Tomato Growing Thread 2022

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by JWK, Jan 1, 2022.

  1. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    I expect they do blue nun still!
     
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    • Glynne Williams

      Glynne Williams Keen Gardener

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      I'm, well the gardener, is carrying our second sowing of Crimson Crush up into the greenhouse to harden off. They are outdoor, blight resistant and, for me, bush tomatoes so hopefully will produce fruit.
      Curiously upon analysis of germination/early growth, the most prolific this year are the Roma that came with Gardeners World magazine! So much for my 'in depth analysis'! Next year I'm going to drop the editor a line and ask for a list of seeds!
       
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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        Did you grow them from seed or did you buy plants.
        I've grown bought plants in the past and often they don't really take off as you would expect.
         
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        • Glynne Williams

          Glynne Williams Keen Gardener

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          Blue Nun! Ha! Once used a pub/restaurant in North Wales that was close to our Climbing Club Hut, who had a cellar full of the stuff! Evrerone had their own bottle of it with every meal! Not sure it would support Tom's though as it didn't support me!
          Question though! Never grown Beef Tom's before and read here that fruits should be supported with nets? Given , well the gardener has, two stonking plants, so where do I get such nets please?
           
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          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            I've never been successful with large beef steak tomatoes so I haven't had the problem of supporting them. I had mid sized ones last year around the 500g or 1lb weight and the plant didn't need any help as there were only a couple on each truss. Last year I grew Melons and supporting those involved tieing up net bags with string, hammock style, it was a palaver. Maybe othets have better idea than me.
             
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            • JWK

              JWK Gardener Staff Member

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              I made my melon hammocks from plastic bird netting by the way.
               
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              • pete

                pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                I'm beginning to wonder how big these Tomande are going to be, hopefully not big enough to require supporting. 16551237424847871939952192022846.jpg
                 
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                • Sheps

                  Sheps Keen Gardener

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                  Checked over the rest of the plants and there isn't a single one that doesn't have leaves like this.

                  IMG_20220613_074602816~2.jpg

                  It looks like classic underwatering, but seeing as though the roots of every plant grows into the reservoir so have a constant supply of water I can only guess it's something else to add to the blight.

                  bugger...seriously thinking about pulling the lot and being done with it, but there are so many lovely toms on the trusses and my Alicante is just starting to ripen I can't bring myself to do it.

                  Let the torture continue.
                   
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                  • lolimac

                    lolimac Total Gardener

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                    Yet another year I have a couple of tomato plants with two growing points if you get what I mean.I've religiously removed the robbers still don't know why this happens:scratch: it never used to happen back in the day..I wonder why:dunno:
                     
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                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                      How long have you had your quadgrow and was it successful in previous years @Sheps ? Just asking because I had an octogrow system a few years ago when they first came on the market. I had a few issues with mine such as the tomato roots wrapping around the float and stopping water flow. They solved that but I then had trouble each year with salt build up and had to regularly flush the system. Under instructions from the manufacturer I had to drill drain holes and fit bungs. My tomatoes looked sick with the salt build up. I'm going back a few years and hope the systems they sell now have these issues sorted out.
                       
                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                      Great to see you again @lolimac ! I'm sure you had the same thing last year or is my memory letting me down again? I have two leaders on some outdoor tomatoes at the allotment because I don't go there to check regularly. I made a decision which to nip off as both looked identical. You have to make a choice.
                       
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                      • landimad

                        landimad Odd man rather than Land man

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                        I am trying to grow a few Heritage varieties for the plate.
                        There is the Tigerella, Sweet Millions, and Tumbling Tom red.
                        Never tried before so can but wait and see.
                         

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                        • Sheps

                          Sheps Keen Gardener

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                          @JWK I've had the Quadgrows for years and they have worked great previously, both outdoors and in the greenhouse.

                          Strange you said you flushed out your octogrow system because I have done the same with the Quadgrow about 30 minutes ago, I noticed a film floating on the water surface, very strange with a rainbow effect when it catches the light, when touched it would break up into smaller pieces.

                          Very strange as I have never had it before with the Quadgrow.

                          Do you know what caused the salt build up?

                          Wonder if there is something wrong with the Nutrigrow feed.
                           
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                          • Sheps

                            Sheps Keen Gardener

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                            I need to do another flush as there is still some of the film left.

                            Did your salt build up look like this.

                            IMG_20220613_154112070_HDR~3.jpg

                            IMG_20220613_154137105_HDR~5.jpg
                             
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                            • JWK

                              JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                              Yes it was the nutrients causing my problems. It was the third and fourth year of me using the Octogrow I started having problems, the tomatoes became stunted at the top with smaller leaves and less fruit and generally looking poorly. Not all but a few, maybe 3 plants out of the 8 did this. They recovered slightly when I flushed the system out and then gave a double strength feed.

                              I couldn't see in to my Octogrow clearly with the plants on top, I seem to think there was a oily film rather than obvious salts in your photo above. That doesn't look good to me, I hope you can get it sorted.
                               
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