Tomato growing diary 2016

[Penellype]

First Sungold will be ready in a day or two, Wife has a keen eye on it.

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My Sungold are still pea sized. I'm very jealous!

[SusieG]

Looking through this thread I need to admit to tomato envy

Some great looking varieties, hoping mine make it to red fruits, have most plants in flower and some with a few small toms growing.

Learned a lot in this my first year, lots of things I will be doing differently, especially around my toms��

Absolutely right, Nick re the tomato envy........
My toms are still green as green can be ~ not even a tinge of pink .......
Never say die ......just you wait - they'll all be turning a nice ripe-red soon when we get our summer sun...

Do you have many varieties.....and are they outside or in GH...?

What will you do different with your toms next year, Nick, just a bit curious..


Soz- just read your reply to scarlet re varieties.....

[Containergardener]

What are the varieties you are growing Susie ?

[NickG]

Hi Susie

Things that I have learned that I will do differently next season would include:

- don't get or grow as many, my poly tunnel is only so big . Had far too many and then was given a load, managed to gift most so compost heap option was avoided
- being more careful how I water so as not to get on the leaves. Would do the buckets again for each plant but would look at trays for bottom watering for next year, currently hunting for ideas on this though
- to train them properly so I have one main strong plant not the messy ones that will not produce as much as I have this year
- to space them put more so better air circulation, hopefully avoiding any leaf issues etc
- to not poke a cane through the top of my poly as I lifted a pot up to move without thinking and it went straight through lol
- to grow just the varieties that product well and taste well based on this year's multi variety pioneering experiment lol
- to do some hanging from the central support
- to think more of the compost mix that I pot on in. I just used a standard compost and then have been feeding twice weekly
- to save some shoots from the elbows earlier to grow some back up plants in a second blow away or if I get my way, a second poly

I will avoid b&q next year and will probably go mail order. I am watching the blight resistant post with interest

Variety wise, I got all that b&q did, it seemed like a good idea at the time ��

[Containergardener]

You do realise Nick , we all say we won't do too many
I think there is an AA meeting type thing required for gardeners hehe.

[Scarlet]

Nick, if this is your first year you can't "only" grow varieties that taste well on this years growing there's loads to try. Hmm, I can remember how many varieties Im growin this year

Have a read of this :http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...5-a_86401.html

[NickG]

You do realise Nick , we all say we won't do too many
I think there is an AA meeting type thing required for gardeners hehe.

That made me chuckle CG

I thought I was okayat first when they were all small until the other allotment holders had a nosey in my poly and gave me that look

[Containergardener]

They gave you the look of "he is one of us...he too grows too many"

Hello, I am a gardener
I grow too many
I can't throw away seedling or seeds

[vixylix]

I had my first toms of 2016 today... 2 tumblers and 4 venus

Ripe tomatoes... in July... in Leeds!!! Dead chuffed

[Containergardener]

Well done Vix , think my biggest are bout 2 month of ripening *cough* December pickings for the rest hehe

[NickG]

Well done vix, when did you start growing?

[vixylix]

This is my second season NickG. The venus were sown mid feb and the tumbler mid march - they were inside for a LONG time due to the poor spring so by the time they went outside alot of them were just starting to flower.

Last year I sowed in April and didnt even get flowers until mid-late August so it definitely seems to have paid off. Having said that, the effort of dragging them in and out for weeks might discount it

[Containergardener]

Nick ..I usually sow seeds in January here and have in the house (living room) until frosts pass(may).
Once you know your own weather you will tailor to suit.
As per name I grow In Containers , I have ground space but far too wet clay (farmland) around and draining into garden.
We learn each yr.

[Scoot]

Few pictures of my tomato plants. All got little Green tomatoes on, but none anywhere near ripening yet.

The last picture is of my second growhouse. This is where I have tomato plants growing that were late being sowed or were grew from sideshoot. So they're all a bit smaller.

[Scoot]

The Tigerella are the most advanced, followed by sungold and red pear.







The yellow pear ones I have growing have got literally loads of fruit per truss. 20+