the cordon, water evenly and feed every 10–14 days.

Propagation

Propagate by seed indoors.

Pruning

Remove side-shoots. Pinch out the leader at the support top, or after seven trusses indoors or four outside.

Pests

Aphids and whitefly may attack.

Diseases

Rare honey fungus, tomato leaf mould and tomato viruses are listed; the cultivar shows good tomato-blight resistance.