Tomato Growing 2025

I wasn't going to re-sow this mystery pink beefsteak from last year, but like Oscar Wilde, I can resist anything except temptation.

 

How do you eat all of them? Christmas gifts of sauce maybe!

 

I cook a lot down for freezing. Tomatoes on toast is one of my favourite things to eat and I've almost used up last year's crop.

Half my tomatoes are planted at the front of my house, along the public footpath. I invite the neighbours and dog walkers to pick what they need, so that trims the surplus a little.

 

My seedlings of 4 cordon and 7 bush are behaving themselves and have raised their pretty heads above ground in their 3 inch pots. Turning them around every time I enter the kitchen and making sure the capillary matting is moist is a must throughout the day especially if they are showing signs of leaning towards the patio windows. (Husband said - I am mothering them too much so I may have to do a little baking to keep him happy "a few ginger biscuits should do it" if he makes the drinks

Yesterday I had some 7 gallon fabric pots delivered... I've gone a little bit bigger in size this time from my 9L & 20L pots as I thought it would benefit my cordons which will be put down the side of my south facing path, and my bush cherry's will stay either in the cold frame or on the patio.
LOL - I'm getting head of myself now as these beauties won't be outside until May time.

I am so... relaxed this year and so far not getting into a kerfuffle with growing.
"I'd say it's because I know more about growing toms than I did 3 yrs ago which was zero at the time" and I am also wise enough to say even at 78 yrs one is still learning.
Hoping that all of you have a bumper harvest.

 

Those are looking hale and hearty @Grandma Sue .

 

@Grandma Sue - it shows it's never too late to learn. I mostly learn by my mistakes!

 

Just potted on my tomatoes, 20 seeds planted in the heated prop in cells, 19 have flourished, one was a bit weedy, so that has gone to the great compost bin in the sky(well actually it's at the bottom of the garden)
All still in the house in reused yoghurt pots, still too cold in NE Scotland to go into the greenhouse yet.

 

Fleece at the ready. Going to risk my micros and peppers in the greenhouse tonight.

 

I've only just sown mine, now in the indoor grow lights.

 

Sowing mine this week …

 

The last of the timely neonates plus the dumping tray for the slow-coaches. These are mostly for family and neighbours.

 

Potted up 30 baby tomato plants and now waiting for more seedlings to develop proper leaves.

 

Getting about 6 hours outside in direct sunshine and wind now to harden them off

 

Planted my tomato seeds on the 30th March, all in the cold GH. This year I’ve also used clear meat and fruit trays as mini propagation lids. We were away for a few days and delighted to get back yesterday and find them all germinating. The lids and good weather has spurred things on, much quicker than last year.

Just three varieties - two beefsteak Burlesque, Costoluto fierentino and a cherry, my (2nd generation) IOW Tomato Stall squished