Tomatos. Should I bother

I am in my first year of using a greenhouse and after reading about growing tomatos and all the associated problems I am wondering should I bother. The reason is that my annual holiday this year is last week in June/first week in July. I think this is a busy time for the tomato grower and as I wont be around is it worth it. My daughter looks after the garden but she can't visit every day and I understand that watering can be a bit of an art.

harryb

 

Could somone explain "drip" system to me, I inherited a greenhouse when I bought my house and when digging it out found a hose pipe in the ground which I presume is attached to the water butts on the other side of the greenhouse, could this be something to do with a "drip" system? If so I'd love to get it going again.

 

hi a drip system is a very small pipe that runs around the greenhouse and has off tubes attached to little drippers that feed a constant drip of water to your plants...a lot of people use them but i like to soak my toms and chillies and cuc's in my greenhouse.....only been at this a short while but it works for me.... someone will come along soon to explain better i'm sure

regards

john

[hr]

go for it what have you to lose a few hours pottering and a couple of £ on seeds and stuff can always take the last ones green and make some chutney

go on you know you want to

 

Thank you ARMANDII and John

You both make it sound so easy but I would find it so frustrating whilst on holiday thinking of, "How are my tomatoes, my flowers and lawn". The lawn and flowers are not so demanding and with the best will in the world my daughter will start off very willing but then other things may take over.

But as you say, give it a go. So yes I will.

I do have a neighbour who may do it but he is a bit disabled and may decline because of his handicap.

harryb

 

[size=large]Two popular things I gave up growing a while back: potatoes and tomatoes.
Never did have any luck with either of them despite all the hard work.[/size]

 

As there is only the two of us, and plenty Amish around with tomato stands, I don't do a veggie garden.

However, with that said, I've noticed some really unique tomatoes you can grow, that would be of a visual interest. If I were to grow tomatoes I certainly would grow these types, and get the regular from the local Amish stand.

 

Now there is a taste of summer JWK!!! They look mouthwatering!

Penny, I'm by no means an expert, but may I suggets that you dont disturb this hosepipe any more, as there is a possibility that it has been used to contain and 'protect' electric cables. In our current house we found exactly the same thing running to what is being used as a rockery... turns out it houses wires (disconnected lucky enough) and that the rockery was used as a water feature.

There may be the slightest of chances that your hosepipe houses cables which may still be live. Perhaps the previous owner used the hose to carry and protect cables for electricity to the greenhouse, as oppose to a water supply?

In any case, please be careful, and keep in mind that just because it is a hosepipe, doesnt mean it has been used for its intended purpose...

Keep safe

 

Know the problem Harry B.

Its very difficult if you cant find another gardener to water your plants while you are away, non gardeners might mean well but rarely get it right.
The hardest question is, "how often and how much water to give".

A gardener knows that's an unanswerable question.

 

Thanks Pete. I'm aware of the watering problems but never having grown toms before am not sure about the watering/feeding technique. If I don't know this then what hope is there for my daughter (I don't mean that how it may sound). Hope she doesn't see this.

harryb

 

For a "stand in" for a week in mid-Summer a rule of thumb like 2-litres per plant per day would do the trick

Much more difficult to give a rule-of-thumb early in the season where plants are small relative to their pots (just potted-on, for example)

Only real risk of getting the watering wrong in mid-Summer is that the skins split, or the plants wilt a bit - neither are disastrous

If Tomatoes can be grown in the greenhouse border, rather than Pots / Growbags, then the watering interval is much less critical - I only water my border-planted greenhouse-Toms every other day in mid-Summer - as the water reservoir in the soil evens out from one day to the next.