Toms in permanent beds?

[fran]

Do other grapes rotate their toms or have them in a permanent bed? I usually grow them in pots in garden but this year they can go on the plot. V. exciting, but not sure where to site them.

Fran

[Alison]

I always rotate them outside and in pots in the greenhouse so not an issue there. If you grow them in the same place then you run the risk of disease build up and as they're from the same family as potatoes they suffer from the same problems.

[vicky]

I always move mine and the ones susceptible to blight go in pots anyway.

[Flummery]

I grow mine in the greenhouse border, but every year I replace the soil at one side with garden soil so they never grow in the same soil for more than 2 years. I would only risk growing in the same place with beans.

[pigletwillie]

Mine are grown in tunnels and the beds in there are raised. Some of the soil is changed every year but mainly manure and allotment compost is added every year to raise the levels and to keep structure and fertility.

If you only feed with something like tomorite your soil will soon become starved and result in poor crops so changing it is a must after a year or two. I am a firm believer in feeding the soil more than the plants.

[T-lady]

I always rotate the outside toms - and don't forget that potatoes are the same family so you need to include them in the same rotation. The inside ones are in growbags and that compost gets added to the tomato / potato bed at the end of the season,