2015 Tomato Growing

It's probably either Early or Septoria blight (or both) but worse than I've known it, rapidly destroying every single leaf and it's affecting the tomatoes producing blotchy brownish patches and black patches.

 

Here's an update from my garden. Got my lazy self in gear and put batteries in camera. I've got ripe teton de Venus, mountain magic and a mystery variety like a small brandywine pink. Here are some of my unripe plants and fruit:
Lypso (F4 'Divine' from ASDA) Burbank Super Sioux (megabloom) Mountain magic (late sown F1 blight resistant) Black Russian Teton de Venus (greenhouse grown, rest are smaller)
This is only my second year 'seriously' growing tomatoes. On reflection I'd go back to bigger pots for the greenhouse ones (mine are in ex-Morrisons flower buckets which are too small for big plants) and I'd also be far more selective and remove more megablooms (fused flowers) and deformed fruit as I'm losing a lot of these to rot. I'd also mix bonemeal in with the potting mix as I've had a lot of blossom end rot which stopped the moment I topdressed with calcium.

 

So-so crop this year by the looks of it, but not a red 'un in sight. I see the odd one starting to turn, but think it is more wishingful thinking than anything. Still, plenty of time left yet

Get those chutney recipies lined up.

GG

 

My early varieties (heirlooms from E Europe etc) generally died the death earlier this year and the survivors aren't ripening faster than the others, including very late sown modern hybrids...some of which are happily fruiting! e.g. I have sub-arctic plenty (bred to yield in the short Greenland summer) that's still bright green!

And I'm not partial to tomato chutney. Have stopped all of mine and might remove the top flowers from the large fruited ones as it's getting silly.

 

I have had a good year been eating toms since beginning of may, large glut during July.
Six earliest sown plants about finished. early sown beefmasters (Lolimac recommendation Thanks Lolimac) have been great and are still growing/producing well.
Experimenting with a quadgrow put four volenteers from greenhouse border in quad in early June all have done well (in conservatory ) and first ripe fruit picked this week
Regards Alex

 

Ah, not just wishful thinking after all, a few of my toms are starting to turn, so putting the chutney recipies to one side for the present



GG

 

It's a good question. A couple of years ago my plants were great with long trusses full of fruit, whereas for the most part (other years), I would say that the trusses have been average. I dare say that varieties make a difference, but there's obviously other factors at play.

 

Just been giving a bit of thought. I know one or two members here reckon that stressing the plants will help to produce more flowers. Maybe that's the answer? I've never (knowingly) stressed mine, so that wouldn't account for my great crop a couple of years ago

 

Tomato growing from year to year whether inside or out can be quite different. I think weather conditions play the biggest part and it also affects growth at different times from the day they germinate. I've had lousy weather here this year from early spring and although my toms are in a greenhouse it's been touch and go whether I would see any fruit. After stalling three times they are now cropping reasonably well but they need heat to ripen and in turn that means sunshine which has been minimal to almost not existent so far.

'Sungold', the first time I've grown these, have cropped well and are ripening fast. I'm also growing 'Gourmet' for the first time, they also have a good crop but no sign of ripening and the same with Manx Marvel. So as Freddy says, different tomato varieties respond in different ways too.

I don't think there's anything we can do @fat controller to up the ante on cropping and ripening. I only have eight tomato plants in my greenhouse and all have their fair share of light and warmth when it's available. Whether overcrowding is an issue I can't say.

We'll just have to except they are temperamental plants and there's no reasoning with them.

 

That's an interesting thought Freddy. I've had houseplants in the past that have flowered through stress......lack of watering on my part.

 

Pass those recipes to me please..! I have about 20 tom plants altogether & not one single tomato is ripening yet They're there in abundance - just not doing anything.

 

I've only had a few ripe ones off mine. Those that have ripened the best have been the Maskotka in the basket. I've had one ripe tom off Outdoor Girl and none from the rest. Good job I like chutney although the one I made last year was a bit too sweet for me. Think I need a spicier recipe.

 

@Cannyfullpots I find that swearing at them regularly and threatening them with the green bin brings about the results you want!