THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

I agree and I have grown my own from seed first sowing in January which have four trusses on them now and second sowing early march (one in photo previous post) which has the first truss flowers just opening, however for this price I was expecting decent plants and not plugs, the root ball on the ones I received were less than 30mm diameter, the pack of three was posted through my letterbox. I sat in waiting for a parcel delivery not a letter sized package by royal mail. for £4.99 delivery, it was one expensive plastic pack.
The roots on my second sowings are filling a 7" pot (180mm) and protruding from the bottom
It will be months before these grafted ones are big enough for the greenhouse border.
The whole point of ordering grafted plants (which I ordered months ago by the way) was to be a trial against my second sowing of plants and these grafted ones as I thought I would give grafting a go next year if grafted plants proved significantly better.
I was going to grow one of each as following.
1) In greenhouse border. (which has grown toms before so not changing soil)
2) In 12" pots with my own compost/fertilizer mix
3) In quadgrows (water only in tank feed into pots)
All grown organically so no pesticides , only organic fertilizers etc.
however now I think mine will be fruiting months before these weedy specimens. I wanted to see them side by side, make comparisons of growth rates, taste test of first and subsequent trusses together, take photo's etc. now I will have to record my thoughts at different times relying upon memory, I know I will probably be able to taste test a tom from each plant at the same time, but this now will be from different trusses at a different time of the growth cycle as we all know sometimes subsequent trusses can be different and the weather has a big influence on taste so these plants will not experience the same weather at the same stage of growth
Regards Sandy

 

I

Basically, those super expensive mini tomato plants with expensive delivery costs, are no better than 3 to 4 week seed sown plants.

 

I see they've cunningly included flowering in the cropping period, meaning if don't start flowering until the end of June, they wont be producing ripe fruit until August, so a very short period of cropping for outdoor plants.

Tomato Grafted Crimson Crush (3) at Suttons Seeds

"Flower / Fruit from Late June-early October"


The plants are also described here as "Super Plugs"

Quality Tomato Plants from Suttons

It took me a while to find where details of plug sizes are given
Handy Guide to Plant Size and Simple Growing Instructions - Suttons Gardening Grow How.

The description for 'Super Plugs' (which are bigger than 'Garden Ready' plugs!) only gives a maximum size:

"Super Plug Plants (Plant Size: up to 12cm)

We have selected these plants to be grown where you would like something that bit different in areas such as hanging baskets, patio containers, tubs and raised beds.

For best performance we recommend that you grow them on further, either in 9 to 11cm pots or in the final planting containers, maintaining a minimum temperature of 13-16 ̊C (55-60 ̊F).

Allowing these plants to establish in this way before placing in their final position outdoors will pay dividends later in the season."

The plant in their illustration wouldn't fit through my letterbox, let alone 3 of them with packaging. Does anybody else think whoever posedfor tgat pic has very small hands?

 

that picture is what I expected to arrive not the tiny things I received. That is ten times the size of my plants, up to 12cm mine were less than 7cm.
please see extract from Dobies e mail stating box

Dear Mr


We know that our customers look forward to receiving their plants so I’m pleased to confirm that yours (as listed below) are nearly ready for despatch.



Sorry but we will not be able to delay the despatch of your plants. If you will not be at home for our target despatch week then please provide us with the address of a friend or neighbour who will be able to look after them until your return. The plants will just need removing from the box and keeping inside in a warm, light place. They will also appreciate a drink. The plants will be fine like this for up to a week, any longer and they will need potting on.

Picture of plastic pack plants came in with matchbox for size comparison. my plants were in one end of this the leaves would have come halfway along the matchbox, imagine keeping these plants for a week without potting up, what a joke mine would have been goners in less than a week regds Sandy

 

The "up to 120mm" includes the plug/roots.

The plug appears to be about 3 fingers wide in their image, 3 of mine measure 60mm and using a scale rule the underside of plug to top of plant measures 135mm, so the plant height is 75mm.

For comparison, my late sown Gardeners Delight tomatoes sowed exactly 4 weeks ago today are now 115mm high. My other tomatoes sown to be ready for planting out 1st June are now 150 - 200mm high.

 

Mine are pretty large as well, see pic of first and second sowings in final pots waiting to go into greenhouse First sowing middle two pots second sowing right, two chilli's in left hand pot

 

Same here.



The tallest (or leggiest) is about 750mm.

 

These are mine ( GC bought for £1.25 each and grown on for a couple of weeks ) which are going into their Quadgrow pots in the morning as the roots are bursting out of the bottoms of the green pots.

Not sure if I have bought these plants 4 weeks too soon, it's going to be a little chilly at night in that unheated greenhouse, down to 4°c on some of the nights over the next 2 weeks.



Also, have any of you used Maxicrop Seaweed Extract, it says it can be used along side other fertilisers like Tomorite, or should I use it instead of the Tomorite?

 

Yes, but mainly for growing giant marrows and pumpkins and it makes a difference with them. I buy the 10 litre containers Liquid Seaweed Fertiliser?

For tomatoes It should be used in addition to the likes of Tomorite, not something I'd bother using on standard eating tomatoes, but I have also used it on plants producing giant competition tomatoes, but not sure whether it makes much/any difference because I never done any proper comparisons.

 

Thanks Scrungee...I'll use it as a root drench on the plants that will be staying in the greenhouse over the summer, I think I read that it can help with environmental stress, which in the greenhouse may very well happen, the outdoor toms will be fed Nutrigrow that came with the Quadgrows.

 

I use it all the time it is great for giving the plants a boost full of vitamins and minerals, but not a fertilizer, you will still need to feed, IMO tomorite is not the best you can get maxicrop tomato feed which IMO is far superior and adds taste. I found the nutrigrow causes more problems than enough with tomatoes in quad grows I have six quad grows. I posted a trial that I did with quad grows and the worst toms were the ones fertilzed with nutrigrow. I still have some nutrigrow which I use on my chrysanths.
I found that nutrigrow in quadgrows soon builds up excessive salts in the resivoir even when I fed at half strength it burned the plants. I cleaned the tank out every two weeks feeding at half strength but it made no difference, it still burned the plants, those plants fed this way had little or no taste. The best method I found was to have clean airated water in the tank and feed into the pots. I grow organically and feed with bio biz grow and bloom and maxicrop tomato feed into the pots. I spray plants with the maxicrop seaweed extract once a week.
regds sandy

 

Some of mine are only 70mm tall, but have tomatoes on them, better get the tomato feed out.

 

maxicrop is stocked at most GC's For Bio Biz you will probably need an aquaponics store.

 

Here is a copy from my diary on the quadgrow test I did 2016

2016 Quadgrow experiment.


Quadgrow x 2

1) Pots filled with Canna compost + worm compost FBB, seaweed meal mychorrhizae fungi, and Cal/mag. (calcified seaweed)
Fed weekly into top of pot with organic fertilizer (Bio Bizz Grow and Bloom + maxicrop tomato feed) Spray plants with maxicrop seaweed extract. using only water in tank for constant supply, this water airated with air pump and stone. This has eliminated blossom end rot and a great crop of tasty toms. cropped until November

Quadgrow x 2

2) Pots filled with Canna compost + worm compost FBB, seaweed meal mychorrhizae fungi and Cal/mag (calcified seaweed)
Used as directed by quargrow with their chemical fertilizer in tank, (Nutri grow half strength) this water airated with air pump and stone, cleaning out tank every two weeks and replenishing with fresh fertilizer.
Good crop But not as tasty as in 1) However tanks have to be cleaned out every 2/3 weeks or so and replenished as get high in salts and gunged up. This has eliminated blossom end rot and cracking/splitting, good until early August when plants suffered nutrient burn. This eventually led to disease entering plants at burn sites. Plants removed end of August.

Quadgrow x 2

3) Pots filled with Canna compost + worm compost FBB, seaweed meal mychorrhizae fungi and Cal/mag. (calcified seaweed)
Used as directed by quargrow however using bio bizz organic fertilizer in tank. airated with air pump and stone,
Good crop and still cropping . However tanks have to be cleaned out every 2 weeks or so and replenished as get gunged up and clog air stone. This has eliminated blossom end rot and cracking/splitting, great crop of tasty toms. Cropped until early November
Note in all cases roots have grown down into the tank and are thick and healthy.

4) Eight plants of four different varieties grown in bottomless pots in border, filled with Garden compost + worm compost + rotted horse manure, FBB, seaweed meal mychorrhizae fungi and Cal/mag added (calcified seaweed)
Border consists of soil and home made compost. Pots fed weekly with maxicrop tom feed.
These toms suffered blossom end rot and cracking to approx. 15 % of toms. Plants also produced much less fruit and the taste was OK but not half as good as quadgrow in 1)

Will use method 1) next year as this allows me to grow organically and removes any erratic watering, Also removes the need to dump tank contents clean out and renew fertilizer.

Tanks only require topping up with water every four days with large plants.
I found the nutri grow fertilizer to harsh even at reduced strength, I Will use all the nutri grow for my flowers.
Regds Sandy