Tomato growing diary 2016

[Scoot]

Why bin then?

I'd chop the tops off and plant as a cutting. Any sideshoots can also be done otherwise.

This is a valid way to get many plants from early sowings and is especially good with F1's as it saves a lot of cash.

Can you take armpits from F1 plants, over winter them and then get a good crop the next year?

[Scarlet]

Can you take armpits from F1 plants, over winter them and then get a good crop the next year?

Yes, if the plant is healthy /hasn't got blight etc. I

[Scarlet]

Why bin then?.

There's plenty time to sow tomato seeds yet and it's best to start off with a strong healthy seedling. Germination only takes a few days so there's little time lost. Once they have become leggy the can't support any top growth as they are too weak.

I'd chop the tops off and plant as a cutting.

If it was a plant that was leggy you could take cuttings but you won't gain anything by cutting the head off a seedling. Much easier to repot deeper.

[KairdiffKid]

To sow or not to sow, that is the question. If I sow now I bet there will be frosts in March / April (after the mild rainy winter there meant to be a risk of snow in S. Wales and the West Country this week). Will need to fix my cloche as well as it's in a sorry state.

Got the following seeds lined-up:
Sweet Million
Sungold
Blush Tiger
Outdoor Girl (I've given in to temptation and will have another bash at an outdoor tom).

If I get the greenhouse up I fancy trying
San Marzano
Black Krim

[vixylix]

I sowed (is that the right word?!) 7 varieties at the weekend:

Tigerella
Red Cherry
Red Pear
Black Cherry
Golden Queen
Venus
Pomodoro

I have 2 more (Principe Borghese and Tumbler to sow in March)

Now eagerly checking for signs of germination!!

[Elfeda]

Have 3 or 4 each seedlings of fallowing.

BlackRussian
BlackKrim
Galina
Brandywine
Brutus
Ameture
Pantano
Latah(seems late to germinate but still waiting)

lot more really want to try this year. or blindly stop there with just few more colorfull cherries and plums !!

I have a small 6X6 green house at home which takes priority of aubs ,chillis and couple of cues. so not sure I can space any toms in there..so mostly should be grown outside.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I always "Hang Fire" with my toms till at least the beginning of March, as Scarlet said once sown, pop within a few days.

It's then finding the right conditions to keep them ticking along nicely till planting out time comes about which I find the most difficult bit, not wanting them to become "Leggy" or "Spindly" and being week plants is always a bit of a balancing act.

Maybe now having invested in a grow light, this may not be an issue in future years, but for this year that resource will be used purley for my onions and chili's!

So no! For me! I won't be sowing my babies anytime soon!

[Lisasbolt]

I have given in to temptation and have just bought some shirley and sungold seeds, (along with a lot of others!) i have been put off both for many years as they are F1´s but need to know what the fuss is all about

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Lisa! Lisa! Lisa!

"Sungold" and "Shirley" are not a fuss!

They are a "Must Have" in my eyes!

[Bren In Pots]

Potted on my over wintered Gardeners Delight armpits, not sown any tom seeds yet that wont be for another month.

[maverick451]

I have given in to temptation and have just bought some shirley and sungold seeds, (along with a lot of others!) i have been put off both for many years as they are F1´s but need to know what the fuss is all about

Dont think you can go wrong with those two.

Good old shirley, she gets around doesnt she

[jackarmy]

Yep, indeed she does. she just told Micks old man she loves him
Nowt as queer as folk

[cptncrackoff]

I'm holding off with the tomatoes still, although I do want early, slightly leggy plants with lots of 'armpits'..

I'm following Bob Flowerdew's method of growing a couple of early plants to allow the armpits to develop and then grow more plants from these 'cuttings'.

Bob tells me that plants grown from these shoots grow much stronger than the original plant!?

[vixylix]

I'm holding off with the tomatoes still, although I do want early, slightly leggy plants with lots of 'armpits'..

I'm following Bob Flowerdew's method of growing a couple of early plants to allow the armpits to develop and then grow more plants from these 'cuttings'.

Bob tells me that plants grown from these shoots grow much stronger than the original plant!?

Interesting! I might give that a try!

[sparrow100]

I'm holding off with the tomatoes still, although I do want early, slightly leggy plants with lots of 'armpits'..

I'm following Bob Flowerdew's method of growing a couple of early plants to allow the armpits to develop and then grow more plants from these 'cuttings'.

Bob tells me that plants grown from these shoots grow much stronger than the original plant!?

Surely that's only logical? The first ones are sown too early and you let them get leggy. Armpits rooted later and with more light are going to be stronger.