Tomato Protection

Hi chums.

Naturally, at this time of year our thoughts are towards the next growing season. This year I did quite well with my outdoor toms, no blight! They did however get off to a slow start because of the cold weather in June, which you may recall. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe next year I could give them a little protection once planted. My idea is to put up a polythene screen to completely surround them, but not over the top of them. Anyone else tried this? Any thoughts?

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Over 10 years ago I was given a roll of bubble wrap (600mm wide?) and I tried using it as protection around some red alert early bush tomatoes by pushing some short vertical canes into the ground around a single row of toms, wrapping it around them and securing the ends using a staple gun to a single vertical timber post. When frost was forecast I threw some temporary protection over top. It gave me plants producing tomatoes a few weeks earlier than the rest of the crop. When the bubble wrap eventually disintegrated I stopped using this method and have been meaning to do something similar ever since but have never got around to it, probably due to some severe late May frosts that would have wiped them out regardless of that additional protection. I still use something similar around self blanching celery planted out after frosts have finished.

 

Bubble wrap sounds like a great idea. I've always stuck with growing toms in the greenhouse until now because I get too worried about the unreliable weather. Maybe I will give it a go this year...

 

Hiya John.

That sounds interesting, but I wonder about the light levels? Having said that, it obviously worked for Wisley.
Maybe some protection against blight too?

Cheers...Freddy.

 

I've had May temps dip down to -3deg C and even destroy toms inside timber coldframes, so fleece would be inadequate where I grow.

I'm now thinking about building something that will let light in but also be capable of keeping heat in generated by some tea light burners.

 

I bought 1 of those plastic clip together cold frames :D,when I brought out my outdoor toms I stood them all inside, and then last winter stood all my outdoor plants in and that helped them through the winter.:WINK1: