THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

Ive grown outdoors the last couple of years. Last summer was poor due to the cloud all summer and me probably being late in getting going.
But previous years have been good. Ive grown Tumbling tom and other hanging basket varieties. Baskets placed on wooden planks upon a stand with a perspex sheet over the top and a roll of plastic sheet across the front when the weather goes pear shaped.
Im in the Borders which is always cooler than Edinburgh. Btw i dont put them out till first week of June at the earliest.

 

Yes @WeeTam I would agree on these type being possible. I had forgotten that I did get some success with the likes of Garden Pearl and Tumbling Toms. I was thinking more about the cordon/bush types I tried growing in flowerbeds, even grow bags, dreadful. In baskets/containers the soil,will warm up much quicker and you can place them in ideal spots to get the maximum sun.

 

I would not dream of putting tomatoes outside until June and I live further south than you co Durham. I keep my toms in conservatory until May then they go into a greenhouse with a heater to prevent temp dropping below ten degrees. we get the odd frosty night until end of May. It only takes one frost and all your hard work will be for nothing.
From my Diary we had a frost third week in May last year.
Regds Sandy

 

I'm 200 miles south of Durham and wont plant tomatoes out in open ground until June. I regularly get frosts at the very end of May and even had below freezing temperatures during the first few days of June (that killed all my tomatoes around the inside of cold frames).

 

Another vote from me too for the end of May. I don’t have room for a greenhouse so all of mine are grown outside, either in a border or mostly, large clay pots. I do have a summerhouse though so in May they often spend the day outside and are put to bed each evening in the summerhouse. So pampered! I usually get very long cropping seasons out of my outdoor tomatoes, generally not taking them out until late October, early November. I never look forward to that time as it then means I have to eat an insipid shop bought tomato!

 

I live in London so although tempted, I won't be planting out my outdoor toms until the last week in May

 

I bought a tomato plant today from the local market -
Lucciola F.1. I have never heard of it before but thought I'd give it a go.

 

All the images on the web appear to consist of small trusses supplemented by numerous loose tomatoes to fill the frame of the promotional photo, which might indicate they produce such a poor crop that pics need to be bulked out.

And if their pics are of the very best, most prolific crops attainable by commercial growers from that variety, just what will they be like from the likes of amateur growers? Please let us know how well they produce.

 

Translates as Firefly

 

If anyone is going to Shineyland this year? I'll have some Big Zac's and Manx Marvels available to GC members, not many so reservations can be made.

 

Does anyone have any tips for growing grafted tomatoes? I’ve just received 3 grated crimson cherry plants from Sutton’s (a cherry version of Crimson Crush). I’ve never grown any grafted plants before. I know you shouldn’t bury the union between the scion and rootstock. I’m going to plant them into small pots for now and nurse them in the greenhouse until the weathers suitable outdoors.

I read that they have bigger crops. Is that correct? Any input would be good!
Thanks

 

Bigger crops are not necessarily true the main reason for rootstock grafting in my opinion is to protect against disease. I have just received three crimson crush grafted plants from Dobies yesterday 25th I was going to trial them against my un-grafted plants however the grafted plants were not plants but very small plugs no where near my plants. very disappointing at three for £9.99. Plus £4.99 postage. See difference below. grafted plant (which I have potted up) against my home grown non grafted. it will not be much of a trial IMO I will not be buying these again. I should say the plant in the picture is my second sowing in March my first sown plants now have 5 trusses on them. It is also noticeable that the rootstock is much thinner than the scion

 

Yup that’s pretty much how my crimson cherry is looking against my own Crimson Crush babies! The reason I got the grafted crimson cherry was because that was the only option available! I’m guessing they need to be grafted for various reasons?

 

But even if those plants produced twice as many tomatoes, it would still be much cheaper to sow half a £3.49 packet of 15 seeds (say 58p/plant allowing for a few seeds to fail) rather than spend £14.98 on 3 plants (£5/plant).