Tomato Growing Thread 2021

Will be interesting to see if your toms do as well with the peat free compared to the peat based compost!

good idea with the Myc. Fungi too! I've never thought about using it on toms before.

 

A few of use Myc Fungi with tomatoes with good results @Snorky85

 

Is there a Tomato Swap 2021 ? I used to enjoy swapping my seeds when l was a member a few years ago.

 

Has/does anyone grow Jamme Flamme tomatoes? They sound as though they could be nice.
Rusty

 

I believe you mean Jeune Flamme.
I have a few l could spare.

 

Yes that is the variety (bloody predictive text). What are they like as a tomato? I am looking for something mid sized that I haven’t tried before.
Rusty

 

Yes I'm sure some members are swapping seeds by PM @liliana. There hasn't been the seed swap parcel for a few years, @pamsdish used to organise it if memory serves.

Welcome back by the way

 

Thank you.Yes, l remember Pamddish.

 

Pamsdish. Flipping typo !!

 

I have the seeds, never grown them.

 

Hi Rusty
I grow Jaune Flamme every year one of my favorites, small orange coloured tomato, very fruity full flavour.

 

Hi,

Just going back to @sanymac and @JWK posts about compost and addatives -

When the toms get going, sometimes the distance between trusses can be nice and small, but other times it can be well over 400mm so not many trussses before the roof top.

Never been sure what influences the growth and spacing of the trusses, but do wonder if using such heavily treated compost or soil can lead to too fast a growth and less trusses ??

 

hi @ricky101
There are various factors that influence the spacing of trusses on a tomato. i am no expert but some of the main factors are

Variety is one factor, shirley is known to be short jointed with a short space between trusses.

Too much nitrogen especially when using chemical fertilizer which is available almost
immediately to the plants which will cause lots of growth with fewer or even no fruit trusses.

But i think lack of sufficient light is the biggest factor causing leggy ness, that is why a lot of members use grow lights when sowing early (me included)

I use only organic fertilizers which are slow release and not particularly high in nitrogen, they need friendly bacteria to colonise them and take several months to release their nutrients

NPK values

NPK values of worm castings can be as low as 0.1 or as high as 2, again depending on what you feed the worms and take time to release. Despite the lower NPK values of compost, though, worm castings have a huge positive effect on plant growth. When up to 20% of the soil consists of worm castings, plants germinate better,...

Fish blood and bone N 5.5 P 8.0 K 6.0

Calcified seaweed encourages the development of beneficial micro-organisms. It improves the soil structure with nutrients and trace elements, helping plants to grow stronger root systems leading to healthier and more vigorous plant growth. Rich in minerals especially calcium and magnesium no nitrogen to speak of

Mycorrhizal fungi form a symbiotic bond with plant roots, which means that both the plant and the fungi benefit from the relationship. The fungi live in the soil and grow onto and into a plant’s roots, quickly forming a root-like network that effectively expands the plant’s roots into a wider area of soil, allowing it to take up water and nutrients more easily. the benefit of using it in pots is that some nutrients, especially phosphorus, don’t move around in the compost with the natural flow of water, so it can often be difficult for a plant to access them. The mycorrhizal fungi take up these nutrients and transport them directly to the plant. In return, the mycorrhizal fungi receive carbohydrates from the plant.

Seaweed meal is high in trace minerals, but low in NPK

Sulphur (no nitrogen) is vital for protein production and management in the plant. Symptoms of sulphur deficiency are similar to those of lack of nitrogen, low growth rates, yellowing of the leaves etc. and plants which are sensitive to lack of nitrogen, are sensitive to lack of sulphur.

maxicrop organic tomato feed N 5.1 P 5.1 K 6.7 this is used later in the season when fruit has set and is ripening

Back treacle (Molasses) contains sugar to feed the microherd (beneficial micro-organisms) it also contains good amounts of a few minerals, including iron, manganese, calcium, copper, and magnesium.
Hope this helps
regards Sandy

 

It does indeed, thankyou very much for such a detailed reply.

Just one question if we may , about the Black Treacle, which we have heard of but never used, assume you add that to the watering can and use it once the trusses are forming ? but how many table spoonfulls per watering can and how often ?