Early Tomato Thread

[Flummery]

We have second trusses of flowers forming on our black tigereallas, they are about 4 feet tall now and outside having got too big for the window ledges.


Wonder if we ought to manually pollinate to ensure they get going.

No need. I have a tom! Pic on blog - it's a Black Sea Man.

[Herbie]

All toms are in cold greenhouse and have been growing steadily although not as advanced as I'd like, they need potting on again. Last night it was really cold and this morning was no better so greenhouse door will remain closed for today. I wrapped them up in fleece lastnight and they seem ok just wish this cold spell would go. As I am writing this its just started to hail. No flowers or fruit just yet but here's hoping.

[Bren In Pots]

Mine are still coming into the house in the evening, Metcheck have forecast 1c tonight for our area.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Well my toms are doing fine, all about a foot high. I've just noticed my Grushovka have the first (of many I hope) flowers.

[Madasafish]

Early Latah now 80cm tall. Three trusses. Small fruit set.

Greenhouse getting rather crowded with annuals and tomatoes. Annual juggling act.

Time to repot - and place tomatoes on floor due to height...

[Kirsty_84]

My GD's are about 4ft and are getting unruly. Hoping to get them outside by next week. Loads of flowers on them and some fruit.

[bramble]

As I was going away for a long weekend and my tomato plants were getting rather tall I decided to put them out into the cold greenhouse. I put them out on Sat 1st and came home on Tues 4Th. They were all fine. Most of them now have flower trusses on with the Mexico Midget with small toms. My grandson said he would water them if need be but they were fine. I am afraid to say it just yet, but they're looking good at the moment.
Fingers crossed.

[bramble]

My earliest tomato plant as usual is Mexico Midget, it already has three trusses of flowers on with the first one producing small toms. Next is Stupice and Kimberley, both early potato leaf plants with an early crop. Next is Red Alert, Inca, Kumato and Sub Artic Plenty, and after that the rest are doing fine so far.

[Bren In Pots]

I've got pea sized toms on my Marmande they were sown on 2nd February and have been in the greenhouse for about a week fleeced at night.

Really pleased

[Brengirl]

I've got pea sized toms on my Marmande they were sown on 2nd February and have been in the greenhouse for about a week fleeced at night.

Really pleased

and so you should be. I was also chuffed with mine untill I heard about yours...sulks...

Black Cherry

[Bren In Pots]

Are yours outside because that will make all the difference.

[Brengirl]

Are yours outside because that will make all the difference.

Mine have had the added luxury of minimum 12c all winter. Just goes to show...sulks.

[BarleySugar]

My early toms aren't looking so good. The golden sunrise is beginning to turn colour already, but the plants themselves don't look good, with the leaves discolured etc. I'm pleased I have some younger ones coming on, as I don't think the yield will be good, although they might be early. I felt this a bit last year, but thought I'd try with artificial light. The plants were very healthy, and set the first truss under the lights, but then got too big, and I think the transfer to the greenhouse, even though well fleeced, was a bit too much. I now know I can get from sowing to flowering in 6 weeks under lights, so next year I'm going to time it to get the plants to greenhouse time at the beginning of May. It will save a lot of hassle with trying to keep them warm enough, although of course, I am talking as if this year was the exception rather than the 'new rule'.

[Shadylane]

These are our Galina's (ones at the back) Sowed at end of January, kept them in a west facing window (bathroom) until end of March I think. We've been carting them (along with the chillies) in and out of the house into a plastic grow house every morn and eve for weeks now. It's starting to bore me but hopefully it will be worth it. They're a yellow cherry variety that I got from Real Seeds and can deffo recommend. They're supposed to be early anyway and have certainly grown faster than the others. Just need them to ripen now

[jacob]

Well, I sowed mid-Jan and I finally have my first flower out. Hurrah!

This is certainly my earliest flowering, but a couple of observations. First, the Feb sown toms (about 5 weeks behind) are now only a couple of weeks back. Second, the March backups have almost caught the Febs! Third, the Jan sown plants doing best a the least vigourous; the ones really growing went very, very leggy. I'm not sure that's a good thing?

I suspect my rather shady house doesn't help things though.