Tomato Growing 2025

T h a n k s.

 

I only sowed my tomato seeds earlier this week, so seems to be very late.

Also always get a load of seeds left over.

 

as far as i know phytophthoria doesnt overwinter in the soil but rather in living tissue, mostly potatoes that survive the winter, and are either exposed or put some leaves out then turn to mush spreading the spores. Ive never seen this but this is what I read.

i just read the rhs page on it and they suggest new strains of blight have been found that can overwinter in the soil which would be disasterous, but it isnt common in the uk yet.
i think if you grow potatoes and they get blight you have a problem with the soil. i try to rotate but i cant remember where stuff was planted... my bad...

 

The formulation of Jeyes fluid has changed in the same way that Cresote is no longer what it was.
They were both based on coal tar extract as was winter tar oil wash. Coal tar extract was a pretty nasty mix of organic molecules some of which were carcinogenic, so these were banned and the formulation had to change.

 

Potato blight usually spreads from the South West moving up the country, this can be useful to see the chance of blight in your area blightspy
Growing in a greenhouse does lower the chance of infection.

 

I wouldn't worry too much they grow quickly and while they won't catch up, in a good summer you won't be far behind. If summer is poor there is always green tomato chutney.
As for the left over seeds; tomaato seeds keep remarkably well even if they become a bit slower to germinate.

 

The only time I ever had blight was when I mulched my tomatoes with dried grass from the garden. I must have brought in the spores with that. Planting tomatoes in the soil I find makes things easier in regards to blossom end rot. I only give pots a quick wash with soapy water these days and don't get any problems. I am very wary of using strong chemicals like Jeyes and wash down the greenhouse with washing up liquid in the autumn. Light is more important than warmth for me then. I tend to rely on the spiders I encourage in the greenhouse to catch pests and just chuck out diseased plants. My biggest problem is mould in the winter because it is such a mild damp climate here. Winter lettuce usually succumb to it but some years are better than others. Touch wood I haven't had whitefly yet and always have a few tagetes in the greenhouse. I don't know if they work as a deterrent but they look good and the slugs get any I plant out.
I used to change the soil every year but am just going to mulch with compost from now on as I can't manage all the lifting of buckets now. I think you need to adjust your cultivation to your circumstances ie. where you are, what facilities you have, your budget and physical ability.

 

I always wash my pots each year in diluted Jeyes Fluid, as well as the inside of the greenhouse. This year I have gone overboard, washing the drip trays, weed matting and slabs as well as dowsing the earth floor under the matting. Down here in Cornwall blight is endemic so virtually impossible to grow tomatoes outside. Last year was the worst year I have ever had for blight inside the greenhouse. I put it down to the extreme wet.
The smell of Jeyes always reminds me of public toilets. Not nice.

 

Yes, they have but not recently to best of knowledge.The 'new', sold as a cleaning product but with the term "The original " seems to not have any horticultural value, as the previous coal tar did.
2014
https://www.birdbrand.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/DI007-1-JEYES-FLUID-MSDS-2004908_EN.pdf
2021
https://www.futures-supplies.co.uk/...0ymt-drf019NkXIioqnYoeIhwhNjHE1LgGjbBmQphk8lb
https://www.screwfix.com/p/jeyes-fluid-multi-use-outdoor-cleaner-1ltr/301ph

 

I think the lesson here is don't risk any manure anywhere near tomatoes.

Regardless of source.

It's not easy being organic.

 

Thank you to everyone for your replies about pot sterilising and blight. I've been doing it every year that I've been growing tomatoes (partly because that's what it says on things like RHS etc!) so the idea of not doing it does make me nervous, but it's helpful to know that some of you don't.

Thanks @Adam I , that's really interesting. I've always believed you should never grow tomatoes in the previous years blighted compost. Again I think thats come from the RHS/Gardeners World. I've only grown potatoes once years ago and I grow the tomatoes in fresh compost in pots, so no potato soil contamination!

 

I never wash, let alone sterilise, my pots or seed trays and have never had any obvious problems with disease. Life’s too short, water butt water is too precious and I’m too lazy!

 

With my issue having used manure from forage previously sprayed with Doxstar my potatoes were slightly affected but not nearly as bad as the tomatoes. This is what some of my tomatoes looked like. You can just see how the main stem is discoloured in first photo and tell tale fern like foliage.

 

Many years ago the old boy,(probably about my age now),who lived next door had all his toms in the greenhouse go this way.
The only thing we could think of was he had a sealed bottle of weedkiller on the shelf in there.
Of course he could have just touched his plants with some residue on his hands.