Tomato Trial

[zazen999]

I've had problems growing tomatoes outdoors for the last couple of years; mainly due to having to get rid once blight strikes [and it does strike, overnight usually].

During the growing veg part of my course, my tutor mentioned growing hers sideways, ie letting the plants root where they wanted to and training them horizontally along canes in the greenhouse.

I also saw a method of trying to contain the foliage and thereby preventing blight taking hold by growing upright, at a slight angle, and covering the foliage with a plastic covering and just leaving the last 6 inches bare so that the plant would still get watered.

So, putting 2 and 2 together, I thought of growing some outside, horizontally under a cloche [only coming off when it is scorching hot] and having the root ball under soil but outside of the cloche; so the tomato grows fully indoors but the rain can still water the plant outdoors [ie water can still get to the roots]. Obviously if there was no rain I'd water by hand anyway.

Am I crazy? Apart from the fruit getting dirty [I'd use a sawdust mulch as we get this free from lottie neighbour], and the fruit setting [insects would still get in as the ends would only be closed up when rain is expected], and the foliage getting scorched [there's always a downside].....any thoughts on this?

After all, in the wild, they would grow horizontally wouldn't they?

[Snadger]

Would it not just be easier to grow blight resistant varieties?.................or is that too easy?

[piskieinboots]

....or is that too easy?:

now what do you think

Sounds really interesting Andrea, I will look forward to hearing the results. The two downside thoughts I would have thought of (dirty fruit/fruit setting) you have already covered off.

ETA: I've just noticed the time you posted this, is this how you spend your sleep-time, dreaming up exciting new growing ideas

[SarzWix]

I think your worst probable problem will be scorch/wilt when the sun does come out. Might be worth pegging some shade netting over the cloche when a sunny spell is forecast. (I had some serious damage to my toms in the greenhouse last year when the shade netting fell off). Oh, and don't forget slugs & snails - they love a bit of tomato...
But, it seems like a great idea, might be a great way to get an outdoor crop again

[coreopsis]

Give it a go,seeing is believing.As for dirty fruit-the best one.Wipe it off your clothes ans straight to the gob.Mmmmmmm

[Bigmallly]

Wondered if the trusses could be pegged up with twigs or just laid on straw as you would strawbs.......either way good luck.

[mcsee]

It sounds good in theory. Growing horizontal would probably give a bigger area for the sun to burn (underside of leaves etc), plus poor ripening of the fruit on the under side of the bush. All that aside I'd be interested to see how it works for you.

You just never know until you try it.

[SueA]

I've grown my toms for a few years in a plastic growbag greenhouse with the flap open on warm days & closed on rainy days (when I've remembered!) to try & prevent blight & I think it helps, you do have to remember to water regularly though. I'm not sure about growing them horizontally & it depends on the size of cloche you're using to ensure you get good air circulation around them etc. but if you try it I'd be interested in the results. Has anyone tried the new 'upside down' pots for growing tomatoes, is there any point to that?

[zazen999]

I think your worst probable problem will be scorch/wilt when the sun does come out. Might be worth pegging some shade netting over the cloche when a sunny spell is forecast. (I had some serious damage to my toms in the greenhouse last year when the shade netting fell off). Oh, and don't forget slugs & snails - they love a bit of tomato...
But, it seems like a great idea, might be a great way to get an outdoor crop again

Aye, that's my thinking; I'd be willing to forego a few issues if it gets a decent crop outdoors; the tomato plants will root up the stem anyway - thus increasing the water it can suck up - it's the leaf scorch and lack of circulation/wilting I'm worried about but then.....perhaps my old fleece cloche where the hoops can be straightened out making a fleece 'windbreak' style sun shade might help. And if the actual root ball is under the soil outside of the cloche we can water from there.

Just an idea at the moment, trying to formulate how it might work at the moment. Just so sick of blight and can't get a polytunnel set up - so trying to do a workaround.

[Bigmallly]

Has anyone tried the new 'upside down' pots for growing tomatoes, is there any point to that?

Saves tying (that doesn't look right)'em up........

[zazen999]

Would it not just be easier to grow blight resistant varieties?.................or is that too easy?

Nah - I'm not interested in them, there's only a couple of types and I'm not buying more seeds; I want to do this on the cheap with varieties I like!

[oldie]

I'm sure I saw an American guy in Tanzania doing this. I believe he laid about 4-5" horizontally covered with soil so it developed roots along that section and then supported the rest just above the soil.

[Bigmallly]

You could always tie your main branches to the hoops of the cloche to keep them off the ground.

[zazen999]

I'm sure I saw an American guy in Tanzania doing this. I believe he laid about 4-5" horizontally covered with soil so it developed roots along that section and then supported the rest just above the soil.

Nice one! I'm sure it's been done before probably for different reasons.

I'm sure I'll develop something as I go; upside down plant pots to keep the fruit off the ground or just loads of the sawdust mulch....

[zazen999]

You could always tie your main branches to the hoops of the cloche to keep them off the ground.

Yup, that's an idea - I think the cloches I've got have the metal enclosed in the plastic but where there's a will.....definitely will think about it.