My first ripe toms

[womble]

I should have said actually, very well done and I'm not jealous in the slightest

Mine are always alot bushier than yours (even when I've given them no feed at all, I've only fed mine once this year for example), I just wonder how much feed tomatoes actually need.

[Tomatoking]

Womble

Commercial growers fed at every watering from the first fruit, they just change the mixture slightly at various times in the season.

So if you want good production, you do have to feed. In the soil you have a buffer if you had put some manure in it before you planted, so obviously you would not need to feed so much.
In pots or grow bags the nutrients soon get depleted, so feeding is essential. Not as much as commercial growers as they are after really heavy production.
At this time of year I would feed in the soil once a week and twice a week in containers.

The reason my plants are compact, is that potash helps swell the fruit, which also then in turn controls the plant better. Watering with out feed, you will get a lovely tall plant but not so much fruit.



Mr TK

[womble]

So of you want good production, you do have to feed. In the soil you have a buffer if you had put some manure in it before you planted, so obviously you would not need to feed so much.
In pots or grow bags the nutrients soon get depleted, so feeding is essential. Not as much as commercial growers as they are after really heavy production.
At this time of year I would feed in the soil once a week and twice a week in containers.

The reason my plants are compact, is that potash helps swell the fruit, which also then in turn controls the plant better. Watering with out feed, you will get a lovely tall plant but not so much fruit.

Thanks Mr TK.

This flies in the face of advice I read several years ago from Bob Flowerdew, in fact I think he often talks about it.

He talks of a friend of his who has huge tall plants, with massive tomatoes on, which don't ripen for a long time. The presumption is that the friend has overfed his plants.

While Bob's tomatoes are short, compact and have smaller (thought tastier) fruits, which ripen earlier. He says that he doesn't feed them so much to get this effect.

It's so complicated

[Tomatoking]

Well I suppose I could have stop mine at three trusses and not feed them and would have picked the lot by now I bet

[cupcake]

Ripe fruit? I have pinheads! Not that I'm in any way jealous of course

[womble]

I'm just glad you live in France, so I at least can blame the geographical differences between us, for my being so behind

Remind me never to post a photo of my tomatoes growing, they're well messy compared to yours

[Crosbie]

Remind me never to post a photo of my tomatoes growing, they're well messy compared to yours

At least they're not invisible!

[Tomatoking]

I'm just glad you live in France, so I at least can blame the geographical differences between us, for my being so behind

Remind me never to post a photo of my tomatoes growing, they're well messy compared to yours

I remember when we grew in Guernsey, we were always a few weeks to the market before the south of England, and that was because of the light, not the heat, as we all grew in heated greenhouses so had the same temperatures.
I am of course well south of you!

[DavidJP]

I'm wondering in the US they seem to commonly grow tomatoes in cages which are just frames of wire that the plant is placed into. Often these are made from wire similar to that used for concrete reinforcing. They then don't seem to do any side shooting and supposedly the plants are supported and there's no tying in or anything. I'm assuming this is possible because of the higher temps and higher light levels. Any thoughts, I assume impossible in UK

[Tomatoking]

I presume that must only be with Bush type tomato plants David. Which I think some people in the UK grow supported like that.

[Flobalob]

I'm wondering in the US they seem to commonly grow tomatoes in cages which are just frames of wire that the plant is placed into. Often these are made from wire similar to that used for concrete reinforcing. They then don't seem to do any side shooting and supposedly the plants are supported and there's no tying in or anything. I'm assuming this is possible because of the higher temps and higher light levels. Any thoughts, I assume impossible in UK

Thus..We love the pictures - Tomatoville® Gardening Forums Index

[Flobalob]

Picked the ripes ones.

[Tomatoking]

Really healthy crop Flob. When did you nip out the heads.

I wish I had double gazing in my polytunnel.

[Flobalob]

Depends on how well I think the plant is doing..5-6 trusses. Or when they can get no higher

[Tomatoking]

Ok Its me who is jealous now, but I do not think Mrs TK would let me put my toms in the conservatory, when we get around to building a bigger one.

That Tomatoville site looks interesting!