Topic: Tumbler Toms

[Spookyville]

will wait and see then, thanks for the all the info :)

[sandersj89]

I agree with Moonbells.

I have grown Tumbler for about the last 10 years. My current plants are anout 12" to 16" tall at the moment and bushy and upright.

I grow single plants in a 5litre pot on staging. They do eventually tumble but will also have upright stems in the middle if the plant.

They should be the first to crop this year as I have small green toms present now.

Very proliffic variety!

Jerry

[sandersj89]

Just to show how they look:

These are in a cold house in large pots in a tray to make watering easier.



And a small tom full of promise!



Jerry

[sarah]

hmph. mine dont look nuffink like that. :-\

[Spookyville]

well mine have started to droop in their hanging baskets but seem to be growing horizontal now!

[kitty]

nope!
mine dont look like that either!
i have given in-taken them out of their hanging baskets and put them in tubs-as i watered them in they collectively sighed with relief!
tumbler toms my bottom!


i wonder what they really are?
kitty

[MutantHobbit]

My toms have sarted to bud and are developing a definite lean and some are 90 degrees to the vertical.  these are the 10 - 12 inchers so seem to be as advertised.  Not much spread to them yet though? :-\

Dave

[Mrs Ava]

Mine are like Jerry's, altho no fruitlets yet, but they are the first of my toms to have flowers.  They bushed up almost as soon as they started growing and are really good chunky bushy little plants.  Now, all I need is the other half to put me a bracket up so I can hang the basket or else they are going to tumble out onto the floor!

[Hot_Potato]

well - I transferred a couple of my 'tumbling' tom. plants last week, which were very upright at the time, but not as bushey as Gerry's look.... into their hanging baskets but did not hang them....however....when I watered them in - they collapsed and laid level with the compost!! :o.....which scared me somewhat....why did they do that?

waited several hours and no improvement so put a support  stick in and tied them to it....have left it there and they look pretty healthy - still sitting out on top of buckets at the moment cos of the windy weather (all huddled together with other plants on the patio).....

wondering tho  :-\........why did they do that when I watered them - did it gently with rose on watering can....hoping wind will drop soon & I can hang them up on their brackets (had to have a handyman come & do them for me ::) along with a few other jobs).....does this mean I'll have to leave the support cane in?....I know I want them to 'tumble' but not to lay prostrate in their baskets  :(

H.P.

[sarah]

well i dunno, i am getting rather despondant.  i didnt believe you all when you said that the gyo gartenperles might be duds, but i just aint getting any bush or tumble out of mine.  they are still about 10" tall tiny side shoots small truss forming on top.  i bought four hanging baskets especially which i potted them up into about a month ago - hung up on sunny balcony- took down from sunny balcony when weather turned. hung them up agian a few days ago. they aint happy.  and neither am i :( ???

[Mrs Ava]

HP, The weight of the water on the lush soft baby growths was probably the cause.  I wouldn't worry, really I wouldn't.  I would take the support out and leave them to it.  I have never thought them particularly pretty in baskets, always look scuffy and a real jumble to me...maybe that is just me tho.  Once they toughen up they will do what they should do.

As for the tall spindly gartenperles, have you thought about pinching the tips out?  When you think about it, you do this with annuals to make them bushier, so maybe the same would apply to the toms - it would certainly encourage the side shoots to grow fast.

If only we would have some constant sunshine (altho apparently it is glorious in North Devon), then I'm sure all the toms would cheer up no end!

[Hot_Potato]

funny you should say that E.J. about the toms. in baskets not looking very pretty....I thought I'd push a few trailing nasturtiums around the edge of the basket so that they hang down & look colourful....won't do any harm will it?

I know that the nasts. are prone to blackfly but is it likely to get onto the tomatoes?

Or....maybe some either not very tall little bedding plant - any suggestions anyone - or isn't it a good idea....maybe other things in the basket will prevent the tomato getting a good 'feed' and making good progress!

Thanks - H.P.

[Mrs Ava]

I would worry about the nasts. because of the blackfly.  I love them, but they never get as good as they could because they get absolutely infested!  I would go for something like trailing lobelia or one of the other trailers to go in it - I never know the names of those trailing bedding plants you can buy in the nurseries.
I can't see it doing any harm having some bedding in, just not to many.  If you are feeding the basket then both will benefit, and if you can encourage more pollinators to your basket, then more tomatoes for you!  ;D

[greatpalm]

I sowed some gardenperles during the middle of march and kept these inside. They have grown just like cordons - no tumbling at all.

Somewhat oddly I sowed some more from the same packet during the middle of April and put them outside in the greenhouse as soon as the seedlings appeared. These have bushed out nicely and look entirely different to the ones sown in March.