THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

One reason I remove lower leaves from plants in polytunnels is when I start to think I'm on borrowed time for late blight and don't want to splash water on lower leaves when watering.

Yes, because they ripen in a warm, dark drawer but not in a fridge, but some some giant tomato growers wrap their tomatoes to delay ripening until they have reached their maximum potential size, such as Dan McCoy who grew a world record 8.41 lbs tomato kept covered with a piece of sheet and grown in a polytunnel.

I might wrap a temperature datalogger inside some sheet and place another one outside to check for temperature difference. Even if it doesn't reduce the temperature, it stops tomato moth caterpillars from ruining the tomato for competition.

 

Carving THAT tomato would be a nightmare for us cheese and tomato toastie fans, couldn't eat all the toasties and would need a load of Cheddar!

 

Much later runner beans this year.....seed stubbornly refused to germinate.....but they have now reached the top (7' or so) and flowering. Good crops of gooseberries and blueberries; large crop of blackcurrants but very small fruit due to watering being overlooked at top garden. Tomatoes growing well, lots of flowers and fruit forming. Lettuce hit with hot, humid spell but they have been excellent and more are coming.
I share loki's optimism about this summer....felt it would be a good 'un a few weeks back. Some thunderstorms poss this weekend but then the sun returns, the dry weather returns, the humidity a little less and lasting all next week.
Very little slugs n snails about.....not sure they thrive in a heatwave; saw my little hedgehog crawling around this evening too; puts a smile on my face

 

Never saw the point in growing something like that would rather have a plant full of smaller fruits, everyone to their own

 

I'm running out of Chempak Tom food. I bought it in bulk a few years back. I don't really want to do another bulk buy at this time of the year so was wondering if I could use Phostrogen instead once the Chempak is finished? I have compared the make up of both products and there doesn't seem a whole heap of a difference. I use Chempak in most waterings (about 4 times a flaming day atm as the greenhouse is more akin to a furnace) so going through the Chempak faster than I imagined. I will maybe only feed once every 2 days from now on as I don't want to over feed/waste. My Tomatoes are looking absolutely great bar a few curled leaves due to heat. It was getting on for 100oC a couple of days ago OUTSIDE and that day if I'd have had leaves mine would have fallen off.

 

I have some tomatoes growing and a lot of flowers but nothing seems to be growing. They just seem to be taking ages and I'm worrying nothing will grow or ripen before summers end. Can you please take a look at my plants and tell me what I'm doing wrong thank you.

 

Hi Jane...my Moneymakers are the same, they have almost stopped growing at about 3ft tall, only getting taller by about 2 inches in the last 4 weeks, though they do have some big, green toms.

Whereas the Gardeners Delight are touching the greenhouse roof, with lots of ripening toms.

One thing I have noticed, is that the Moneymakers are taking up hardly any water when compared the GD's, which are guzzling it down. I've stopped feeding the Mm's to try and increase their water uptake.

I think in my case it has been too hot for them in the greenhouse, reaching 44°C / 111°F and that is with both internal and external shading, with the door open.

 

It does seem odd, from the photos they look healthy enough. Are the growing tips ok?

 

Yeah growing tips are fine as are the plants. They just don't seem to be doing anything.

 

I've only got 1 San Marzano set in the greenhouse, currently 34c in there.



Yet outside Scrunge's Crimson crush are doing well

 

The greenhouse I inherited is pretty old and broken and has several panes of glass out, so the airflow is actually really good and its not too hot. I have loads of toms on my plants and the plants themselves reached about 6 foot so ive had to nip the top off now.

 

Hi Jane your plants look fine nice and healthy with plenty of fruit. Sheps is right they do not like temps above 35 degrees and tend to stall on upward growth. They will be fine as soon as the first one ripens you will get loads. Looking at the colour of your toms they look pretty light so should not be long in ripening, there is one thing you can do, a finishing feed used to complete the ripening process. Reduce nitrogen and increase potassium (potash). Too much nitrogen can delay ripening. Just give it to plants with the lightest fruit. do not feed all with it or you will end up with a glut.
Regards sandy

 

During morning my greenhouse is shaded from the sun with a temp of 20c. By afternoon it gets full sun once the sun comes around to front of my house which is when the temperature goes higher inside of it. I'll temp on temp once it gets full sun and see what it hits.

 

My fruit what I have got seems to be taken ages to ripen. Would you know the name of the stuff with potash in and is it available at wilko.