THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

Sorry @JWK it ‘s what I have always called Bumble Bees. A friend of mine is writing a book about wild flowers and who they are pollinated by (ok he recognises the book won’t make the best seller list). He comes round to my garden quite a lot as we have old sheep meadow where to horse grazes and it has loads of wild flowers growing in it and quite a variety too. He was telling me we have about 6 different species of Bumble Bees here and rattled off their names to me (all now forgotten!) I thought the smaller ones were young versions of the big ones but that’s wrong also I thought some were just naturally a bit paler than others, wrong again, a different species. You live and learn....well sort of as most of what I was told didn’t get retained in the old grey matter. To me they are all just Bumblers! and very fond of them I am too.

 

Hello I have just joined the forum and I am an avid tomato grower. I have grown them almost every year for the last 22 years, and without anything going horribly wrong... until last year when all 16 plants succumbed to early blight. So I am a bit paranoid having just spotted a yellowy green spot on a leaf. I had these appearing last year about 6 weeks before the blight appeared in full force.
Is this the right place on the forum to ask questions about tomato issues, or will that spoil that happy tomato vibe?!
At the risk of jinxing things, in case anyone is interested, I am growing Lizzano, crimson cherry, crimson crush, Gardener's Delight (the spotted one :o) Black Russian, Golden Sunrise, Belriccio and Tigerella.
Yes I went a bit over the top...
Pic of the spot below.

If I should ask elsewhere please do let me know.

 

Welcome to the Corner

 

I thought blight was darker in colour on leaves. I'm certainly no expert as this is my first growing year so I'm probably wrong sorry.

 

Hello and thanks very much for you welcomes and answers.
That particular plant is about a foot tall at the moment. It's not flowering - it's not quite as far on as the some of the others.
I found another leaf with some green spots on it and have removed that too. Was considering moving taking the plant out of its Quadgrow pot and putting it under cover away from the others as a precaution.
I think in the past I've had spots and mottled bits, and not worried, but I am a bit emotionally scarred by losing my whole crop last year !!

I probably should have scaled down this year but seemed to end up growing even more (I ordered some in the dark depressing months of winter to cheer me up, then forgot about them until they arrived... after I'd bought another load of plants )

They all went in a fortnight ago, and I've not fed them yet, so will do that today. I hope it stops raining soon!

 

My growing of Tomatoes, Peppers etc seems to be standing still due to this weather here in the North East. Don't seem to be growing at all. Anyone else got the same happening.

 

Not so much my tomatoes @jane0o0 but my peppers and chillies aren't doing much, apart from my over wintered habanero.
The annual flowers I've grown and planted are severely stunted I'm even wondering if I'll get any flowers before autumn

 

Hi,

All those plants thrive on hot sunny days and will slow on the colder grey days we are having after all that earlier good sunshine.

Just ease back on the watering when its so dull and do let a bit of air get as it can get a bit too damp at times.

They will catch up once the sun comes out , though I do give mine a bit of liquid Seaweed Extract feed as an extra boost.

Assume you have managed to overcome all those hairy little monsters ... ?

 

Hardly any getting in at all now and not many in garden since all the trees got a good cutting back so well pleased with that. When would you feed the Tomato plants with this liquid Seaweed Extract ricky101? as I may try that. They do seem to be growing but the flowers are slow to pop open and the fruit just seems to have stopped growing since these overcast dull days.

 

I know. I planted quite a few flowers and hardly anything. The Courgettes seem to have stopped also. Not getting much good weather as its overcast or rainy

 

Light levels have been a problem this year, they're a problem most years, but especially this year. The late cold snap didn't help either
I think the key to happy gardening is to remain optimistic
I'm sure we'll have a long hot summer. Our tomatoes and peppers will thrive, you will have far to many courgettes to deal with and our gardens will be full of colourful healthy plants and butterflies

 

There are a few brands producing liquid Seaweed Extract, I get Doff in 1ltr concentrate bottles for just £3 from The Range, but seems they are not in your area, though sure you will find similar in your local shops/garden centers. Its a good tonic for all plants, can be sprayed on as well, but you need to do that when the suns gone down otherwise you can get leaf scorch.

I just use it at times like this or even when they are a bit under stress from the dry spells like we have had lately. Just add it to the watering can when they next need a watering.

Think many are experiencing the same problems as you with lots of flowers being poor this year, my Sweet Peas are only a half of what they should.

Think its just that you are being more aware of such variations now you are gardening more, but don't worry, its perfectly normal to get such events, that why you often hear folk say if been a bad years for this or that, when the weather does not give them exactly what they need, yet other plants will enjoy such conditions,... that just the joys (?) of gardening .

typical problems -
Expect you had the same gales as we did the other night, though tied down it manage to strip half the branches off the prized standard fuchsia which was full of buds about to open, even one I had given to a neighbour suffered , but we trimmed them up and hopefully, with patience, in about 6 weeks we should have plenty of regrowth and flowers.