Tomato Growing 2024

Anyone able to grow tomatoes outside are very lucky and I am envious. Down here blight decimates tomatoes grown in the open. I believe potato blight is endemic, due in part to climate and the quantity of potatoes grown locally. It is almost impossible to grow main crop potatoes as well, we can get away with earlies and second earlies, just.

 

We can't reliably grow outdoors due to climate @Goldenlily26. July, in particular, can be cold and damp here, although it's been very changeable nowadays, especially in the last few years. I've been growing some of the spare plants outside, but they're tucked up against the growhouse, so well sheltered from the wind and rain.
Always a challenge

 

Anyone know what substances farmers use against blight?

 

It is interesting Fairygirl that I can grow tomatoes in the greenhouse without too much trouble but my daughter who lives nearby in the bottom of a deep valley has problems with blight in her greenhouse. Lack of air circulation I guess.
I have never had a problem with black fly or aphids in this garden, high up and very exposed to wind from any direction.
Plus lots of small birds to eat them.

 

Aphids aren't much of a problem here either - the birds eat them, but I don't grow lots of susceptible plants. Certainly don't get them in the gr'house.
The sweet peas get some aphhids once they're flowering, but that's not for a while yet, and the blue tits get to them pretty quickly. I rarely get a surge of them that need a bit of wiping off though.
I have a windy site, despite being in a residential area with loads of mature trees around, but it's all relative. Gale force gusts at any time of year are pretty normal. We're only at 400 feet altitude, which is nothing in terms of height.

 

Potato growers to see two new sprays to fight blight - Farmers Weekly

 

The obscurely titled Microbeicum Occemus. Loose sprays of flowers, followed by deep red mini-beefs. Should mature to 25-50g.

 

The progress of my cherry tomato bed:





Significantly behind compared to what others have posted but I know they will soon catch up.

Would you believe that over 90% of the compost in each pot dates all the way back to 2019? I just kept on reusing it as it was too expensive to replace.

 

It’s been such a lovely day and I thought this is now the right time to take a few photos of my tomatoes plants. I have 1 cordon tomato plus a cucumber outside in 20L air pots which I’m hoping to grow to 7ft and a bush tomato at the back door in a 9L pot.
The cold frame is holding 3 bush tomatoes also in 9L air pots.

Outside
Lufichoice Multi-Flora (Cordon)– showing 2 large groups of trusses with flowers at the moment




Maskatra (Mascot) Bush- Full of tomatoes



La Diva Cucumber - numerous flowers and tiny cucumbers


Cold Frame

2 Baby boomer Bush- Their listed as a Dwarf, but maybe because I’m growing in 9L pots they grow a little larger. I also decided to support the trusses before they break as they are going to be super heavy. The tallest is 28inches "not including the plant pot"
Fat Frog Bush is the one on the right of the photo-only grows to 1 ft, but will have to wait and see with it being in a larger pot?

 

Fruits on all 3 types here - Sungold, Choc. Cherry and Black Krim. All in the GH. Slow going due to poor weather. All sown from seed in early April.
Currently unsure whether to reduce the no. of trusses ( usually 6 for the first 2 and 4 or 5 for the Krim ) to ensure the chance of ripening or leave and hope for better weather over the next 3 months.
Any other growers facing a similar dilemma ?

 

Picked my first Honeycomb today, from the greenhouse.
It was tasty but small.

 

I usually wait until August bank holiday to chop the top of my cherry tomatoes. That gives time for any flowering trusses to fully ripen before any frost or blight hits.

 

I know I'm under tomato growing - was in fact looking for cucumbers but couldn't find it
Nevertheless I'm hope I could get a little information please.

Am I using the right fertiliser on my cucumbers
I have been using BIG TOM – NPK 6-3-9.5
Feeding one a week
2 photos added below showing a few leaves with yellow discolouration -