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1st Time Toms and Cucumbers

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by ncd72, Jul 8, 2009.

  1. ncd72

    ncd72 Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi all - a great site - having a good look through now!

    Anyway, this is my first year with the greenhouse - 8x6 allu/glass so please bear with me.
    I've got some alicante toms in some 10/12 in pots which are now about 3ft tall. All have 2/3/4 trusses on with the flowers but only one's got tomatoes on - and that only one green one about the size of a malteeser!
    Im watering every couple of days at the momemt but while it was hot it was every day.
    I've picked all the sideshoots out as they've come on as advised.
    Anyone any ideas - or is it just a waiting game and i'm just panicking?

    Also a cucumber plant my brother gave me - not sure which variety - prickly appearance if that's any help which is now about 3 1/2 ft tall - it has about 10 cucumbers on it with the flower on the end doesn,t seem to be growing either - some of the lower cucumbers have turned a yellow colour and as i say they are very small!

    Not sure what's going on!

    Anyone able to help?

    All help appreciated and always willing to learn

    thanks in advance

    Neil
     
    ncd72, Jul 8, 2009
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  2. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Welcome to GC Neil :gnthb:

    You'll get loads of good advice on here.

    Have you been feeding the toms and cues? You need to start feeding the toms once the first truss has set. That means when you can see a tiny tomato forming in the middle of the flower. There are lots of different feeds you can get and all are OK. Tomorite and Miracle Gro are well known brands but most DIY/Garden Centres also do their own brands.

    Most people have their own ideas on watering but we water ours twice a day on sunny days and more frequently in the heatwave. This depends on how water retentive your pots are. Also, cues prefer a more humid atmosphere whilst toms prefer it less humid. The usual way to get round this is to have the cues the far end of the greenhouse - away from the door.

    It won't be long before you have lots of ideas put on this thread :thmb:

    Keep growing - it's great fun :yho:
     
    shiney, Jul 8, 2009
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  3. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Hi Neil & welcome to GC.

    From what you describe your tomatoes are probably OK maybe a little late, did you grow them yourself from seed or buy the plants? And when did you plant them in your greenhouse?

    I wonder if the flowers are dropping off and no tiny tomatoes are left behind, in which case you need to give them a helping hand. Tomatoes are self pollinating but need some help in a greenhouse. To help pollination just give the plants a gentle tap or shake each time you water. If you grow them on a support frame just give it a few taps, thatâ??s usually enough to shake the flowers causing them to self pollinate.

    If there are tiny tomatoes on there are you feeding yet? You need to start feeding when the first fruit have set. Feed with a food high in potash (like Tomorite) once a week.

    Have you any shading on your greenhouse and are you ventilating it? You don't give your location but it was exceptionally hot the last couple of weeks, too hot really unless you shade the glass.

    Re your cucumbers, there are two types - the indoor greenhouse type you must remove all male flowers otherwise you get bitter fruit. If you have the other 'ridge' or outdoor type they need to be pollinated so leave the flowers on - it sounds like you might have a ridge cucumber but its nearly impossible to tell unless there is an expert on here, a photo might help them.

    Cucs need to be kept more humid than toms which is not always easy to do if they are in the same ghouse. Also they will need feeding once the fruit have set, which might be your problem.
     
    JWK, Jul 8, 2009
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  4. ncd72

    ncd72 Apprentice Gardener

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    hi thanks to both of you for your advice - i live in Costa Del Derby.

    The toms were already established plants when i bought them - about 12 in high and they went in the greenhouse 4-5 weeks ago.

    I have been feeding them tomorite once every 2 waterings - i think i may have read that somewhere else - i ll try your advice of once a week.

    I vent the greenhouse when it's very hot via the opening light and the door fully open - should this be more/less?

    As for the cucumbers im pretty sure there ridge judging by the hairy bristles - and i've fed them too and they are at the none opening end of the greenhouse.

    Also is there a hard and fast rule regarding how often and how much toms and cucs should be watered?

    thanks for your time all - i'll get there in the end - i'm lookin forward to havin tomatoes with a flavour that actually tastes of something more than just water - as i find they do from shops!
    Once i tasted my mates home grown ones there were no goin back!

    Neil
     
    ncd72, Jul 8, 2009
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  5. ncd72

    ncd72 Apprentice Gardener

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    By the way - i forgot to add that i have just started giving the cane/plant a bit of a tap/shake a couple of days ago to help pollonation - picked that tip up on here!

    thanks

    Neil
     
    ncd72, Jul 8, 2009
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  6. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Neil, the indoor all female cucumber types can be small and hairy as well just to confuse matters. I've read that some people have problems with getting a decent crop growing the ridge type in a greenhouse, they are supposed to be outside and perhaps don't like the heat, but its not something I've got experience of.

    Sounds like you are doing everything else right, you would soon know if you got the watering wrong, growing in pots its difficult to over-water, and they would go all floppy if you under-watered.

    So maybe just a bit of patience and you will be rewarded with decent tasting tomatoes!
     
    JWK, Jul 8, 2009
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  7. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    If they are outdoor "Ridge" cucumbers they will need pollinating (whereas indoor Cucumbers don't need pollinating). If the bees can't / don't get to them you'll have to take a male flower off and transfer the pollen to a female flower.

    If the plants aren't actually wilting you are probably watering enough, although I would expect 12" pots to need watering daily - but it may be that the plants aren't yet big enough to have filled the pots with roots, so the pots have enough water for a couple of days - as they get bigger they may need watering more often.

    From memory Tomorite instructions suggest a frequent rate of feeding, and I have often read posts that the rate isn't really needed. Personally I find Tomorite expensive - although for only a few plants it makes little difference.
     
    Kristen, Jul 11, 2009
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  8. ncd72

    ncd72 Apprentice Gardener

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    hi you've prob all gathere i'm new to all this - how do i pollinate the cucs then and which flowers do i pull off and when?

    thanks all
     
    ncd72, Jul 12, 2009
    #8 Quote in Conversation
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