Gardening expert Mark Lane appeared on BBC’s Morning Live on Friday to give viewers the lowdown on tomatoes. In the UK, tomatoes generally start to produce fruit around mid-summer, with gardeners eager to reap the rewards of their green thumbs.

However, not everyone was having luck with their plants. One viewer, Avril, sent in a snap of her tomato plant, which only held a few leaves, all of which had curled edges and were turning yellow.

Mark grimaced: “This is what’s known as tomato leaf curl. It’s a nasty fungal infection.”

He explained that this infection is usually spread by white flies, so gardeners will need to be diligent in keeping their plants safe. As for infected plants, the expert recommended taking off all the affected leaves and throwing them directly in the trash as they shouldn’t be composted.

Then, with enough water, moisture and humidity, hopefully the plant can rally again. Another viewer also called in and asked why the seeds her seven-year-old had sewn weren’t growing.

Mark was very straightforward in his response: “I need to be clear it’s too late now to sow your tomato seeds. Tomatoes come from hot climates, they need that long period to grow and then to fruit.

“You could sow them now, you’re probably only going to get the greenery but that’s still great for a seven-year-old because you’re teaching them how to sow the seeds, how to nurture the plant. You’re just not going to get the fruit.”

But there is still some hope for those looking to get their own tomatoes this year. Mark recommended they simply buy a more established plant instead of seeds.

However, these do require some structural support gardeners need to be aware of. He added: “Tomatoes like this can grow quite tall so you need to make sure they are staked.”

To do this, the expert said you’ll need to have a long bamboo cane and a bit of twine. Start by making a hole in the soil by your plant, but not directly next to it as Mark pointed out you don’t want to interfere with the root system.

Place the can in this hole and then loop a small bit of twine around the stem of your established plant. Cross over the twine so it forms a figure-eight before looping it around the cane too.

Mark noted: “So when you tighten that up, it gives you a little bit of a buffer (between the cane and the plant). As it grows taller, do that again higher up.”

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