Final planting positions for tomatoes/cukes etc

[Irish-Veg]

So I dont have a huge greenhouse, just 2 of the "blowaway" greenhouses approx 2mx2m.

I have in total in/around 30 tomato plants, 10 beefsteaks, only around 15cm and only starting so a bit to go before they need to go out. but they are devloping really well

approx 15 'Red Robins' who are just starting to deveop flower buds now. I have the robins in a mix of window boxes/pots, bringing them in at night.

1 Tumblr in flower now which in final position. a tornado flowering now.

2 Gardener's Delight
ready to be mobved into final position.

1 Shirley
A Sun baby, ready to be moved into final position.
an Alisa Craig ready to be moved into final position.
I also have about 6 cucumbers that need to be moved into final positions.
Even though some are outdoor varieties, ill keep them in the GH as by the coast are summers are often more like winters.
will mayonaise buckets as pictured be big enough for the tomato plants?


or I had another idea of splitting these bags of mp compost into 2 like pother people have done, they are only €1 each from lidl so they are great value, would they need extra feeding/fertaliser to make them "growbags" oorrr?

Am I correct in saying tomatoes are self-pollinating..?

[GardenNinja]

How many litres of compost do the mayo buckets hold?

I add slow release fertiliser as the pre-mixed feed that comes with the compost won't be enough to last the whole season.

Tomatoes are self-pollinating in the sense that each flower has the necessary anther, pollen and stigma to produce fruit, but the flower cannot pollinate itself and needs motion to get the pollen to attach to the stigma. This is done by wind, bees, or you can just give it a good shake yourself. Hope this helped!

[mothhawk]

yes, the tubs will be big enough as long as you feed every time you water. at present I have a big tomato plant on the windowsill in a 18cm tall 12cm diameter pot that is up to the top of the window and has 5 toms on it. It seems perfectly happy and is almost too big to move out to the blowaway now (which was the plan with expected warm May weather which never came!)

[Potstubsdustbins]

If I am right and thats the bottom of a door in the pic, then yes the tubs will be large enough.

Most people feed toms throughout their growing cycle.

Potty

[Irish-Veg]

Oh okay i was told not to feed them until fruit starts forming, I gave them a boost of tomato food about a month ago just literally sat them in it for 10 mins like I do when watering, but the plants have come on leaps and bounds since then, the beefsteaks espescially, more flowers on the tumbler today too.


Yeha the buckets hold from 10-15 litres, some of the buckets are larger, it was just an idea as i like recyling things like that

and when adding fertaliser to the grow bags/compost, it has to be granular fertaliser yeah? (as in not just mixing in some liquid feed/fertaliser?)

Thanks!

[snakeshack]

liquid feed such as tomorite or comfrey tea is fine

[rustylady]

and when adding fertaliser to the grow bags/compost, it has to be granular fertaliser yeah? (as in not just mixing in some liquid feed/fertaliser?)

No need to add anything to the growbags or purchased compost. It contains nutrients already.

[Thelma Sanders]

Most bought composts run out of nutrients after about 6 weeks - but by then you'll probably have started feeding with liquid tomato feed as directed on the bottle, or a home made liquid feed

[GardenNinja]

The cherry toms will do ok in 10-15 litres but not sure about beefsteaks. I've found that the bigger the container, the better the yield. Last year I grew cherry toms in (approx) 25 litre flower pots and they did well but not nearly as well as two plants in a 70 Litre container.