Growing some early tomatoes - 2019

[The Pepper Man]

Started picking this week, just a couple of 'black cherry' toms with signs the others may soon follow. Again it's the outdoor plants beating the greenhouse examples. All the plants got a bit leggy between potting on and going in the ground so the first truss is about 18"-24" up from the surface. We started soon enough but the weather prevented successful early flowers and setting, thats my excuse anyway.
Now to enjoy them and plan for next years start.

Likewise, the tomato plants in the ground are producing earlier for me too. The plants in the greenhouse are definitely bigger, but they aren't necessarily quicker to ripen. And they are just a pain to deal with in my 8 x 6 greenhouse.

I have maybe picked 100 Sungold's already, from one single plant, which is in the ground outside of the greenhouse. I have also had several ripe Black Russian's already as well, outside of the greenhouse, and a number of other ripe cherry varieties. So on the whole, the plants in the ground are doing pretty darn good.






From the greenhouse, I have only picked a couple of ripe Shirley F1's. Although I do have 3 other Shirley's F1's that are in the ground, which I haven't harvested a single tomato from as of yet. So the greenhouse Shirley's have definitely done better. Although they do also seem more prone to splitting in the greenhouse. So I guess there are pro's and con's to growing tomatoes under glass.

But next year, I will not be growing any tomatoes inside the greenhouse. They just take up too much space, to the point I can barely move around the greenhouse, and they grow out of control due to the extra heat. I have been trimming them back, but I still can't keep up with the rate of growth and they have swamped the greenhouse. Much like the melons. I much prefer to grow toms out in the open where they are easier to maintain.

So next year, I will move the tomato seedlings to the greenhouse come April, but keep them in their pots still, before transplanting them into the open ground come May. The same with the melons.

[Tripmeup]

I have harvested Taiko, Black Cherry (small few), Black Russian, Orange Favourite and Goldkrone thus far

[veggiechicken]

Three seeds of each of 9 varieties sown tonight. Now resting snugly in a prop.

Bajaja
Balconi Red
Little Sun F1
Minibel
Rambling Red Stripe
Red Robin
Totem F1
Tumbling Tom Red
Vilma

I've been picking from all of these that were sown on 2nd January

[bramble]

Mine seem to be catching up.
The first sowing in January failed.
I sowed again in Feb or even March.
Harvesting
Totem.
Balconi Red.
Tiny Tim.
Gardeners Delight.
Maskotka.
Tumbler.

[Jungle Jane]

My plants in pots always ripen before plants in the ground,depends on variety maybe? I ate this latah tomato today,it was really nice in a cheese sandwich -

[The Pepper Man]

I've been picking from all of these that were sown on 2nd January

That's insanely early to be starting tomatoes lol. Peppers, I would understand. But sowing tomatoes on new years pretty much lol. I'm sure it works great for you, but I couldn't imagine myself doing that.

I germinated a Shirley F1 on 1st April and it is now about 8-9 feet tall, and about 5-6 feet wide. And it's outdoors, not inside a greenhouse. It's just gone wild and grown to gigantic proportions. Even with weekly pruning, I cannot keep it under control. The growth rate is ridiculous. I actually wish it was much smaller, compact and not growing out of control.

Likewise, one of my Sungold's sown on April 1st has taken over an entire section of my plot. It has actually outcompeted all the other heirloom tomato plants in the vicinity, draining the nutrients & water, overcrowding the others and knocking them over. It has completely swamped the plot. And that's with regular pruning. It's just sent out tons of lateral side shoots all over the place, like a giant spider web. It's only about 3-4 feet tall though, so fairly low down, but numerous branches and offshoots snake across the ground. I am probably going to get 1,000 tom's off that Sungold this season.

I couldn't imagine starting those plants earlier than April 1st. I suppose you may get the added advantage of earlier fruiting, but in my case, I wouldn't want the plants growing to insane proportions. Given that I have lots of plants and some space limitations. Each to their own though...

[Small pumpkin]

That's insanely early to be starting tomatoes lol.

I think you’ll find that’s the whole point of this thread.

[Small pumpkin]

I’m still picking from my micro Tom.
Very impressed with how many toms you get from such a tiny plant.

[lottie dolly]

MY first lot did no good,but am impessed with what some of you have,i have tomato envy,well done all.

[Thelma Sanders]

I've been picking from Garden pearl, Yellow Peardrops was a bit slower than GP this year.
Funnily enough some the much later sowings have already caught up - Orange Paruche and Irish Gardener's Delight. Just another couple of days for the Rapunzel and Deano's Rosella ( )

[Scarlet]

I’m still picking from my micro Tom.
Very impressed with how many toms you get from such a tiny plant.

I grow a yellow one too and they have more fruit in than leaves.

[Scarlet]

That's insanely early to be starting tomatoes lol. Peppers, I would understand. But sowing tomatoes on new years pretty much lol. I'm sure it works great for you, but I couldn't imagine myself doing that.

I germinated a Shirley F1 on 1st April and it is now about 8-9 feet tall, and about 5-6 feet wide. And it's outdoors, not inside a greenhouse. It's just gone wild and grown to gigantic proportions. Even with weekly pruning, I cannot keep it under control. The growth rate is ridiculous. I actually wish it was much smaller, compact and not growing out of control.

Likewise, one of my Sungold's sown on April 1st has taken over an entire section of my plot. It has actually outcompeted all the other heirloom tomato plants in the vicinity, draining the nutrients & water, overcrowding the others and knocking them over. It has completely swamped the plot. And that's with regular pruning. It's just sent out tons of lateral side shoots all over the place, like a giant spider web. It's only about 3-4 feet tall though, so fairly low down, but numerous branches and offshoots snake across the ground. I am probably going to get 1,000 tom's off that Sungold this season.

I couldn't imagine starting those plants earlier than April 1st. I suppose you may get the added advantage of earlier fruiting, but in my case, I wouldn't want the plants growing to insane proportions. Given that I have lots of plants and some space limitations. Each to their own though...

Are you pruning correctly? There shouldn't be any side shoots? " Numerous branches and offshoots" indicate that you aren't doing that? Those plants are all cordons so they shouldn't be getting to 5/6 wide? Insane proportions sounds as if you are letting a lot of sideshoots grow up without pruning....which can be a serious problem in the GH if you aren't getting much airflow. We have s few more months yet and if your GH is as crammed as you describe you could loose the lot to Botrytis.
I train two stems per plant up a cane or string to reach the roof.
It's a good year for toms outside but some years your harvest can be cut down with blight with a load of green toms ready to ripen which really isn't ideal. So growing outside tomatoes is a gamble.

Sowing a few early bush tomatoes gives you an earlier crop that will not outgrow your windowsill too soon.
Micro toms are perfect for a pot on a windowsill and even without pruning won't get insanely large.

[Scarlet]

Pruning a cordon tomato

It has completely swamped the plot. And that's with regular pruning. It's just sent out tons of lateral side shoots all over the place, like a giant spider web. It's only about 3-4 feet tall though, so fairly low down, but numerous branches and offshoots snake across the ground.

Lateral shoots should all be removed by pinching out the growth between the main stem and the leaf - see circles in blue.

The main stem - see red line - is tied onto a cane.
With the correct pruning the plant doesn't waste energy on growing lots of lush greenery and stems but will encourage the fruit to ripen.
This plant has reached the roof. That's about 6 ft with fruit well formed on the 7th truss already.



As it's pruned well I can plant my tomatoes approx 18inches apart in the green house which will extend the growing season later on in the year.

[veggiechicken]

That's insanely early to be starting tomatoes lol. Peppers, I would understand. But sowing tomatoes on new years pretty much lol. I'm sure it works great for you, but I couldn't imagine myself doing that.

I germinated a Shirley F1 on 1st April and it is now about 8-9 feet tall, and about 5-6 feet wide. And it's outdoors, not inside a greenhouse. It's just gone wild and grown to gigantic proportions. Even with weekly pruning, I cannot keep it under control. The growth rate is ridiculous. I actually wish it was much smaller, compact and not growing out of control.

Likewise, one of my Sungold's sown on April 1st has taken over an entire section of my plot. It has actually outcompeted all the other heirloom tomato plants in the vicinity, draining the nutrients & water, overcrowding the others and knocking them over. It has completely swamped the plot. And that's with regular pruning. It's just sent out tons of lateral side shoots all over the place, like a giant spider web. It's only about 3-4 feet tall though, so fairly low down, but numerous branches and offshoots snake across the ground. I am probably going to get 1,000 tom's off that Sungold this season.

I couldn't imagine starting those plants earlier than April 1st. I suppose you may get the added advantage of earlier fruiting, but in my case, I wouldn't want the plants growing to insane proportions. Given that I have lots of plants and some space limitations. Each to their own though...

We've been sowing tomato seeds in January for so many years that it seems perfectly normal to many of us.

I've been looking back at your "Showcase" thread and you don't seem to be
sideshooting your tomatoes in the GH so its inevitable that they will become overcrowded. Here's one of your photos https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ml#post1659616

I'd like to see some photos of your outdoor plants please. Perhaps you could update your thread?

[The Pepper Man]

Are you pruning correctly? There shouldn't be any side shoots? " Numerous branches and offshoots" indicate that you aren't doing that? Those plants are all cordons so they shouldn't be getting to 5/6 wide? Insane proportions sounds as if you are letting a lot of sideshoots grow up without pruning....which can be a serious problem in the GH if you aren't getting much airflow. We have s few more months yet and if your GH is as crammed as you describe you could loose the lot to Botrytis.
I train two stems per plant up a cane or string to reach the roof.
It's a good year for toms outside but some years your harvest can be cut down with blight with a load of green toms ready to ripen which really isn't ideal. So growing outside tomatoes is a gamble.

Sowing a few early bush tomatoes gives you an earlier crop that will not outgrow your windowsill too soon.
Micro toms are perfect for a pot on a windowsill and even without pruning won't get insanely large.

Apologies for the delay in replying, Scarlet.

And you are correct, I have not been pinching out the growth between the main stem and leaf. I was initially doing so, on some of my plants, but I have been unable to stay on top of it this summer.

I'm not trying to make excuses, but I have been absolutely inundated with my work this year and have had to deal with my mother passing in June. That required a 2 week trip to Australia for the funeral. So I guess you can say that I have neglected my toms this year, unfortunately.

And low and behold, just as you warned... I have been hit hard by botrytis. Not in the greenhouse, but on the outdoor tomato plot where the Sun Gold was growing out of control and swamping everything.

I checked on them today to find that most of the stems in the vicinity have been affected. That's 4 plants completely devastated with botrytis - Sun Gold, Brandwine, Purple Cherokee, and a Black Russian. Although two Shirley F1's have also been slightly affected too. My own doing.

The good news is that the two Gigantamo's appear to show very good resistance to botyritis. It is in the same plot as the others, but is not showing any signs, yet. I am frantically trying to cut back the mould spore ridden mess and overgrown foliage to ensure the Gigantamo and Shirley plants don't fall victim to the same fate, as the others are totally done for I think.

I will 100% ensure I do things differently next season and stay on top of the pruning. This has cost me enormously this season. I haven't even harvested any of the affected Brandywine or Purple Cherokee's, which is very disheartening. I guess it is a lesson learnt though...

Regards