2013 Tomato Growing

Can't see the join

 

I was going to put these in pots but will heed your advice and use the beds instead then, thanks Scrungee. Why does the plastic mulch help? I was going to just mulch them with banana leaves and wilted comfrey but would you suggest a layer of plastic around them, just under the top inch of soil say?

 

The mulch goes on top of the soil, retains moisture, keeps the roots warm, producing a healthier plants and keeps the fruits off the soil. Mypex (woven plastic) sheet lets rain through, but if using polythene sheet I use upturned plastic pop bottles with the bottoms cut off held in place with a sticks to direct water straight to the roots.

P.S. Wilkos are currently selling off 6 x 2m sheets of heavy duty Mypex mulch sheet reduced to only 75p (from £7.50) - details on this thread http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/wilkos-half-price-sale.42517/page-7#post-678249

 

It's going to be a good year?

Big Boys are in the lead, Early Goliath's a close 2nd, Better Boys 3rd, Big Zac running a disappointing 4th and Delicious trailing in in last place...... My giant tomatoes?

All healthy and sturdy plants though, given a decent summer, I may beat last years record, just where to put them all?

 

I asked myself that question this time last year with 100's of plants busting to get outside and it was still far too cold & wet, so I've gone for late sowing with most stuff this year as I don't want a repeat of last year's disaster.

 

Flippin Heck
I planted all my tomato seeds on Tuesday (late start)
Unbelievably Angelina's Bulgarian Beauties, are already up and half an inch tall !
along with the cucumber seeds I put in
At this rate I will soon have a clear windowsill, and attempt a second crop for
outside
I really can not believe that in three days I have plants half and inch tall with a pairs of leaves THANKS ANGELINA

Jack McH

 

What sort of canes have you got supporting them John? Mine get canes that are waist high at that stage (so that they can continue to grow until they get planted out towards end of May (in greenhouse, currently in conservatory as greenhouse is full of overwintering plants that are hardy but being give a Spring Boost

Not sure if I said earlier??

I am growing two of each variety. I have potted on one to 2L pot (about 5" dia), and the other to a 3L Deep Rose pot. Its about the same dia. The Deep one is planted with only an inch of compost under its original 1L rootball, so about 3" of stem buried. Be interesting to see if there is any different. 2L ones will pot on once more, I think (to about 5L ... normall I get to at least 10L, not this year ...) before planting out, but the 3L Deep ones won't be [physically] able to be potted on again. I do have some larger Deep Rose Pots (5L I would guess) that I could try next year ... perhaps a conventioanl 2L would pot-on to 5L Deep, I'd need to check the sizes though.

 

Planting my Alicante's and Gardeners Delight into their big pots today,and my Tumbler F1 basket has started to get little toms on

 

I've planted up the greenhouse border as they were starting to get too big for their pots, 16 plants in all. I've had to abandon planting out the Rosada as they were looking very sickly. Indeed they've not looked good right from the start, strange that As usual, I had too many plants