Should I move my tomatoes ?

[roosky]

For the last 2 years I've grown my tomatoes in the same bed in the polytunnel, feeding with well-rotted manure after the first year. Do I need to move them to another bed (not so suitable) or can I manure again, and keep them in the same place this year ?

[roitelet]

Ideally you should move them so that you dont grow them on the same ground more than once in three years. This helps sop soil borne nastys building up. If this is not practicle you could grow them in the same ground using ring culture.

[Scarlet]

I grow mine in the same spot, I try to dig out as much of the border as my back will allow and fill in with new compost from my bins. I think there is more a risk of disease growing in the same spot but I don't like growing toms in buckets in the GH.

[roosky]

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what's "ring culture"?

[WendyC]

You can buy grow rings or cut the bottom off large plastic pots and sit these on the soil. The plants are planted inside the ring.

[mothhawk]

Ring culture raises the plants up a bit and gives them a bit of compost all to themselves.

You buy or make some of these -



and grow the tomatoes like this -

[mothhawk]

If you have no disease or pest problems with your tomatoes (other than the seemingly ever-present whitefly), you'll be fine adding a nice lot of mature manure to the soil and using the same space again.

[roosky]

Thanks, everyone, that's all very helpful.

[Jonnyt]

My Grandad used to grow them on a bed of gravel using ring culture and used to sell his toms produced this way to local green grocers so it must have worked well.

No soil or manure used, just compost in the rings


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