2015 Tomato Growing

Be sure to let us know

 

Will do Freddy.

 

Sowed some of these today http://www.vanmeuwen.com/fruit-and-...ds/tomato-seeds/tomato-gigantomo-f1/VM54646VM Got them BOGOF and used a 'borrowed' £5 voucher code http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/20-off-a-£5-voucher.93879/ , getting cost down from £11.93 delivered for just the £3.95 P&P [1]. Pleasantly surprised to find 8 seeds (rather than 6) in the packet. VM's seeds are still BOGOF BTW.



[1] I might have got some other seeds for up to £1.01 included in that cost but I just couldn't be bothered finding some £1 packet on their website just for the sake of it.

 

My Manx Marvels so far

 

Looking good Zigs! MM's are such sturdy plants with good strong stems.

 

they look nice and chubby and stocky Zigs.
My Gardens Delights and Tumbling Toms look frail by comparison,
Jenny

 

Are they in an unheated greenhouse? Your overnight temps are probably about 2 to 3 degrees C above those here. At the moment I'm caught between keeping them in a (too warm) heated greenhouse, or an unheated polytunnel that's still too cold overnight. Fortunately I've got enough tomato plants to starting using a few as 'Canaries' to check if conditions are safe for them first.

 

Yep, despite it being a bit chilly at night they're still growing

 

Overnight temps. This is why I like to leave sowing/growing until later, and there's always the light issue. I've been recording overnight temps of around 4c in my unheated greenhouse. Once my seed have germinated, they'll be kept in in my heated propagator (which I uncover during the day) until they're potted up. Then once they're established, I'll take them out (greenhouse shelving) during the day, and back in the propagator at night. Once they're ready for planting into the greenhouse border, I'll have keep an eye on overnight temps, and add heat if necessary. Always a problem, the massive temperature swings...

 

Here are some of my tomatoes. I'm hardening them off but not today, as it's too windy. You can just about see the flower on a Bloody Butcher in the background. There's an Ananas Noire and a Cherrola in the foreground.

(They are in Lidl's peat free compost, with 5p clearance pots from Wilko and 10p a pack clearance labels from Wilko. My middle name is cheapskate.)

 

Good looking plants there @Cinnamon

 

That's the problem @Freddy ....even through last summer here after soaring daytime temperatures of late 20's the highest overnight temperature was 19 degrees and that was only for a couple of nights through the summer most of the time it was 14/15 which isn't cold but a massive drop.27 in the GH yesterday,down to 5 in the unheated bits

Lovely looking plants Cinnamon

 

Scrungee I don't usually move my toms out until overnight temps are at least 7C in my cold greenhouse. I moved them out four days ago because I needed the space and with the night temperature still dropping to around 3 or 4C I decided to build a bubble wrap tent for them on part of the staging. So far the toms are fine.

Our local weather forecast states overnight temperatures will be up to at least 8C mid-week.

 

Countryfile says it's getting warmer next week so maybe.....?
it's a juggling act at the moment isn't it,
Jenny

 

I use bubblewrap from Poundland to make a shelter and then whack more protection over the top if low temperatures are forecast. My tomatoes outside are fine thus far, but yes, I'm a bit complacent trying this trick again.