THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by ARMANDII, Jan 1, 2018.

Page 32 of 57
  1. jane0o0

    jane0o0 Gardener

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2015
    Messages:
    187
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Newcastle Upon Tyne
    Ratings:
    +308
    Can I ask how often you guys water and feed your toms a week? I'm still unsure with watering even with grow pots and grow bags. I'm scared I'll over water.
     
    • Like Like x 1
      jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
      #466 Quote in Conversation
    • jane0o0

      jane0o0 Gardener

      Joined:
      Jun 11, 2015
      Messages:
      187
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Newcastle Upon Tyne
      Ratings:
      +308

      Thanks Loki, The purple ones are called Indigo Cherry Drops. The weather had been pants here until now so hopefully they start growing faster lol
       
      • Like Like x 1
        jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
        #467 Quote in Conversation
      • sandymac

        sandymac Super Gardener

        Joined:
        Jan 16, 2017
        Messages:
        378
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        engineer
        Location:
        durham
        Ratings:
        +917
        Hi Jane
        Mine in pots get a pint of water a day and are fed Sundays and Wednesdays one pint of half strength organic fertilizer. Sundays the get Bio bizz grow and bloom. Wednesdays they get maxicrop organic tomato fertilizer. I also spray once a week on overcast days with seaweed tonic + cal/mag. they get a little less if it has been overcast for a few days.
        The only way you will overwater in grow bags is if the drainage is not good, when I grew in growbags with pots on top I put a 2 inch slit at each corner and one each side in the middle about an inch from the bottom.
        Regards Sandy
         
        • Like Like x 3
        • Informative Informative x 1
          sandymac, Jun 25, 2018
          #468 Quote in Conversation
        • jane0o0

          jane0o0 Gardener

          Joined:
          Jun 11, 2015
          Messages:
          187
          Gender:
          Female
          Location:
          Newcastle Upon Tyne
          Ratings:
          +308
          Thanks Sandymac, I'm always afraid of watering and mine felt quite dry as I hadn't watered since last Wednesday. I filled the big ring half way on each plant and watered the top ring of 4 plants with fruit on with 4.5 liters of water and 20ml tomato feed which I've been given them once a week. I'm now wondering if I'm even do it correctly.
           
          • Like Like x 1
            jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
            #469 Quote in Conversation
          • KFF

            KFF Total Gardener

            Joined:
            May 30, 2017
            Messages:
            3,741
            Gender:
            Male
            Location:
            Worcestershire
            Ratings:
            +5,890
            Are my tomatoes late flowering for some reason. They're growing really well at around 18" high with good growth and yet no sign of a single flower.
            Got Ailsa Craig, Moneymaker, Roma and Black Russian.
             
            • Like Like x 2
              KFF, Jun 25, 2018
              #470 Quote in Conversation
            • JWK

              JWK Gardener Staff Member

              Joined:
              Jun 3, 2008
              Messages:
              32,452
              Gender:
              Male
              Location:
              Surrey
              Ratings:
              +49,960
              Hi @jane0o0 I'm surprised they go that long without watering. You would certainly notice if your plants were drying out as the leaves go droopy and the top looks limp.
               
              • Like Like x 2
                JWK, Jun 25, 2018
                #471 Quote in Conversation
              • jane0o0

                jane0o0 Gardener

                Joined:
                Jun 11, 2015
                Messages:
                187
                Gender:
                Female
                Location:
                Newcastle Upon Tyne
                Ratings:
                +308
                My Moneymakers have flowered and bore fruit but my others bar one other hasn't flowered yet. I've put it down to the weather as not been to good until this week that is. Hopefully yours and every ones start to take off with the weather.
                 
                • Like Like x 2
                  jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
                  #472 Quote in Conversation
                • jane0o0

                  jane0o0 Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Jun 11, 2015
                  Messages:
                  187
                  Gender:
                  Female
                  Location:
                  Newcastle Upon Tyne
                  Ratings:
                  +308
                  Not noticed any of that happening. I've been using one of those moisture meters you can purchase at Wilkos but I do put my finger in the grow bags. Only today it was dry which I think is due to the heat. Last week it wasn't very nice. So do you all water once a day? I just don't know how much water to really give through the grow pots.
                   
                  • Like Like x 1
                    jane0o0, Jun 25, 2018
                    #473 Quote in Conversation
                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

                    Joined:
                    Jun 3, 2008
                    Messages:
                    32,452
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Location:
                    Surrey
                    Ratings:
                    +49,960
                    Tomatoes need a bit of stressing to switch out of vegetative state (where they grow like mad) into flowering state. Keeping them in a small pot and not feeding is usually enough to cause them to start flowering before planting out. However if they are too pampered, i.e. potted on and fed and watered they just keep growing upwards and more leaves. Probably the very mild weather has encouraged vegetative growth too.

                    One of my Gardener's Delight is like this, a big plant but no flowers, so it's not just you @KFF I think I may have feed it as the plants alongside were already setting fruit. So that's my mistake, you need to avoid feeding especially nitrogen.
                     
                    • Like Like x 2
                    • Informative Informative x 1
                      JWK, Jun 25, 2018
                      #474 Quote in Conversation
                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

                      Joined:
                      Jun 3, 2008
                      Messages:
                      32,452
                      Gender:
                      Male
                      Location:
                      Surrey
                      Ratings:
                      +49,960
                      The moisture meter is a good idea, sounds like you are getting it right,. Stick to the amounts Sandymac suggests, I find as the plants get bigger they obviously need more water and it's weather dependant too. I don't use growbags so my watering regime is not applicable to you, mine are in the soil and I use a leaky hose on a timer to make sure the soil is saturated once a day.
                       
                      • Like Like x 2
                        JWK, Jun 25, 2018
                        #475 Quote in Conversation
                      • KFF

                        KFF Total Gardener

                        Joined:
                        May 30, 2017
                        Messages:
                        3,741
                        Gender:
                        Male
                        Location:
                        Worcestershire
                        Ratings:
                        +5,890
                        Hhi JWK, thanks; it may be that i've over-potted them then. I haven't fed them yet, I never do tlll they set their first fruit.
                         
                        • Like Like x 2
                          KFF, Jun 25, 2018
                          #476 Quote in Conversation
                        • JWK

                          JWK Gardener Staff Member

                          Joined:
                          Jun 3, 2008
                          Messages:
                          32,452
                          Gender:
                          Male
                          Location:
                          Surrey
                          Ratings:
                          +49,960
                          @KFF it has been an usual year for mine too, I think I'm around 2 weeks later than average. My first fruit were on outdoor tomatoes, I don't really understand why. I guess my greenhouse tomatoes were too happy inside whilst the outdoor plants had more stress to trigger them into fruiting earlier.
                           
                          • Like Like x 2
                            JWK, Jun 26, 2018
                            #477 Quote in Conversation
                          • jane0o0

                            jane0o0 Gardener

                            Joined:
                            Jun 11, 2015
                            Messages:
                            187
                            Gender:
                            Female
                            Location:
                            Newcastle Upon Tyne
                            Ratings:
                            +308
                            Can you remove lower leaves of the tom plants to help ripen fruit further up ?

                            [​IMG]

                            This Heirloom is really growing fast in a matter of days

                            [​IMG]
                             
                            • Like Like x 2
                              jane0o0, Jun 28, 2018
                              #478 Quote in Conversation
                            • WeeTam

                              WeeTam Total Gardener

                              Joined:
                              Mar 9, 2015
                              Messages:
                              2,389
                              Gender:
                              Male
                              Location:
                              Southern Scotland
                              Ratings:
                              +5,137
                              Ive just removed the leaves below the first truss.

                              Have seen some youtuber remove half of a large leaf to let in more light and reduce the leaf sugar uptake from the plant.

                              Not too sure about that bit :confused:
                               
                              • Like Like x 1
                                WeeTam, Jun 28, 2018
                                #479 Quote in Conversation
                              • JWK

                                JWK Gardener Staff Member

                                Joined:
                                Jun 3, 2008
                                Messages:
                                32,452
                                Gender:
                                Male
                                Location:
                                Surrey
                                Ratings:
                                +49,960
                                I'm not a great believer in removing leaves for ripening purposes. It's heat that makes fruit ripen not sunlight. Leaves produce sugars to swell and sweeten fruit and grow the plant. On the other hand I do remove lower leaves to improve air circulation around the plants. Also as leaves become tatty and diseased I remove them to stop mould etc getting a hold.

                                There will be different opinions on this as Wee Tam mentions, but at this stage of the season when the plants are in very active growth it makes no sense to rob them of their energy source.
                                 
                                • Agree Agree x 3
                                • Like Like x 1
                                  JWK, Jun 28, 2018
                                  #480 Quote in Conversation
                                Page 32 of 57
                                Loading...
                                Similar Threads - TOMATO GROWING THREAD
                                1. JWK

                                  Tomato Growing Thread 2023

                                  JWK, Jan 1, 2023, in forum: Edible Gardening
                                  Replies:
                                  1,124
                                  Views:
                                  54,706
                                  shiney
                                  Jan 1, 2024
                                2. JWK

                                  Tomato Growing Thread 2022

                                  JWK, Jan 1, 2022, in forum: Edible Gardening
                                  Replies:
                                  1,443
                                  Views:
                                  56,910
                                  Chazz
                                  Jan 31, 2023
                                3. JWK

                                  Tomato Growing Thread 2021

                                  JWK, Jan 4, 2021, in forum: Edible Gardening
                                  Replies:
                                  793
                                  Views:
                                  43,999
                                  JWK
                                  Jan 1, 2022
                                4. ARMANDII

                                  TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2020

                                  ARMANDII, Jan 18, 2020, in forum: Edible Gardening
                                  Replies:
                                  384
                                  Views:
                                  28,531
                                  Oakapple
                                  Feb 7, 2021
                                5. JWK

                                  The Tomato Growing Thread 2019

                                  JWK, Jan 19, 2019, in forum: Edible Gardening
                                  Replies:
                                  286
                                  Views:
                                  22,517
                                  WeeTam
                                  Nov 12, 2019

                                Share This Page

                                1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                                  By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                                  Accept Learn More...
                                  Dismiss Notice