Tomato Growing Thread 2023

Mine are slow this year, I'm putting it down to the cold weather and low light levels.

 

Inside today, they've been outside most days as it's been dry If a little chilly. Fairly pleased with them but I'd like the weather to improve so they can go into the greenhouse in a couple of weeks

 

My poor seedlings are not doing at all well this year. I'm contemplating sowing some more. They may catch up to the others that I sowed on March 21st.

I'd feel too embarrassed to upload a picture!

 

My Tom's ready to prick out I think! Etiolated cos of big pine tree above. Should get some lights I suppose. Good germination though! Ddraig Goch, which is a greenhouse cordon, a bush outdoor which has been Blight resisistant (name forgotten but is labelled) and a cherry type from Gardeners World! My memory gets worse! A chilli, Hungarian Wax??

 

This promised end to the murky weather just seems to get pushed further back every time I check the forecast. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and plant some of the bigger triffids in their permanent greenhouse pots.

 

Re number of plants grown. Couple of dozen Tom's for ourselves, but we give away some more. So that means about 8 of each variety planted outside last year. When I was 'gardener' we grew early in the warm old conservatory but the dreaded Whitefly became winners in the fight for fruit so we stopped and only raised seedlings there. So the cool greenhouse took over! This was also colonised by the bloody flies and the present 'gardener' tells me (now!) that she's going to stop this year. Everything will go outside (most was out last year) wWe have a small plastic affair that grows about 4 plants (the Tomato House) holds more whilst they're small! I've bought quite a few of the plastic pot things that have a 'moat' around the growing pot part which I worked out would be easier for the 'gardener' to handle/water/feed. Some plants go into pots and some in the ground. We've tended to cut down on growbags, though using contents to make up better drained potting compost plus garden compost and grit! We freeze a lot of fruit for winter casseroles etc.

 

For stats. The bigger ones (sown in March plus 1 bought, all different) spent a first day in the greenhouse today. Just brought them inside, nights too cold. And another picture - little ones sown in April (forgive another plants, I love growing houseplants):

 

I cant remember a year when it wasn't ok to plant tomatoes into a cold greenhouse by the end of April.
It really has been one of the worst springs I can remember.

 

My shop bought toms were potted on the other day.

2 Ailsa Craig
2 Red Alert
1 Shirley
1 Golden Sunrise
1 Sungold



Tonight they are going to be toughing it out in the greenhouse, temperatures are supposed to be about 10° so we'll see what happens.

 

I must agree, mine are usually planted in the greenhouse about now, but long range temperatures are still dropping down as low as 5° over the next couple of weeks, at this rate it's going to be June before they get planted out.

 

I ended up planting out all 14 greenhouse plants. I have plenty of bubble wrap and, if needed, a paraffin heater. Watering cans kept full, to absorb heat during the day, plus some 5 litre water bottles, will act as night storage heaters.