2017 Tomato Growing

My trifids are coming along nicely. The biggest ones that went into the greenhouse to harden off when the temperature dipped to 0.5C got damaged, but salvageable. The rest have done fine in temperatures down to 2-3C. They are outgrowing their 9cm pots and I've just started allowing the flowers to form. I think after this weekend I'll plant the cherries outdoors with a windshield around them that gives the potential to chuck fleece over the top if there's any chance of frost. From memory the varieties I'm growing this year are:
* Bloody butcher (red salad size, very juicy, fast to mature, potato-leaved)
* Black trifele (I reckon the best flavour, but slow to mature and doesn't like the low light intensity of spring)
* Black Russian (lovely flavour but splits)
* Ferline (blight resistant)
* St Pierre (from a colleague, French variety for the greenhouse)
* Green Zebra (good flavour if a little grainy, slow to mature)
* Skykomish (blight resistant, from the breeder of Green Zebra)
* Teton de Venus (oxheart type for the greenhouse, very juicy with virtually no seeds or cavity)
* Super Roma (Roma is a very reliable plum, I give extra calcium to prevent blossom end rot)
* Brin de Muguet (very neat plant, baby plum)
* Picolo (baby plum, great flavour, grown from supermarket fruit by someone I know)
* Chadwick Cherry (very vigorous)
* Gardener's Ecstasy (from Real Seed Company, like a better Gardener's Delight)
* Orange paruche (new to me, cocktail sized fruit)
* Candy tots (very vigorous, climbing yellow cherry)
* Divine (from supermarket fruit Lypso, but F2 so not vigorous, lovely taste)
+ other varieties from a friend that are still small

 

As JWK says it will be interesting to see how Gardeners ecstasy turns out, I also gave up on gardeners delight a couple of years ago
regards sandy

 

Forgive asking, as expect its been answered elsewhere before, but for greenhouse pot grown toms, whats the recommended growing medium, peat based compost, garden soil or a custom mix ?

 

I use my own compost ricky101 and don't feed until the first set of flowers show.

 

Everyone have their own idea's on this, people are successful with a variety of growing mediums as discussed elsewhere in this forum.
They use everything from Peat, Peat free, Perlite, Coir, John innes, Soil, various mixes
and various combinations.
I along with others have had bad experiences with peat free composts in the past, I believe they are getting better but I leave them alone.
My mix this year is 80% levington NUMBER 2 professional compost, 20% home made worm compost. (worms are kept in Coir which makes up part of the compost)
With the following additives per pot
100 grams calcified seaweed
100 grams Fish Blood and Bone
once fruit has formed I feed with bio bizz grow (4-3-6) and bloom (2-7 4) which gives(6-10-10)
Once a week they also get maxicrop seaweed extract.
I have had very good results with this mix.
The big problem with pot growing is watering correctly, it is difficult to maintain an even moisture level. erratic watering leads to cracking, blossom end rot etc. I use quad grows for some and pots stood on greenhouse soil for others.
If your pots are to be stood on greenhouse soil drill plenty of holes in the bottom of the pots so the roots can penetrate the soil. if they are on paving, concrete etc, you will probably need to think of some other method of keeping them well watered such as a drip system or gravel trays
Hope this helps Sandy

 

Hi All,

Thanks, should have made it clearer, they will be in 16" appox pots on a flagged base.

I normally use a peat based compost, but this year got some Levingtons Original MPC for Professional Growers ( grey pack) but not sure if Sandymac means his levington NUMBER 2 professional compost is the JI type ?

One reason for asking is that from what I read, its said by 2020 the public can only buy non peat based composts , yet their does not seem to be good universally accepted alternatives yet.

As for watering, am currently experimenting with a simple soil moisture sensor and / or timers to take care of regular watering when out, and watering via a seep hose as have read that just pouring on a lot of water from the can, tends to run/track though the pot rather than evenly soak in all around, which hopefully the seep hose will do ..

( the moisture sensor is an add on part of an Arduino based system which I have used this winter/spring for temperature monitoring and heating of the frost free greenhouse, bench soil heat cable and heated prop tray - will make the code available if anyone wants it, when complete )

 

What size pots?

 

Mine is not the JI type I find that is too heavy and can get waterlogged mine is 80%peat
regds Sandy

 

12" sunk into border with almost no bottom, I drill loads of holes in them to allow roots to forage in the border, I do not use bottomless pots as until May they are in the conservatory and I need to carry them without the inevitable disaster of complete loss of compost, it is difficult enough as first sowing are already showing 5th truss.
Quad grow pots I believe are 11 litre square (but they have their own constant water supply)
rgds sandy

 

Yesterday I was drilling multiple 25mm dia holes in the bottom of ten 40L flexitubs that I'm going to bury the lower part of in polytunnel borders. I've been wondering about drilling additional holes in the sides just above the base, perhaps in the 3 tattiest ones to check whether it makes any difference.

 

I do and it makes a difference, at the end of the season when I lift the pots it is amazing how the roots run out of these holes
Rgds sandy