Author Topic: Tomatoes - will they ever grow? (Read 2961 times)

aquilegia · « **on:** June 17, 2005, 13:49:23 »

Should I through in the trowel with my tomatoes?

I sowed them in March. They are now around 6in tall and have two-three sets of leaves. Will they ever fruit?

I think I stunted them by pricking them out too early. (this was in reaction to last year where I pricked them out too late and they got really leggy.) I will know better next year.

Two plants were late to germinate and so pricking out was delayed a bit, they are now two-three ft tall.

Should I sling the little ones on the compost and (god forbid) buy some plants from the nursery?

clairenpaul · « **Reply #1 on:** June 17, 2005, 14:06:23 »

Hi Aquilegia,

Our toms were the same until we put them into growbags about2 weeks ago - now they've started to grow really well and one or two have started to flower so all may not be lost with yours. The cucumbers however are a different story - put them into growbags at the same time and they've not grown an inch...

aquilegia · « **Reply #2 on:** June 17, 2005, 14:09:51 »

I was going to pot them up, but there isn't that much root growth. I normally don't pot them on until the pots are almost a mass of roots. These have roots to the edge, but it's barely enough to hold the compost together. (no pics - no digi camera)

derbex · « **Reply #3 on:** June 17, 2005, 14:51:38 »

If you're pinching the side shoots out of your good ones you can pot those up -just done some, they grow away quite quickly.

Jeremy

shaolin101 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 17, 2005, 15:23:43 »

Mine are about 10 inches or so high - have a few stems coming out the side which i havn't touched as i am too scared!

I will probably cut of the only branches that would have had tomatoes on!

2 look OK but one is quite poorly and weeping over like a willow.

No sign of flowers or tomatoes yet though!

aquilegia · « **Reply #5 on:** June 17, 2005, 15:35:34 »

Jeremy - trouble is I sowed about six or seven different varieties. The two good ones are both the same variety (Golden Sunrise). I will root the side shoots, though. (just be having yellow pasta sauces instead of red!)

But will they grow? (I suspect the answer is going to be no!)

Svea · « **Reply #6 on:** June 17, 2005, 15:40:29 »

liam - if you do a search on this site there has been an excellent explanation of 'pinching out' tomatoes. :)
don't cut anything! search and read the posts - it should be clear as mud afterwards :)
svea

tim · « **Reply #7 on:** June 17, 2005, 16:17:02 »

Aqui - can't really help, but something untoward occurred. But as said, it's amazing how planting out, even poorly established, can give things a new lease of life. Plants can double in size in a couple of days.

Sown in March, your plants could well have run out of feed? Even thought they haven't made obvious use of what they were given.

Our 'tail-enders' are Galina - love the foliage - sown 30 April. Just forming their first flowers.

aquilegia · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2005, 16:39:23 »

well - being the over protective mother I am, I'm willing to try potting them on and giving them a final chance. If nothing else, if they grow bigger, even without flowering, at least it'll mean I can make more compost!

tim · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2005, 16:47:53 »

Keep them in the cool for a while after?

aquilegia · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2005, 16:55:50 »

cool? hmm - not sure I have any of that. Will shade be ok?

shaolin101 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2005, 19:16:17 »

Got home this evening and one tomato plant has a little yellow flower. Shoule i keep this on or take it off?

Merry Tiller · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2005, 22:47:23 »

Leave it, the flower will develop into a fruit, the more flowers you have the better

gunnerbee · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2005, 23:39:19 »

Stick with em aqui!!! Ive had tiny tomato plants and believe you me the ones that come a bit later always bear the best fruit, ive currently got young plants on my patio ready to go out only 4in high, We had a very late start to the year so all they can do now is grow. Remember size does not matter!!!

tim · « **Reply #14 on:** June 18, 2005, 06:38:49 »

Aqui - shade'll have to do!!

Have compost good & moist & don't water again for a week.

northener · « **Reply #15 on:** June 18, 2005, 08:58:21 »

We just need a nice September Aqui and they'll be ok

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2005, 00:02:18 »

My Galina want to romp everywhere but where I put them!

My Roma are getting so bushy I am having to hack them back with the shears!!

And most have split stems are there are 2 stems growing at the same rate, decisions decisions, which one do I remove....answer, haven't.

Svea · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2005, 12:07:06 »

well, i too was too late with pricking out some of my tomatoes - i now have two plants out of ten which have a double stem. one of these has also developed flowers already. i will take it as an experiment :)

btw, when can i start removing leaves from the lower bit of the plant? i think i have planted them too close together so all the leaves touch - but the bottom leaves are lying on the soil and kind of impede my point watering.

can i pick them off, if so, how high can i go?

cheers
svea

shaolin101 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2005, 12:16:02 »

I only took off the dead/dying ones!

Dont actually know what type these are either so no idea how bushy/tall they will get or how much i will need to cut them back, just gonna wing it!

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Author Topic: Tomatoes - will they ever grow? (Read 2961 times)