TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2020

Can NEVER have too many tomatoes

 

Tomatoes & Cheese in a sandwich, yummy.

 

@JWK They're cordon - I have one Gardener's Delight and one Sweet Million. I did remove the side shoots, at least the little ones, I'm not sure if that is one or not. I'm about to join my virtual knitting group but will have a check tomorrow and make sure.

@Aldo That is an amazing amount of information, thank you so much! I'm hoping to buy a small greenhouse as soon as the one I've chosen is back in stock, so hopefully next year I'll have more options. I'm planning to get auto-vents but am undecided about whether I'll heat it or not. It will have electricity though so easy enough to add heat later if necessary.

We're not huge tomato eaters in this house but I do love a few cherry tomatoes in a side salad. It wouldn't be worth me investing in lamps and so on if I can only use them for tomatoes. I do prefer to grow fruiting veggies though (sweet peppers, courgettes, I want to try lettuce and cucumber next year) so if it's useful for those too then it's definitely an option.

Thank you so much for all the advice!

 

@JWK Thanks, I am glad! Also considered that most of what I know about tomatoes I learned here on the forum and quite a lot of it from your posts

 

@Arlandria If I had the space for a small greenhouse with direct electricity I would certainly consider heating it, because I could germinate most things there rather than flooding the house with pots. But it is a very small house.
I tried germinating in April in my tiny, unheated GHs and it was very hit and miss.
Things like corn, courgettes, cucumbers, patti pan, pumpkins, pak choi and radish managed, albeit slowly, without too much trouble and went on growing despite the occasional cold night.
Peppers did quite badly, with only 50% germination rate.
Melons curiously did not germinate at all for weeks, but all of sudden came all out when the temperature went up.
Terragon did not not do great, probably 30% germination. Fennel was a total, complete failure (Florence variety, I love fennel). Surprisingly rocket was a total failure as well. Tomatoes from cuttings did establish despite the lack of heating, but as I said would have done better if the temperature had been higher.




I would not trust tomatoes from seed, basil or most definetely chilli peppers to germinate at all in an unheated GH, unless in full summer, window sill in a heated propagator for me, but perhaps others will disagree.
However, if you were to use heated propagators you might get better results.
As for grown plants, from my limited experience and what I read here I think peppers, melon and chilli are ideal candidates for the greenhouse.

Lights are an interesting thing. I know little but I did some reading out of curiosity because of some question here on the forum.
If we are talking about adult plants flowering and fruiting, even a small greenhouse will require quite a lot of artificial light, because the canopy surface will be large. In Summer, if the greenhouse is well insolated most of the day, probably it would not be worth.
In very early spring it perhaps would, to get tomatoes really early as some members manage, but it would also require very good heating.

Actually, I received today some cheap led lights and I am testing them.
However, for me it is simply a matter of speeding up chilli and peppers which germinated only recently, and to hopefully make seedlings less spindly when growing them on my crowded window sill.
I can tell that the cucamelons loves them to bits. Within one hour were extending tendrills, planning to choke peppers and chilli and enjoy the good light all for themselves.
Frankly, they are the closest equivalent to bindweed in the edible category.
I am curious to see what will happen in a few days, but I think all plants are responding to it already..

 

@Aldo I know what you mean - my house isn't too small but I have a young child and a cat, so finding safe places to put propagators is tricky. I can fit 1 on the kitchen window and 2 in the conservatory, and that's it. Hence the greenhouse plan

I've started planning next year's crops already - just putting down some ideas really - and at the moment I was thinking that tomatoes, peppers, and courgettes should be in there all the time. But that's a different topic for a different thread

 

Each of my tomato plants had one big side shoot that I'd missed, so I removed them with a small sharp kitchen knife.

 

Thats early for outdoors John.

 

Since it's been dull and rainy over the last week my Tomato plants have been stuck inside my greenhouse and the leaves are all turning a slight shade of yellow. Could this purely be from the lack of sun?

 

There are many causes of tomato leave turning yellow from drowned roots, magnesium deficiency, root knot nematode aphids etc.
Magnesium deficiency for example yellows the leaves between the vanes.
there may also be other signs such as brown spots, need to know more to advise, a picture would be helpful.
lower leaves on plants yellow naturally as the plant gets older and plant sends nutrients elsewhere.
regards sandy

 

Romello bush , three plants in a big pot , pictured today 13/62020

 

Romello bush type , 3 plants in a large pot , pictures 13/06/2020 .