Tomatoes Advice Please

[the swede]

I have two greenhouses, one heated, one not heated. I wish to grow tomatoes in both. The tomatoes that will be going into the cold greenhouse do they need to be started off in the heated greenhouse then hardened off or can I grow them straight in the cold greenhouse. Advice would be gratefully received.

[Nicos]

Only our 2nd yr with a greenhouse so not much use I fear..although...The seeds would certainly germinate quicker in the heated gh but if you were to then transfer them to the unheated one, then the frost may get them. My thoughts are that I would keep them seperate- this would also mean that you would have a longer cropping period which is also a benefit. If you were to germinate some for the cold one, you could always bring them indoors or leave them in the warmer gh until the weather warmed up (one day eh?) depends on what you want!

[Lesley Jay]

We start all our tomato seeds off in a heated greenhouse. Then harden them off ready for planting out doors. I would think you will need to do the same before planting them in an unheated greenhouse. What varieties are you growing?

[nick the grief]

I would do as LJ suggests and start them off in the warm house & harden them off. It wouldn't to too bad though as they will get some protection from the cold house and we shouldn't get too many cold nights by the time they are big enough to move ... I hope

[sewer rat]

You can grow toms from seed no problem in an unheated greenhouse - just have to wait til a bit later in the season to start them off .
Rat

[stevep]

i have just started mine off now in a heated pollytunnel i will put them in the ground in the pollytunnel at the end of april - start of may without heat. i live in the northeast i had an amazing crop last year moneymakers shirleys and alacanties.. i am growing plum toms this year aswell

[sandersj89]

I am just about to sow mine for this year.

I start mine of in root trainers placed on a heat source until germination, they are then moved to my greenhouse that is heated to about 16 degrees at the moment. I will pot them on once they have a true set of leaves burying the stems to encourage more roots.

I grow some in the main greenhouse, others in a plastic walkin house and others outside.The plants that are going in the plastic house or outside are hardened off in April/May and then planted in thier final spot, again planting them deep usually over a fork full of manure to give them a boost.

Varieties for this year are Ferline, Gardeners Delight, Marmande, Roma, Tumbler, San Marzona and Santa.

HTH

Jerry

[andrewo]

I'm going to start mine off in toilet cardboard rolls this year, I grow them in an upright coldframe/small greenhouse. I then open the doors when they are large enough and harden off before planting outdoors, but if undercover I start them off in late March/early April in unheated and early March in heated and I do not move them. I am growing that many varieties this year, roughly 10 varieties to discover a good one for outdoor growing in my environment and a good cropper/taster.

[Lesley Jay]

What varieties are you growing Andrewo?

[SueA]

Last year I grew Moneymaker toms outdoors in my own garden starting them off in the kitchen at the end of March & then putting them outdoors at the end of May in a plastic grobag greenhouse & some for my mum-in-law which I put out in her unheated greenhouse at the same time. I didn't harden them off properly, just put them out for a few days beforehand in a plastic greenhouse with the flap open.

[andrewo]

Tomato Trial

Lesley,
I will be planting the following varieties (even though they say Tigerella is an indoor variety, mine did better outdoors last year):

MY 2006 TOMATO TRIAL
Federle
Basinga
Idli
Russian Black
Green Grape
Gardeners Delight
Harbinger
St Pierre
Tigerella
Golden Sunrise
Ailsa Craig

Will keep everyone in the loop on this, looking for a good variety, like to grow new things every year, so this is right up my street - whether or not they will survive up my street is another thing!

[Lesley Jay]

We must have a tomato trial taste results thread where everyone can report back on how tasty their variety of tomatoes were.

[andrewo]

I think this would be a good idea, a taste section and we can set up the threads, therefore even if a few of us are growing celeriac we can compare notes (even if same variety, it may be our feed that produces the best results) or beans or peas or potatoes or tomatoes..