Tomato Growing Thread 2022

Okay, I caved and brought them back into the greenhouse. Maybe next week, eh?

 

It's that time of the year, too cold for some plants to stay outside overnight, but happy to be outside in the Sun..............A bit like us Humans

 

Yeah, its a bit annoying with these heat loving but long season plants like tomatoes and chillis. At least with things like outside cucumbers and french beans you don't even need to sow them for another week or two as they grow so fast

 

Tomatoes all in greenhouse now , only a small 6 x 6 so a couple of candles under pots keeping the temps up in double figures, All thoses gifts of large candles now coming in useful
regds Sandy

 

As some of my Tom's and chilli's have succumbed to aphids (never before!) and the bl##dy whitefly, I've just ordered more seed and the whitish cucumber I'd forgot to order! Still plenty of time even if they all have to go outside!
Now ..... how many of you have ever used Safe Soap as a discouragement to insect pests?? I'm going to get rid of them, the insect immigrants that is, no need for flights to Rwanda!!

 

Fascinating fasciation! Fused flower from the centre of my "Sci-Fi" plant. (I snipped it off because it won't make an edible or seed bearing fruit.)

 

Thanks re soap John. Yes Safe Soap is a product name I discovered browsing ways to get rid of white fly. Felt guilty re using Pyrethrum again. OK it is plantbased but still an insecticide. Yes and I know works though limited number of actual applications ( 2 in a season, which seems not enough if you miss parts of infestation!) Have been aware of Horticultural Soap but never tried it! There are other Biological controls it seems other than Encarsia so perhaps I should try one. Problem there is knowing how persistant/ longlasting the Pyrethrum is once applied as it will kill the control insects as well?!!
I've never had problems with aphids before in the heated old conservatory but they are persistent and in very small infestation. Not really parasitic as they quickly KILL the plant rather than cleverly weaken it whilst allowing some growth. I always understood that parasites never killed hosts??

 

My outdoor ones are now in the cold frame but took some out, for a picture, not bad considering after last year I wasn't going to bother this year.

Got a couple of Tomande, never grown it before, that I will pot on into bigger pots and keep under cover somewhere.

 

I've started bagging unopened flower trusses for seed collection later.

 

How do you guys all afford to pay for these grow lamps, must cost a fortune under the new energy prices.

 

Mine started out under grow lights but to be honest they are not much different to usual, I was probably too mean, and didn't have them on for long enough.

 

Mine are on during dull days to get my plants to a reasonable size, they go out on sunny days.
I don't have a Smart Meter so I don't know how much they cost.