Tomato progress

[tim]

Slow but ? sure.

Just thankful that I only have a couple of dozen, rather than the 45+ of the younger generation!

[Doris_Pinks]

Tim, is that greenhouse unheated? I am toying with the idea of putting my monsters into mine today, they are taking over the conserve, and I need the windowsills for more produce!
Looks great BTW!

[tim]

Indeed it is!

Cover with fleece if there's any chance of frost. That's why I haven't got the stakes in yet.

[sallylockhart]

Tim,

I see in your pic that you aren't using your growbags as the manufacturer intended so to speak.

What advantages does this method have?

Would like some advice as I haven't grown toms before (mind you, they haven't germinated yet so may be speaking too soon)

cheers

sl

[tim]

Sally -

1. Ina does it!
2. It allows better spacing.
3. I plant deep & then fill up as they grow from other bags.
4. The first time I did it, my watering was poor - the roots only showed around the edge of the compost. This year it'll be better!

[Paulines7]

Tim, are you using one growbag per plant?  It is more expensive than putting 3 in one bag but I imagine the yield is much greater.  Can you re-use the growbags next year by adding some slow release fertiliser? 

I was reading somewhere that toms can be planted in 30cm pots with multi purpose compost and fertiliser.  Have you ever grown them this way and how successful is it please?  Thanks for your help.

[tim]

Pauline -
1. No - 1/2 a bag per plant. I reckon that 3 to a bag is far too crowded.
2. No - I don't re-use - too much hassle - better onto the garden. Yes - you could re-use with a balanced fertiliser - but it's the daily or weekly feed that is more important. I would be concerned about disease remaining in the bags.
3. Yes - they can be grown in pots.

[flossie]

is that greenhouse unheated? I am toying with the idea of putting my monsters into mine today

Mine have been in unheated greenhouse, without fleece, and have been there for a couple of weeks. They are quite sturdy little plants.  In fact they are much better than last year' lot that stayed inside for ages.  Plan to put them outside at the end of May.

[timnsal]

You're making me realise how far behind mine are One set have seed leaves, and the others haven't even peeked through yet.

I'm quite pleased though - the ones that have appeared are the seeds I saved last year. Never tried that before.

sally

[Paulines7]

Pauline -
1. No - 1/2 a bag per plant. I reckon that 3 to a bag is far too crowded.
2. No - I don't re-use - too much hassle - better onto the garden. Yes - you could re-use with a balanced fertiliser - but it's the daily or weekly feed that is more important. I would be concerned about disease remaining in the bags.
3. Yes - they can be grown in pots.

I totally agree that 3 toms to a growbag is too crowded.  Growbags have got smaller over the years yet they are still shown as having spaces for 3 plants.  I will cut mine in half like you do and put the rest in pots.  Thanks for your advice Tim.

[tim]

And as said, you'll have 4-5" of space to top up with soil as they grow.

[Mrs Ava]

I did that with the growbags last year because of Ina (you little star Ina!) and I had such a fab crop!  The benefit is, you can really give them a really really good thorough watering and they don't dry as quickly as those thing growbags laying down.  I topped up the growbag pots as the plants grew with regular potting compost - as you can imagine, when you soften the compost and divide it in half, after settling you are left with a space.  I rolled the excess growbag down and then just unrolled a little at a time as the plant grew, filling up, so the plants rooted from their stems and I was picking throughout the summer and way into the winter!   

Half of mine are in my now unheated greenhouse - the rest will go out this weekend.  I am hoping to get the first lot planted on the allotment at the start of May! 

[tim]

And little of the root is exposed to evaporation.

[supersprout]

What a fabulous thread and picture to start it all off! Will definitely try a few toms like this in half-growbags.

I wondered if I could sit bags of spent hops up - like tim's in the picture - and put a bottomless ring culture pot on top, filled with compost to plant the tomato in, and let its roots go down into the hops. Some of the bags are 'mature' and some are fresh, I'd probably try both to see if there was any difference. They do hold the moisture well. Can you predict trouble ahead, or do you think it would be worth a try?

[Paulines7]

Tim, do you put holes in the bottom of the growbags for drainage?

[tim]

Sprout - I'm sure that there are many versions of 'ring culture' - but the principle should remain the same?

Here is a professional's view.

Pauline - about 1" from the bottom - otherwise the water can drain too freely.

[supersprout]

Thank you tim, good info for Experimenting

[gunnerbee]

Great tread Tim and all, im moving mine on out to the greenhouse tomorrow too, i grow mine in free cut plant pots from summerfield, with big holes cut out the bottom, works well for me.

[amanda21]

What a good idea!  I have some tomato plants coming along nicely that I leave outside during the day now.  They are all of the "tumbling" variety and I was wondering how to plant them as I don't have anywhere for hanging baskets.  (I know, why did I grow this sort then - well they were free!). 

Anyway, looking at your picture Tim the bags seem quite high - would them be high enough for tumblers - or I could perhaps but them up on some bricks?  I was going to experiment and take some down the allotment to just ramble over ground and keep some up near the house.

[tim]

High enough? I reckon!