Tomato Growing Thread 2022

My Tomato growing this season has been a disaster.

I will see what the temp is like around late January early February and if there is no frost I will plant early trying to grow F1 Fantasio, F1 Crimson Crush & F1 Supersteak for the first time.

 

Tomatoes are not hardy plants in our climate so unless you've got heat and light to both germinate and grow them on. So my half-hardy plants only get started early (like now!!!) If I can keep them warm and well lit til frostgone times!! So though Crimson Crush, for example, is an excellent plant I won't be planting the seeds til sometime in Feb or March. Thus my time and greenhouse space will be used up by other plants. I'm very glad there are others who have the space, heat and light to create perfect growing conditions for THEIR varieties!! Good luck to them and you'll hear me clapping when they tell us of their succeses!

 

Hi JWK, Yes I have Grow Lamps. The plan is to start a small amount early with more a few weeks later.

I also have 5 Plastic Houses (bought from Wilko)

 

Any compost that is made from green waste will have fungus, it actually helps to speed up the decomposing of organic matter, nothing to be alarmed about.

 

I always sowed late January and had first toms mid/late may using heat and lamps , however now i am retired we always have a holiday in the sun late January/February so the last four years i have delayed sowing until mid March still using heat and lamps and i still get my first ripe toms around the third week in may and good production in June and still going strong in October sometimes into November

 

I never start Toms early, TBH I dont think the extra heat and lighting is worth it just to get them a couple of weeks earlier.
It strikes me you start them say 6 weeks earlier than normal and to get fruit about 2 weeks earlier, not actually tried it but later sowing often catch up quite a bit.

 

I'm in France so here's a postcard from a LeClerc supermarket.

 

My guess, the growbags were made with green waste, what percentage I would not know. With green waste, the heat generated during decomposing should kill off any weed seeds etc etc, that is the only form of sterilizing. In 2020, prior to lockdown there was already going to be a shortage of green waste compost, this was due to a very wet period which damages the heaps. To much rain combined with cold weather has an adverse effect on the decomposing as it cools down the heaps, if peat had been banned, many people would of not been gardening at all.

Using green waste as a soil conditioner, I back it 100% it's better to compost than it end up in land fill sites, but even during the composting, co2 is still released into the atmosphere. As for compost and especially for setting off seeds , I have no confidence in it.

Floods earlier this year have caused a compost shortage in coronavirus lockdown (inews.co.uk)

 

@gks Your posts are very interesting! In previous years I've bought my growbags mainly from supermarkets or Wilcos.This was the first year I bought them from a garden centre. There were 100s of bags stacked up there! If I do decide to get growbags again next year I will get a well known brand & thereby - hopefully - avoid similar problems to this year's.

 

I still think three plants in 12in pots, growing in good potting compost will likely out perform 6 plants in two grobags.

 

Agree, most growbags sold in DIY stores and discount stores will only have about 25L to 30L volume. Where as the giant growbags tend to be 50L in volume, like Levington's Tomorite giant planter.

 

The last few posts have been very revealing and interesting. They explain a lot to me about thinking re getting early crops or just producing!!! I understand more about using techniques I haven't used in the past. Otherwise the advantages of certain varieties have started making more sense, thanks!! More to come I think.
Regarding the 'recipes' for compost and sterilisation, I think the jury is out!! I understand the nature of the 'green' part of making garden compost, all those years of teaching practically the building of compost heaps, and my own production of that wonderful material!! My fear these days is that the nature of what is called 'green waste' is so variable. I agree that when a heap is built properly ALL possible diseases are killed by heat. Thus it may well be that those businesses who've been doing this process for many years have got it pat, otherwise they'd be out of business!! I'm sceptical about composts simply because of the ones I've bought in the last few years, particularly during lockdown when delivery was an important part of the deal. Much of what I've used would have been useful as material to be put into my compost heap first!!! Must be said I'm still getting some great stuff from my own heaps riddled through a large wheelbarrow sized sieve, BUT I can't be sure it's sterile so I don't plant small seeds in it. As part of potting compost its great! I'm chipping the 'underdone' part as mulch as well.

 

You may find this of interest....
PAS 100 and compost quality specifications

 

My very local Refuse centre is selling compost made from their green waste at 3 bags for £10 and I'm told it's pretty good stuff. Next time we go, I will buy some and display it here,
Jenny namaste