trailing tom question

[buzzingtalk]

i have 8 trailing tom plants which are currently growing very well on my windowsill. They are destined for hanging baskets outside once it is warmer. but they are getting quite 'floppy' in their pots, which i guess is them wanting to start trailing, i am worried about damaging them as they might bend over onto other plants but i cannot put up baskets inside the house...so what do you all do with your trailers?

[Davyburns]

I was in the same boat, but I bit the bullet, and put them outside 10 days ago, and theyv'e been fine

[VirginVegGrower]

Can't you plant them and move outside by day and in at night/greenhouse for a month - just until end May? Should be OK then or wrap with fleece each night until end May? We did this with runner beans last year and escaped frost damage.

[buzzingtalk]

not possible as i work very erratic shifts and am sometimes away from home for a few days or work 24 hours so wouldnt be able to get home to put them inside don't have a greenhouse either so cant hang them in there I can't think of what to do with them as i don't want them to get damaged...

[Jeanied]

Sounds like you need to rig up a broomstick somewhere indoors to hang them off!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Buzzing,

Couple of questions what variety are they? What size pots are they in?

I grow tumbler and they don't usually start to bend over until there is some fruit on them.

If the pot is to small this may be weakening the plant by not providing enough nutrient.

Another ploy I use is to nip out the top most growing tip this encourages side shoots and make the plant bushy.

Colin

[Davyburns]

I was in the same boat, but I bit the bullet, and put them outside 10 days ago, and theyv'e been fine

Last minute dash to get them all inside as we have a frost warning this evening!!

[buzzingtalk]

jeanied - sounds like a good idea but there is nowhere to put such a setup - all of my plants are in my bedroom 2 stories up from the garden (they get the best light here as i'm in the attic) and its hard enough work bringing them up and down stairs when i need to repot them. i could put them in the kitchen but the window there really doesnt get any light at all, and the temperature really fluctuates in there. i don't think they'd be too happy!

Does anyone know last frost dates or thereabouts for norwich? how safe is it? i could always bring them in for a night if it was an emergency but there is definatley not enough room for them to be planted into baskets now.

pots - they are cherry cascade, i have 6 of them to put in 3 baskets outdoors eventually. they are in 3 inch pots i think (sorry, have no way to measure them exactly and cannot find any information on the bottom of the pots) and are about 6 inches high (again, a very unsure estimate!)

I just repotted them last week, and have been repotting them one size up at a time. they are growing very strong and healthy, but seem to be a bit wonkier than my other plants which are all exposed to the same sunlight levels. when do they usually start trailing, as i won't be able to plant them in the baskets until all risk of frost has passed really.

davy - did you get them all in in time!

[Davyburns]

davy - did you get them all in in time!

Yes, just. I left em all in the GH while we went away for 3 days, just in case, and there all fine.
Just wondering wether I should harden them off again?

[rustylady]

Buzzingtalk, your last frost date in Norwich is forecast to be end of April. If you're city centre(ish) you should be safe to put your plants out.

[Jo Sara]

I grow tumbler and they don't usually start to bend over until there is some fruit on them.

I'm glad you said that. I am growing tumber for hanging baskets for the first time this year (I've run out of floor space so the only way is up). Mine are bolt upright still and I was wondering if I'd got a rogue packet. I did get the seeds in a 50p sale, but hopefully they are right from what you say.

[Potstubsdustbins]

What I usually do if the plant is growing tall is to wait until the first side shoots appear and then nip out the leading growing tip, this will encourage the plant to bush.

At the same time if you are short of plants put the tip/stem in water and it will produce roots within a few days which will give you an extra plant ot pot on.

Colin

[Jo Sara]

Now this is why I come here. I knew you could pinch out the tips, but I wasn't sure when you did it. And I knew you could try and save a leggy plant by planting it deeply because the stem grows new roots, but I didn't know you could put a tip cutting in water to get a new plant.

This place is great. Thanks Colin.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Jo,

Heres one I started last week from a tumbler, I will pot it up this weekend.


Colin.

[bronwen]

Interesting! thanks for posting the photos colin