Tomato Growing Thread 2012

Yup, they will be fine. Toms will root from a buried stem (unlike most plants, which hate having their stems buried).

You can plant them horizontally if you like, although you'll have to be careful "bending" the stem to get the bit above ground to come upright.

Another option, possibly?, is to take cuttings from the side shoots, and use those for a follow-on-crop. They should set their first truss lower down (than a seed-grown plant), and be more stocky as they will have grown at a time when there is more light.

But dunno if that option helps you at all?

You could also "layer" the Tomato plants - lower them down once they get to the greenhouse roof, lay them along the row (and round the end of the row) and then train then up the string of a plant originally 2 or 3 further along the row. That's how they train them in commercial greenhouses where they crop for nearly 12 months (they are trained up a string that is round around a bobbin at the top, every so often them unwind more string from the bobbin and move the bobbin along the greenhouse so the bottom of the plant is lowered to the ground, and the "fruiting part" is at 45 degrees, so to speak.

 

Hiya Kristen, thanks for that.

I'll just plant them nice and deep. I'll also have my outdoor toms for following on, so fingers crossed we have a year the same as last, no frost until November. That stuff about 'layering' sounds interesting, but I've found that once the plants have peaked, and the colder/damper weather comes along, mould usually moves in.

Cheers...Freddy

 

I thought "you" were the expert on here so last week, I removed the bottom leaves of my leggy toms and planted them 12" deep in the greenhouse, (cold house)
They have survived still stong and rich green, only not grown up much, though a couple of fruit trusses set :-)

Jack McH

 

As a comparison experiment, I acquired a grafted tomato Elegance last weekend from B&Q. It has bounced back from its initial very pale an limp state (probably due to the unusually cool and dull conditions) having spent the past week in the propagator. I also have Elegance grown from seed (left).

 

Expert? Moi? Definitely not an expert!

 

Sorry, missed your post. I'm growing just one of these. I had some old seed given to me, and out of maybe 6 seed, I got one. I may well just stick it in a decent size pot, as space is limited. As you say, it's a bush type, so I guess one just lets it do what it does

Anyway, I planted some of my other other toms into the greenhouse border today. I couldn't bring myself to take off all the leaves as planned. I took off maybe 3 leaves and planted them deep. A couple of pics herewith...







There's 8 of Sungold (my favourite) and 6 of Rosada.

Cheers...Freddy

 

Maskotka.
Any info on how big they actually go.
Any special treatment needed.
Cheers

 

Well done Freddy :WINK1:

 

I tansplanted a couple of plants bent sideways into 3 litre pots from 3" pots. The buried stems seem to be sprouting plenty of roots in a very short time.

 

My **tree**tree** Maskotkas have been banished from the upstairs bedroom and have gravitated to downstairs. They are looking out in fright at the big cold world out there and CONTINUE TO GROW!! I'm resigned to the fact that they are gonna have to be planted sideways on in the window boxes and they MAY have to undergo a "resection" (cut,take some out and regraft) at this rate!! It's all gone wrong but it was my first attempt. I (with the benefit of hindsight) planted too soon and none of us knew it was going to be this cold for this length of time did we? Just measured the tallest : 20.5 inches !! ?? Dwarf variety for pots/window boxes. Mine would give a row of runner beans a run for their money!!

 

Why not just take some of the leaves off Jenny and plant them deep I've had a go at doing that with one of my Alicante....buried it up to it's 'neck'....

 

Loli, I have no spare ground in the ground to plant them that deep. They were only ever destined for the window boxes. One of Jack's has rotted and he's cut it off *and stuck it back in the ground!! Love it. If it works* I might just give 'em all the "Chelsea chop" !!

 

Don't panic yet ... make sure you have some Epsom Salts on hand though, they'll need that soon (maybe others will say to apply that now ...)

If you don;t have any Epson Salts get it from garden centre - much cheaper, in bulk, than from the chemist.