2014 Tomato Growing

I do but something always gets most of them, mostly the dreaded wilt because I bought a dump truck load of soil to start filling my raised bed - (10 X 32 foot and 11 1/2 inches deep- the size one 9 ton truck load will fill, $140 for pretty good topsoil delivered) and it came with the wilt virus - naturally I used wheelbarrows of it to fill my small hill bed too. (my soil is silty muck on top of red clay with the water table about at the surface half of the year, raised beds needed) .That accounted for much of two years crop

Then when in containers last year the stink bugs went wild and ruined most of them. but I get enough for the table by having a couple plants I really care for. This year I have tiny raised beds scattered about and am using the shotgun approach.

 

Sheal, I am so envious of your sturdy, stocky plants. Mine are gangly,thin and sparse by comparison. I think it's because they were raised on the windowsill and not in a GH. But I've planted 'em deep and hopefully now they are outside, they will bulk up more,
Jenny

 

Still to get mine in there final homes, ran out of compost again!

 

Colne, sorry I don't know what you call it but I call it a balcony attached to the outside of your house. Could you not set up a netted area there for a few tomato plants? I'm thinking of a fine netting like old curtains for windows, if you can find such a thing.

Surely there must also be something to treat your soil for the wilt problem.

 

Jenny......My tomatoes were raised in my spare bedroom after coming out of the electric propagator. It's far too damp and cold here to put them into the greenhouse straight away. They've been out there since the middle of April and were planted in the buckets the week before last. I've just had to nip out some flower trusses that were growing at the base of them, I've not known that to happen before!

FC.....I sympathise, we've all done it and learnt a lesson! Just think of the surprises you'll have, I just hope if you pass any on to others you don't end up with one variety!

 

The wilt takes 3 to 5 years to go away on its own - it is viral, probably from tobacco. I could net I suppose, but I just grow plenty and get a few instead. I could easily just spray the insects, and may at some point only I resist that - I can buy sprayed veg. And trying is the fun.

I am lucky in my gardening success - I grow enough to feed a clan if it all worked, and get enough to feed us instead. To use a fishing analogy - I have fished all my life, and in many wild and exotic locations. I have been long periods where every cast gives a big fish and that is good for catching dinner but takes all the sport or recreation out of it.

But all is looking good in the tomato canning bed - the spotting and subsequent holes in the leaves has slowed down with a week of drying air. I thought they were lost but instead are pretty much thriving.

like someone up thread I have lost track of which is which but I have green tomatoes on one plant as big as a ripe plum. The canning tomatoes have not set fruit yet.

 

Good luck with the tomatoes Colne! Let's hope the green ones make it to red etc. before nature gets at them.

 

Thankyou sheal, the spotting has killed the lowest 4 leaves on the canning bed tomatoes, and is moving up at a reduced rate - those I have doubts about making it - but the upper plant thrives...... I thought about it all, the viral wilt in my main bed and now this, presumed viral or fungal attack; and the thing in common is horse manure. I had a pick up truck load put on my main bed and a good bit kept back in a very large bin for a couple years - till I made the tomato raised bed when it was added. They do have something in common.

The symptoms of the two beds are different - the main bed tomatoes grow beautifully to medium sized green fruit stage and then just fall over dead - and the upper bed has this leaf spotting and then the leaves die - but the manure is the one common thing.

Does anyone make good green tomato chutney?

 

I don't know that the manure is a good idea for tomatoes Colne. May be it's just to strong for them. Perhaps they would be better planted in plain soil with some compost dug in. You saw mine in the picture above grown in pots. That is ordinary, shop bought multi-purpose compost containing peat, they are grown on in that until the first fruit appears and then I start feeding with a tomato feed that contains seaweed extract.

 

Hiya chums
Right, well, I move tomorrow, and still haven't sown my toms. I reckon that if I sow this weekend, they should be ok, even if they don't all ripen in time. What do we think?

 

I think they'll be fine Freddy it's surprising how quick toms catch up isn't it and if we get a spell of decent weather I don't see a problem

Good luck with the move Freddy,you're going to be busy

 

Yeah, that was my thinking, they should at least grow away unchecked

Thanks Loli