Another little experiment.....ish

[zazen999]

I was testing out a little thing....last year I squished a tomato into a pot of compost and left it as if it had just fallen off the plant.

I then left it in the greenhouse all winter; it went a bit mouldy and manky, and all I did was start watering it in the spring and popped a little compost over the top about a month ago.

Today, they have all germinated.

No reason why they wouldn't - but it just shows - even if you just leave things they sort themselves out with very little help from us.

Now, if only I could remember which actual variety they are. Doh!

[Flummery]

I do love your 'little experiments' !

[coreopsis]

Last year I used my home made compost-just threw it onto the ground-ended up with pansies,nasturtiums,calendulas and tomatoes sprouting all over the place!

[binley100]

Maybe it'll all become clear when they bear fruit.........

[zazen999]

My next experiment..is sideways tomatoes. What I wanted to do last year but for the manure issue.

Two vine toms, planted at either end of a long bed. Planted at 45degrees - pointing towards each other. Long cloche in between so that the roots sit outside the cloche thus getting water. Lots of sawdust mulch inbetween both plants. Plants pinned down to the ground over the mulch every 6 inches. All armpits and foliage removed bar the top 5 leaves. Plants grown towards each other horizontally; cross each other and when they reach the end of the cloche; stopped. Fruit should ripen on the mulch and stay clean, and the plants should not get blight due to the cloche; and the plants can be watered with no disturbance at either end.

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm doing 2 with Ailsa Craig Vine toms and 2 with PW's French Black toms. Cloche will be fleece not plastic.

[Jono]

I know a couple of refuse guys, and they tell me really interesting stories of stuff that seeds itself at the landfill site. Apparently there are tomatoes growing all over the place come summer.

Wouldn't fancy eating them, but I'm told there are a couple of blokes who go round harvesting.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Jono,

Thats not the worst one, I used to visit a pub on a Sunday lunch a few years back and at the right time of year a chap used to come in with bags of great big toms. He used to sell them to pay for his beer, fags and darts money, he did a great trade too, always in demand.

I was sat with my friend and remarked I was tempted to buy some when he explained. "He is no gardener" he said "hasn't even got a plot". "Well where does he get them"? I asked. "He works down Stoke Bardolph" my mate explained.

Stoke Bardolph is Nottingham's


....


....


....

SEWAGE WORKS.

Colin

[Florence Fennel]

The sideways tomato experiment sounds interesting Zaz, I look forward to hearing more as it progresses.

[piskieinboots]

My next experiment..is.

Get that book going lass!!

[chris]

Colin, quite a lot of 'value' produce is grown using human "manure". Wonder if they tasted like s***e with sugar on ?

[chris]

My next experiment..is sideways tomatoes. What I wanted to do last year but for the manure issue.

Two vine toms, planted at either end of a long bed. Planted at 45degrees - pointing towards each other. Long cloche in between so that the roots sit outside the cloche thus getting water. Lots of sawdust mulch inbetween both plants. Plants pinned down to the ground over the mulch every 6 inches. All armpits and foliage removed bar the top 5 leaves. Plants grown towards each other horizontally; cross each other and when they reach the end of the cloche; stopped. Fruit should ripen on the mulch and stay clean, and the plants should not get blight due to the cloche; and the plants can be watered with no disturbance at either end.

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm doing 2 with Ailsa Craig Vine toms and 2 with PW's French Black toms. Cloche will be fleece not plastic.

Why all bar the top 5 leaves?

[Flummery]

Colin, quite a lot of 'value' produce is grown using human "manure". Wonder if they tasted like s***e with sugar on ?

Much of the crops off the land used to be grown with human manure - it was called 'night soil' and came from colected contents of a town's "Guzunders" which were tipped onto the surrounding farm fields. Tasted fine. You can't taste pig, cow or bag muck - why should human be different?

[zazen999]

Why all bar the top 5 leaves?

I always take the older leaves off. And in a tunnel cloche, I don't want too much foliage in there.

[arpoet]

I grew side shoot toms one summer, many years ago, after the cat decided that the greenhouse was a great place to invite his girlfriends in for a party. i manage to save one plant so laid it down and trained the sideshoots up the canes. But alas, i cant remember what sort of crop i got off.
Roger

[jacob]

My one experiment this year has been with the chilis and aubergines.

I've planted far too much, so with some I've been doing what I usually do at this time of year -- greenhouse during the day and bringing them in over night. The rest have been left to fight the elements in the greenhouse.

We've not had any frost since I started doing this, indeed the night time temp has rarely dropped beneath 5. However, the ones coming in for the night are perhaps twice the size of the full time greenhouse dwellers...