Tomato Growing Thread 2022

Thanks, JWK. Hopefully, we've got through the worst of it now.

 

Ahem! While I was feeling sorry for myself, I might just have ordered a load more tomato seeds from the Ukraine. What's another 24 varieties between friends, eh?

 

This is always a difficult time re danger of frost. Having a sheet material to cover tender plants planted outside has become a lot easier of late, either fleece or polythene, bubblewrap etc and many folk put this stage into ultimately producing their own adult plants, either flowers or vegetables. Obviously those of us who now have mobility issues have to basically plant things later and stick to having a cool greenhouse!
I well remember a few years ago, buying one of these 'small' plastic greenhouse to protect a banana plant then in its fourth year from seed! I'd dug it up and potted it up for the winter before but now it was too big for this process. I think now I was being over cautious and could have pruned and covered it and protected it that way!! However, I thought buying the relatively cheap cover was more logical! It worked as well !!! Wasn't I clever!! Then of course we had a huge storm with freezing temperatures! I'd not needed to cover the plant with anything else and the morning revealed a completely blown away greenhouse and a yellow frozen banana!!! You live and learn!! Even had a neighbour come up the drive to see what had happened. Never been up before which I reminded him about!! Hasn't been since!!
Seriously though, perhaps we try too hard to produce early crops?? I now think we often plant seeds etc far too early and take the frost risk! Perhaps we should delay things til 'risk of frost' really has gone !?!?!?

 

Hasn't growing tender plants from seed always been about timing?

Getting the head start on the weather but being ready to plant out when the weather is warm enough.

Waiting until frost has gone before making a start loses at least 2 months of the growing season.

 

Hi Pete, thanks so much for the advice and sorry for not coming back to you earlier.
I got distracted with work stuff and then went abroad, and lost track a bit.

Thanks, I will try and disinfect as much as I can and to get rid of all the diseased material.
Fingers crossed..

 

Hi John!

Thanks so much and thanks for the list.
I should mention that:
"Lizzano F1 - blight tolerant small red cherry, trailing bush (Determinate) type ideal for hanging baskets - no GC member has grown this before."

That is not entirely true, I have grown Lizzano for quite a few years
Not last year though. It is a good variety, provided it gets plenty of sun, space and air, it really does not like to be crammed, it will still be productive but the taste will be affected quite dramatically in my experience.
When it works, the fruits are really good. I know that Suttons and similar kind of suggest that it can be a basket variety, but I think it needs way more soil, and depth, than that. At least 20 litres in my opinion. It does grow into a pretty robust bush , even more so in the ground.
I found it less reliable than other varieties though, a bit random. And it does not tollerate uneven irrigation or dry periods very well at all.

Thanks so much for the advice.
So it is blight, not early blight?
Sorry to hear it affected your tomatoes too.. I feel last season was a bit bad for tomatoes, in terms of weather. Lots of humid and cold periods. Not to mention slugs and very aggressive squirrels. I really hope this one will be better.

I will try and remove as much material and soil as I can.
In any case I would have replaced the soil in the rings. And a fox already excavated my beds quite aggressively.. I guess it saved me some work

 

Thanks!
I never really spray my plants (I do not even have an hose in my detached garden, it's all jerry cans).
But I grow all my tomatoes outdoor, so when the weather is bad it can create just the right conditions for the dreaded thing to thrive, I guess.

I am hoping this summer will be dryer and warmer than the last, and I will refrain from cramming plants too much, hoping that it helps!

 

Here are mine outside in the sunshine today:

 

Greenhouse rabble. Peppers, aubergines, that mystery plum bush tom, Santorini, Brandywine Cherry, Zuchertraube, Piglet Willie's, Jaune Flamme, Chickie Cherry, Tonnelet. And a sneaky little cucamelon.

 

I always give two or three tomato plants to my daughter and my son-in-law. They like tomatoes, but they're hopeless at keeping the plants supported and seeing to the sideshoots. So this year, I'm making tomato cages out of old wire fencing. They should suit short cordons or tall bushes. Might have to add a couple of bamboo canes to keep the structure stable, but those can be added when the plants are handed over.

 

Admiration for all these really early Tom plants!! Mine almost ready for moving from 3" to final pots/containers in couple of weeks, probably in cold greenhouse!
Suddenly realised my 30 year old Clematis Montana may have died!!!!! Thought they were indestructible? The Gardener thinks she may have pruned to far down. Will ask this question somewhere else on the forum?

 

Went through my tomato seedlings and decided which ones to keep and which to give to my siblings. I potted mine on and put them in these old crates to bring in and out each day:

 

I finally decide yesterday I would pot up the 6/7 left in the Rootrainers as the ones that were put in individual pots a week ago seem to be making better progress.

There are now 14 plants in their own pots where they will now stay for a few weeks before being repotted into 6" pots until I can plant 9/10 in growbags their final move. Those few that are left over are for my son & a friend.

As you can see there are Ivy Geraniums cutting that have been potted up & I hope to move to my hanging basket in May.