Tomato Growing Thread 2023

Wish my house was that clean,
Jenny namaste

 

Yes, I do when I open it in the spring. During the winter I store various pieces of garden equipment in it.

 

8 of mine now in the converted shed. They were getting root bound and I figured they would be as well in the larger pots with cooler nights than struggling in the smaller ones. First flower buds were showing on bloody butcher and a couple of the early Russian ones I'm growing too.

 

Hi all,

Could you advise please on my tomatoes? I started from seed about 5 weeks ago. It's still little bit too cold to put them outside I think in about two weeks time I will put them out I am not sure if my watering technique is correct. I normally wait until soil at the top is dry and then I water. Currently I water them every 2-3 days. Today I was curious and I took one of the plants where top of the soil was dry and I took out plant completely out of the pot. Bottom of the root ball was still a little moist. Should I water now or wait for bottom to be dry completely? I really struggle to get perfect watering, I am never sure if i over or under or maybe I do the right watering! My plants seem to be a bit distressed, I have them under the T5 light, bottom leaves seem to be quite dry and little crisp on the edges. Top you leaves curls lots down and are quite soggy!wet. I had two plants already removed as they had lots of brown spots on leaves and I was afraid it could be blight. See photos attached. What do you say?

I am new to the forum, so apologies if this the wrong thread to post and please could you direct me

 

They look alright to me, do you intend planting outside or in a greenhouse.

You need to be hardening them off now and getting them used to harsher conditions, so I would put outside in a sunny protected spot during the day, if you have one.

Bring them back in in really bad weather and at night.

 

Yes I am taking them outside it about two weeks time and will be hardening them beforehand, they will not be in the greenhouse. I will not be able to bring them back once they are in their final pots as these pots are huge a d tomatoes will be attached to support string.

 

Well I would be hardening them now. They need a couple of weeks at least to acclimatise.

 

I

Ok will do, I need to put them in bigger pots before final one as well as these are completely filled with roots, is it OK to move them to bigger one just for two weeks?

 

Well I never like to do the hardening off at the same time as repotting as it can mean the plants stall.
Can you not give a weak liquid feed at each watering rather than potting on.

 

I think they are too good! Is the black tray beneath a propagator? If so ,turn it down/off.If they were mine, I would repot into 1ltr pots (5"), placing them as deep as possible. Take them outside for the best days, but keep them in for nights. Depending on locality, its risky to plant out unprotected for 2-3 weeks yet. Maybe you can create a tent cover, but its risky yet. If possible, take a cutting(side shoot) from each plant and root in water as a insurance measure.If you feel comfortable, add your locality to your details for better accuracy in advice.

 

I'm taking chance, 6 of my largest plants have been out during the daytime for a week or so, Two have been left out in a Blowaway House overnight tonight.

 

@LukeMB Your tomatoes look to be in fine fettle! They are rather big for the small pots they are in & the crinkly leaves at the top of the plants are perfectly normal for tomatoes! They will grow & straighten out so you needn't worry about that. About blight, it's far too early in the season for that to happen & if it did your plants would have died in couple of days.

The yellow dried leaves at the base are of no importance & always happens when tomatoes are growing strongly. The top of the plant takes nutrients from the lowest leaves so it's most probably a sign that they have run out of nutrients & a weak liquid feed would do them good till the acclimatise & you repot them in bigger pots.

If you plant them deeper than they are in their present pots new roots will grow which will help support & feed the plants.

And, as this is the tomato thread for 2023, you have done right in posting your questions here. Though it would help if you add your location in your profile.

 

Potted on the Amish Golden, having never seen this variety in the local GC's before I decided to give it a go.

I thought it was going to be the same as the similarly named Amish Gold, which is a very heavy fruiting, plum shaped variety but, it turns out this is a beefsteak type with very large fruits.

One will be outside and one will be in the greenhouse.

So we'll see how they go in the differing conditions.

 

My larger tomatoes stayed in the greenhouse for the 1st time this night (not planting out so far).
Smaller ones (15.04. sowing) moved into larger pots yesterday.

 

Mine have been in the cold frame for a week now.