2014 Tomato Growing

Why's that?

 

I stopped them at 6 trusses and they'd done their job and finished

 

Love it when you do that

 

Should I be topping and stopping some of my tommies soon? The big ones I was thinking of topping mid August but leaving the cherries til September. (I'm moving out mid-late Sept but this is my parents' house so no problem leaving them to fruit later.)

 

Took the side shoots off all of mine yesterday and planted them out as cuttings

 

I stop all my GH Toms when they hit the roof,usually with 5 or 6 trusses on,I do have a couple of plants with only 3 trusses on though..

 

Sown early they would have soldiered on (might have needed laying though)

I stop mine one month before earliest frost date. Its a compromise to maximise ripe fruit, and minimise green fruit when the plants are cleared away.

 

Hi lolimac
That was interesting following your progress having toms so early, well done. My first eater was end of May.
Can I ask was it worth it and will you do it again
regards alex

 

Hi JWK
Looking at my growing log
Tomato varieties grown this year
Sungold, Amish Paste, Matina, Amish Gold, Vanessa, orange paruche,
Gardeners Del
Tomatoes sown 6th February
Sungold, Amish Paste, Matina, Vanessa and Gardeners Del
Second Sowing 21st february
Orange Paruche, Amish Gold, Matina, Sungold
All toms potted up in stages 3-1/2” pots then 6” finally 12” pots all kept in conservatory
Final setting out in greenhouse 23rd April (with heater)
First tomato picked 27th May (Sungold)
First Matina picked 15th June
Rest of varieties started producing ripe fruit early july

Regards Alex

 

Hi Alex,I suppose if you work it out it wasn't cost effective what with running grow lights and heating but it was purely done just to see if I could.I thoroughly enjoyed giving it a go and it was great to get that home grown taste earlier than usual,it did seem odd watering tomatoes at Christmas though .Soon be time for 'normal' home grown toms which is something I always look forward to and to me summer is when our tomatoes come into their own

 

Picked my first lot of toms this year Sungolds and they were delicious

 

I think I might try overwintering a few armpit-cuttings at the end of this season. Keep meaning to, have discussed it before and folk say likely to overwinter disease too, compared to seed-raised plants ... but I gotta try it at least the once, and think of the fortune I'll save on seed eh?