Tumbling tom red tomato question

[Leeder]

Hi there,

I decided to try some tomatos in hanging baskets this year and have bought and sown some 'tumbling tom red' tomato seeds.

When I normally grow tomatos I pull off the side shoots and occasionally pot these side shoots up to give me more plants for the summer.

I see that the tumbling tom are 'determinate' tomatos and as such don't need their side shoots removed.

My question is, although they don't need their side shoots removed, can I remove the odd one or two to pot on and grow more plants with, or will this not work with 'determinate' tomatos?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[JO,JO]

not sure as i have done this with my tomatoe plants last year.will try and have ago with my tumbling tom plants this year as well

[crichmond]

What an excellent idea planting the cut off shoots I could triple my plants in a day, it never even crossed my mind to do that before, do you just sink the in a pot and do you use rooting compound?

[JO,JO]

last year i just planted them into the flower borders or there own pot.wait till there a fair size a leat 6 leaves on them i got four more tom plants ans a late lot of tomatoes x

[Cutecumber]

It can be done from all types of tomatoes. Be careful not to go mad with a determinate type, though, as fruit form on the sideshoots too.

When you take the shoot, put it in a pot of compost, give it a little water and seal the whole thing in a plastic bag. I always tie the shoot to a short stick to keep it upright. It will wilt initially, but just wait a couple of weeks and it should root. A word of warning - you must keep it out of the sun.

[slugcrusher]

I saw a web site about planting tomatoes upside down -plants coming out of hanging pot thro' hole in base. Easy to water,feed and put something like marigolds in top.

Thought I might try this -got too many tom seedlings so worth experimenting!

[Pootle]

I've certainly planted them like that in a hanging basket - never occured to me that you shouldn't! We ended up with a huge number of toms - fantastic!

If you get more than you can eat (not a problem in this house - middle daughter will eat them until she turns into one!) I have a nice recipe for preserving them

[syanide]

hello...two questions please...

1. how do you grow them upside down? Can you give me a step by step please? Wont the weight of the plant make it fall? And wont it aim for the light and start to point upwards??

2. My three tome plants are now about 2ft tall but are still in pots. I've got a whole grow bag in which i can put the three in (3 different varieties). Do they just stay in there for the life of the plant?

Thanks

Syanide

[Leeder]

Thanks for clearing that up, I will only be taking 1 or 2 shoots from each plant, so hopefully that will be ok.

Just one more quick question, I am planting the plants in 14" solid (not cage type that you can poke plants through) hanging baskets, I was thinking 3 plants per hanging basket.

Does this sound right? How many Tumbling Tom's do you normally plant in your baskets?

Thanks again for your help.

[JO,JO]

i always put two in a small rustic hanging basket.

[slugcrusher]

Found web site for you syanide.It is explained in detail on www.seedsofknowledge.com/tomato2html or
www.farmhomestead.com/gardening/tomatohtm

Sorry could'nt put this in as a proper link hope you find these sites ok

[slugcrusher]

syanide- sorry again. The second website should be www.minifarmhomestead.com/gardening/tomatohtm

[gojiberry]

I usually put three in a 16 or 18 inch basket. Being old school I just can't get to grips with planting even numbers. Usually find by mid summer you cant see the basket any more for the plants hanging over the sides.

Ian

[treetops]

have you any experience of the new hanging basket tomato. I think its something and thousands. Im thinking of trying to get some for my children to try?

[syanide]

Hello Slug crusher. For some reason, neither site seemed to work! But thanks anyway. I will bear with it and pick it up as I go along. I have 'potted on' the Gardeners Delight to a 30cm (11") pot and plan on leaving it in there till I finish eating those toms!!

I still have a Sun baby and a Moneymaker which I will pot on too.

Thanks again.

syande