Tomato Growing 2024

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by JWK, Jan 1, 2024.

  1. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    My tomato supports are a bit Heath-Robinson, a mix of aluminium L sections and fibreglass rods tied together. Last year it collapsed so maybe I'm not best qualified to help.

    @Nel_Staffs is there a place with soil you can use instead, then you can push canes into the ground?
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2024
  2. Nel_Staffs

    Nel_Staffs Gardener

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    Unfortunately not, I'll just keep exploring what I can use with the pots !
     
  3. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    You could train the plant sideways, horizontally. They don't have to grow straight up
     
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    • Nel_Staffs

      Nel_Staffs Gardener

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      Ooh yes. Even more thinking required:ideaIPB:
       
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      • NigelJ

        NigelJ Total Gardener

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        @Nel_Staffs
        Tomatoes are naturally a scrambling type of plant, stems can root when they come into contact with the soil. So you could grow to a height you can comfortably reach and then train them horizontally or you could loop them down and back up.
        Quite often mine reach the top of the greenhouse and then get "trained" along.
        Commercially they often lower, them run them along the floor and then back up.
         
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        • Nel_Staffs

          Nel_Staffs Gardener

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          Thanks @NigelJ . They grew such thick main stems , I'm not sure about the looping back down. It's all my sister's fault! She liked the look of the Costoluto on the seed packet but didnt realise we'd both end up with tomato jungles on our patios! The toms tasted so good and made lots of roasted tomato sauce at the end of the season. So, here we are again :)
           
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          • Loofah

            Loofah Admin Staff Member

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            Some of my smaller varieties didn't germinate (old seed) so I've bought some Sungold seeds as everyone seems to like them :)
             
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            • fairygirl

              fairygirl Total Gardener

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              I looked those toms up , so I can see how they'd be a bit big for a standard sort of support!
              Not a type I've ever grown, but @NigelJ 's suggestion sounds like the best solution. Could you even have a pot each side of the one they're growing in, and shove some trellis or similar in there to make it easier to train, and harvest them ? Against a wall would certainly make it easier too if that's possible.

              I've grown Sunglod for years @Loofah and they're pretty trouble free, apart from the one strange thing that happens - they never seem to get as far as the kitchen...;)
               
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              • JWK

                JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                Same here, in my smaller greenhouse I train mine to the apex then down the other side. You have to train them every day whilst the growing main stem is flexible, once they become thicker I sometimes tie in with string and gently tighten each day. It's easy to snap the growing tip off, so leave at least one sideshoot lower down as insurance.

                Another thought @Nel_Staffs is to treat Cosoluto as a bush, leave a couple of sideshoots and nip out the growing tip when you have say 4 trusses. That way it will stay a manageable size. The two side shoots will then produce a couple of trusses too etc. With this beefsteak type you need to thin out the trusses to just 2 or 3 fruit and support the trusses. I have purpose support plastic thingies for that purpose.
                 
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                • Nel_Staffs

                  Nel_Staffs Gardener

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                  Ah , good thinking @JWK :ideaIPB::ideaIPB:
                   
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                  • Jenny_Aster

                    Jenny_Aster Optimistic Gardener.

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                    Never thought I'd be such a big fan of growing tomatoes, I can't say I love eating them raw, but I do love them in sauces/soups/stews. I grew three varieties last year, Honeycomb, Burlesque, and Black Cherry. They were so nice even when eaten straight off the vine, now I'm finding supermarket ones just can't compare.

                    This year I'm going mad, I have, or will, be sowing the same as last year (seeds left over), and also First in the Field, San Marzano (mainly for the freezer), Alfresco, Chocolate Pear, Tumbling Tom, and Super Marmande. Don't have a greenhouse so they'll have to make do with being outside.
                     
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                    • amancalledgeorge

                      amancalledgeorge Super Gardener

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                      This growing season will be weird for me because we will probably move house in early May from London to North Wales. The new place has a greenhouse but no veg area so will have to make a new pottager this summer/autumn but unfortunately can't start tomatoes from seed as can't add fragile plants on top of the hundreds of pots from the garden that need to be moved alongside tonnes of ceramics, furniture and books.

                      Fingers crossed I'll find some tomato plants when we get there and make some space in the existing borders to grow some as I find them one of the most rewarding summer crops.

                      But definitely looking forward to altering the nearly half an acre garden and making something personal out of it. Until then I'll be living my tomato life through your posts
                       
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                      • NigelJ

                        NigelJ Total Gardener

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                        I inevitably end up with a tomato jungle in the greenhouse, so I can sit there on wet summer days working away eating tomatoes and listening to cricket on TMS.
                         
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                        • Alisa

                          Alisa Super Gardener

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                          Main sowings completed 13.03.: 12x for the greenhouse, 6x for the outdoors. As previously, soaked in aloe vera for 24 hours prior putting into the compost.
                           
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                          • CanadianLori

                            CanadianLori Total Gardener

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                            Sorry @pete I can't help here. In fact I've never noticed that name before. :redface:
                             
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