Tomato Growing Thread 2012

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by JWK, Mar 1, 2012.

  1. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    My understanding (although not got to that stage yet ...) is that if the crown is protected (ball of fleece jammed in it) it should be fine.

    Presumably its rooted now John? Might be worth checking the crown to see if the "knuckles" are swelling, and if you are dry like here might need watering from the top already?
     
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    • Jenny namaste

      Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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      Kristen good evening,
      my little Maskotka plants now have a glorious white backdrop and, although they were leaning sunward at first' I turned them all round and, tonight they are all upright and 2 new leaves have started no all of them.
      Thank you on behalf of my Toms upstairs xxxx,
      Jenny namaste
       
    • Jenny namaste

      Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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      Kristen,
      this is an uploaded piccie I have just done. Not brilliant but I hope to get better. I turned the toms around to face me and took a picture of them with their all new sining and dancing backdrop. No sun today but it's warm upstairs - I tell them "you can go outside with the mob in the mini greenhouse if you like but it ain't as cushty as in here" They look a bit sulky but no mutterings of a revolution yet. I have turned them back to look out the window. Can you see them OK?
      thank you,
      Jenny namaste
       

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    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      Picture is fine, and the Toms look fine too :)
       
    • Scrungee

      Scrungee Well known for it

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      [​IMG]

      Those toms look too small for the pots they're in, and I would have either transplanted them either into modular cell tray inserts (24 cells per tray minimum) or mini pots of about same size, so that they could then have been subsequentley dropped right into the bottom of those (3 - 4"?) pots when big enough, so that some stem gets buried and will produce extra roots.
       
    • Jenny namaste

      Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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      Whooops - a booboo already. Can only hope they will forgive but in retrospect, I can see what you mean. Thank you ,
      Jenny namaste
       
    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      I prick out directly into 3" pots (I'm guessing that's what they are in now?). They grow quickly and its only a couple of weeks before they need potting on - to 5" then 9" then 12" then leave them in that pot or, in my case, plant out into greenhouse border.

      I seek to have no "check" to their growing, so I don't stress them in smaller pots. But for anything less vigorous then I do as you describe as straight into a "big" pot means that they tend to drown :(
       
    • Jack McHammocklashing

      Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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      Help
      How do I stop the seedlings getting leggy
      It is too cold to pot them on and place in the greenhouse (unheated 2c at night 22c day)
      On the window sill, 19c they are now 2" high

      I am stuck what to do
      Pot them up, up to the seed leaf into 2" pots and give them light but no heat (though not below 12c) SWHMBO would go loopy at me putting them where that would be place

      Help

      Jack McH
       
    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      They will be OK Jenny provided you don't give them too much water whilst the seedlings are small. I sometimes put mine into big pots, it's OK if you have the window sill space and don't have enough time to keep potting on. Tomatoes are remarkably forgiving plants :dbgrtmb:
       
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      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        2" high and 19c sounds perfect Jack.

        I agree it's too cold for them to be outside. It is a quandary at this time of year and mine usually end up a bit leggy. Each time you pot on your can drop the plant lower and lower, above the seed leaves. On the final planting in the greenhouse you can be quite brutal, stripping off 2 or 3 true leaves and burying really deep (if you have the pot/container depth of course). This has a couple of benefits:

        1) The hairs on the tomato stem develop into roots when in conatct with soil, so you get a stronger plant with a bigger root system that is better able to draw water and nutrients later in the season. In the height of summer when temps are soaring the plant needs to drink a lot of water to help cool itself down. If the root system cannot cope the plant will wilt.

        2) Tomato plants grow quite tall and either need training around the greenhouse or stopping (pinching out the growing tip). The distance from soil to first truss is around 18" (6 or 7 true leaves) - so by burying the plant the first truss is just off soil level. The point I'm trying to make is that you can squeeze in an extra truss of tomatoes by burying deep.
         
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        • Kristen

          Kristen Under gardener

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          What JWK said

          If you can be bothered, and its not too far, and no chance of your dropping them en route!! etc., I would be inclined to put them in greenhouse during the day. They will get better light, and make stockier plants.
           
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          • Jenny namaste

            Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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            Good morning tomatophiles,
            it is lovely to read all this. I feel I am surrounded by family elephants, supporting me in my early tom rearing stages. Thank you,
            Jenny namaste:wub2:
             
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            • Lolimac

              Lolimac Guest

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              It's great int it Jenny:blue thumb: i've grown tomatoes from being tiny but i'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination...i've just grown them how my old dad tells me...it's great to hear everyone elses take on growing toms and i've picked up no end of great advice reading these posts.....but don't tell my dad:heehee:
               
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              • Scrungee

                Scrungee Well known for it

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                I've just done a tomato stock-take in the greenhouse - 694, which might explain why I'm so keen on small pots to start off with.
                 
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                • Lolimac

                  Lolimac Guest

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                  You could have rounded it off to 700 Scrungee:snork:....
                  Wow...they'll keep you busy:phew:...fantastic....and i thought i was enthusiastic with 80...
                  I wouldn't mind if i had somewhere to put them all....:heehee:
                   
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