Tomato Growing 2024

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

  1. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    Do you know I've never added flour to a soup. I usually use a potato or bread to chunk it up
     
  2. Hanglow

    Hanglow Super Gardener

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    I use rice sometimes.

    My last garlic variety is about 90% rust now, need to pick it soon
     
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      The bread is flour :whistle::heehee:
       
    • Loofah

      Loofah Admin Staff Member

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      :yikes::yikes:
       
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      • BB3

        BB3 Gardener

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        My tomato plant is well watered but the leaves wilt in the sun and perk up in the evening.
        Is this doing any harm?
         
      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        That suggests a small root system, mine were doing that a few weeks ago before they got properly established after planting.

        Are they in a small container or grow bag?

        It might cause problems like blossom end rot.
         
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        • BB3

          BB3 Gardener

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          A very deep potato planter sack effort. I'm pretty sure there's plenty of room for the roots. It's facing east and gets very hot IF the sun shines.
           
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          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            I don't know how you can stop them wilting @BB3 apart from watering more often which you've probably tried. I would give it a proper soak in the morning till it runs out the bottom. I have found with potatoes in bags, when I've tipped them out the compost is dry at the bottom even though I thought I'd looked after them.

            Can you put a big plant saucer under the bag, may be too late now.
             
          • BB3

            BB3 Gardener

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            It'd have to be a massive saucer! @JWK .
            It didn't occur to me that it might be dry at the bottom. I'll definitely give it a bit more water.
            Edit:
            Pretty sure you were right. It took an awful lot of water before anything came out
             
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              Last edited: Jul 27, 2024
            • Goldenlily26

              Goldenlily26 Super Gardener

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              My first tomato has set! It is the size of a pea. I am waiting to see if the rest of the truss has set.
              If I am very lucky I might have one tomato to eat. Yeah!
               
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              • Butterfly6

                Butterfly6 Gardener

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                Mine have just started to set in the last week. I think that’s not far off normal timing for mine, I didn’t sow the seed until early April (in a cold greenhouse). I’m always weeks behind anyone else on the forum and watching posts of tomato harvests with envy for some time before I get any my own.

                They’ll then continue to fruit and ripen through September and any green can then be picked and will soon ripen indoors so better late than never.

                The Tomato Stall are excellent SM tomatoes while we wait impatiently. Taste just like homegrown. I think you can buy them direct too, they’re based in the IOW
                 
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                • BB3

                  BB3 Gardener

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                  Baking hot sun and no wilting!
                   
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                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    Yeah!
                     
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                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                      Some tips:

                      Spray your plants with aspirin against blight. 1 soluble tablet in a couple of litres of water. Spray all the leaves particularly the undersides, do it early morning before the sun gets intense. You only need to do this once. The science is that aspirin shocks the plants and toughens them up to make them more disease resistant. It doesn't stop blight completely in my experience but slows it down. It also has a positive effect on taste, making the fruit sweeter. I didn't believe this tip till I experimented a few years ago. I can taste the difference between plants treated or not and my brix tester showed sugar levels were up to 10% higher.

                      For even sweeter tomatoes feed every month with molasses. These can be got from a country/farm supply type shop as a horse supplement. Again I tested this idea and it worked for me. However I had to stop as it also attracts vermin. So only try if your garden is free from those pests.

                      Remove the lower leaves if they are touching the soil or adjacent plants. The idea is to improve air circulation which will lessen the chance of fungal disease. Remove below the first truss but no higher.
                       
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                      • Allotment Boy

                        Allotment Boy Lifelong Allotmenteer

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                        Interesting tip about Asprin, I find similar effects spraying with liquid seaweed TONIC not feed. It seems to toughen up the cuticle of the leaves, and improves pest and disease resistance.
                         
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