Tomato plants

Hi all,

I have brought some tomato plants from the garden center as i only want 3 and thought it better that growing my own from seed.

I have put them in bigger pots and they are now in the conservatory, at the moment they are about 3 inches high. Do i need to start feeding them yet? Also what is the best feed to use i would like to go organic if at all possible?

Thanks
Rusty

 

Don't start feeding your toms until the first trusses (bunches of baby toms) are visable on the plants. What type of compost are they in? Cheers, Tony.

 

Cheers Tony,

Thay are in normal compost from the garden center.

Rusty

 

Bit early for tomato plants in garden centres?

I know you only have 3 AND a conservatory to grow them on in, just thinking about those who buy without the benefits of "heated" facilities at this time of year, shame on the garden centre :(

 

Hiya Rusty.

As already said, don't feed yet. The main things to concentrate on right now are light levels and temperature. They will need as much light as you can give them, and a minimum temperature of 10c. Also, be careful not to overwater, easily done at this time of year.
When the time comes for feeding, most use 'regular' tomato feed. Not sure if it's 100% organic though.

Cheers...Freddy.

 

To reiterate what has already been said:

Minimum 10C at night (and day if that is a potential issue :thumb. Keep the conservatory cool on sunny days (i.e. avoid sky-rocketing temperatures), otherwise plants will grow "soft"

Maximum light - light in February is borderline (F-ing Garden Centres should NOT be selling Tomato Plants in February ... they are banking on everyone killing them and having to re-buy in March ... and probably in April too :( :( :( )

If you can provide extra light (a florescent bulb in an angle-poised lamp a few inches away from the plants, but make sure it doesn't burn them) that will bring them on and give you first-fruit 2 - 4 weeks earlier :thumb:

Do not feed until the flower have set - you will see little pin-prick sized tomato fruits where the flowers have faded and fallen off

For Organic fertilizer you can consider using Comfrey. You can grow that yourself (use Bocking-14 sterile variety to stop it self-seeding everywhere), but that won't grow fast enough to provide fertiliser this year - something to consider for future years perhaps ?

 

I noticed that B & Q have started selling bedding plants at the weekend. It's much to early as you say Kristen. People that are not that knowledgeable will be wasting hard earned money on plants that will keel over in next to no time. :DOH:

 

I have a few small seedlings that germinated a week or so ago in my spare room on the windowsill, SE facing. Was planning to keep them in there for a month or so before moving out. Is that reasonable, bearing in mind I live in Fife?

 

I sow my Tomatoes about now - mid Feb - and they are usually about 4' tall by the time I plant them in the greenhouse in May - that's quite big for a windowsill! mine go into the unheated conservatory from around Mid March to Mid May.

 

Ok, thanks folks. Well I'll chalk those up to experience, but see how they get on out of curiosity.

 

Hiya John.

I kinda had the impression that a small spindly plant could only turn into a large splindly plant? So far, bear in mind that I've only been gardening 'proper' for 4 years, this has been my experience. Having said that, light levels aint great where my greenhouse is situated.

Cheers...Freddy.