2017 Tomato Growing

That is exactly what happened....mum had left them on the windowsill and didn't get chance to transplant them.

My fault as a beginner for sowing them too close together. Funnily the toms Id sown for my mum all grew really well, the ones I did for myself all but a few died!

 

When transplanting spindly seedlings, if the stem's too long for the intended pot/cell size, carefully bend it like this and carefully fill above it




From last year. Grown rather tall for next size up (on the right) so nip off the lower first leaves ...



Before adding any compost, place the rootball in a bottom corner, then loop the stem across to the opposite corner ...



Add compost, and before firming down ease the top of the stem to a central location and finish topping up with compost ...




Sometimes I've done that at transplanting stage, another couple of times when potting on, and again when planting out into polytunnel border soil.

 

Thanks for the graphics @Scrungee - you must have a very gentle touch

 

I am going to sow the main batch of toms next week. I have 300-ish seeds which are obviously too many for a single year. But I don't know... tom seeds don't store well do they? Maybe I will just pack them closer into the ground.

The first batch tom seedlings are now in the cold greenhouse to prevent them from growing too fast.

 

I save a lot of tomato seeds, after a few years or so they start to take longer to germinate, plus have a reduced rate of germination, so if I haven't grown a variety for 3 or 4 years I grow some out and save fresh seeds.

Are bush or cordon toms?

Bush toms can be sown in double staggered rows to squeeze more in, even triple or quadruple if you're nimble enough on you feet to get amongst them for picking.

I grow outdoor cordons using 2 rows of staggered 1200mm canes to construct a short asymmetrical 'X' frame, rather like a very low runner bean structure. It provides more stability to truss laden plants on my exposed site than if using single vertical supports. When the reach the top some plants can stopped, but some others can be trained to run along the top horizontal cane.

 

Thanks very much John. I was wondering about the colour change!

 

It is very useful indeed Scrungee. What are the spacings with your plan? Thanks a lot.

 

For the varieties I now grow, both bush and cordon, 18"/450mm diagonally between plants to cram them in.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Thanks @Scrungee for the brilliant advice and diagrams etc. Glad I checked back on the forum before I go out again this afternoon and pot up the toms

 

That's very good advice Scrungee, thanks. Here a few I sowed a few weeks ago under lights. From left to right: Shirley F1, Alicante, Superb F1 & Super Marmade. Soon be ready to pot on.

 

My Alicante grew well last season and I have some seeds left over, not sure if I have sown the other one, getting old my memory is no very good