THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by ARMANDII, Jan 1, 2018.

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  1. jane0o0

    jane0o0 Gardener

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    Can I ask how often you guys water and feed your toms a week? I'm still unsure with watering even with grow pots and grow bags. I'm scared I'll over water.
     
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      jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
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    • jane0o0

      jane0o0 Gardener

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      Thanks Loki, The purple ones are called Indigo Cherry Drops. The weather had been pants here until now so hopefully they start growing faster lol
       
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        jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
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      • sandymac

        sandymac Super Gardener

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        Hi Jane
        Mine in pots get a pint of water a day and are fed Sundays and Wednesdays one pint of half strength organic fertilizer. Sundays the get Bio bizz grow and bloom. Wednesdays they get maxicrop organic tomato fertilizer. I also spray once a week on overcast days with seaweed tonic + cal/mag. they get a little less if it has been overcast for a few days.
        The only way you will overwater in grow bags is if the drainage is not good, when I grew in growbags with pots on top I put a 2 inch slit at each corner and one each side in the middle about an inch from the bottom.
        Regards Sandy
         
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          sandymac, Jun 25, 2018
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        • jane0o0

          jane0o0 Gardener

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          Thanks Sandymac, I'm always afraid of watering and mine felt quite dry as I hadn't watered since last Wednesday. I filled the big ring half way on each plant and watered the top ring of 4 plants with fruit on with 4.5 liters of water and 20ml tomato feed which I've been given them once a week. I'm now wondering if I'm even do it correctly.
           
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          • KFF

            KFF Total Gardener

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            Are my tomatoes late flowering for some reason. They're growing really well at around 18" high with good growth and yet no sign of a single flower.
            Got Ailsa Craig, Moneymaker, Roma and Black Russian.
             
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            • JWK

              JWK Gardener Staff Member

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              Hi @jane0o0 I'm surprised they go that long without watering. You would certainly notice if your plants were drying out as the leaves go droopy and the top looks limp.
               
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              • jane0o0

                jane0o0 Gardener

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                My Moneymakers have flowered and bore fruit but my others bar one other hasn't flowered yet. I've put it down to the weather as not been to good until this week that is. Hopefully yours and every ones start to take off with the weather.
                 
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                  jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
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                • jane0o0

                  jane0o0 Gardener

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                  Not noticed any of that happening. I've been using one of those moisture meters you can purchase at Wilkos but I do put my finger in the grow bags. Only today it was dry which I think is due to the heat. Last week it wasn't very nice. So do you all water once a day? I just don't know how much water to really give through the grow pots.
                   
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                    jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
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                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    Tomatoes need a bit of stressing to switch out of vegetative state (where they grow like mad) into flowering state. Keeping them in a small pot and not feeding is usually enough to cause them to start flowering before planting out. However if they are too pampered, i.e. potted on and fed and watered they just keep growing upwards and more leaves. Probably the very mild weather has encouraged vegetative growth too.

                    One of my Gardener's Delight is like this, a big plant but no flowers, so it's not just you @KFF I think I may have feed it as the plants alongside were already setting fruit. So that's my mistake, you need to avoid feeding especially nitrogen.
                     
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                      JWK, Jun 25, 2018
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                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                      The moisture meter is a good idea, sounds like you are getting it right,. Stick to the amounts Sandymac suggests, I find as the plants get bigger they obviously need more water and it's weather dependant too. I don't use growbags so my watering regime is not applicable to you, mine are in the soil and I use a leaky hose on a timer to make sure the soil is saturated once a day.
                       
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                      • KFF

                        KFF Total Gardener

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                        Hhi JWK, thanks; it may be that i've over-potted them then. I haven't fed them yet, I never do tlll they set their first fruit.
                         
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                        • JWK

                          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                          @KFF it has been an usual year for mine too, I think I'm around 2 weeks later than average. My first fruit were on outdoor tomatoes, I don't really understand why. I guess my greenhouse tomatoes were too happy inside whilst the outdoor plants had more stress to trigger them into fruiting earlier.
                           
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                            JWK, Jun 26, 2018
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                          • jane0o0

                            jane0o0 Gardener

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                            Can you remove lower leaves of the tom plants to help ripen fruit further up ?

                            [​IMG]

                            This Heirloom is really growing fast in a matter of days

                            [​IMG]
                             
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                            • WeeTam

                              WeeTam Total Gardener

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                              Ive just removed the leaves below the first truss.

                              Have seen some youtuber remove half of a large leaf to let in more light and reduce the leaf sugar uptake from the plant.

                              Not too sure about that bit :confused:
                               
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                                WeeTam, Jun 28, 2018
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                              • JWK

                                JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                                I'm not a great believer in removing leaves for ripening purposes. It's heat that makes fruit ripen not sunlight. Leaves produce sugars to swell and sweeten fruit and grow the plant. On the other hand I do remove lower leaves to improve air circulation around the plants. Also as leaves become tatty and diseased I remove them to stop mould etc getting a hold.

                                There will be different opinions on this as Wee Tam mentions, but at this stage of the season when the plants are in very active growth it makes no sense to rob them of their energy source.
                                 
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                                  JWK, Jun 28, 2018
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