Topic: No prize offered, but it might be fun -

[tim]

- to see who comes up with the first full-sized tom of the 3 main types - cherry, standard & beef? (not Stephan!!)

With variety, when & how sown, where & how grown. And was it worth it!! = Tim

[ruud]

Grown outside or inside!

[Moggle]

I'm up for that for outside cherry ones  :)

[tim]

ruud - 'where & how'?  
But you've made a point - there are 3 options: INSIDE warm, INSIDE cold, OUTSIDE colder!
So that lets Stephan back in? = Tim

[derbex]

If we have enough options then everyone can win  ;D

I assume they have to be ripe -where's my copy of Photoshop gone?

Jeremy

[tim]

I have a program that can identify falsifications!! = Tim

[Derekthefox]

Does it detect someone else's tomatoes as well  ;D

[tim]

Only if they are Spanish. = Tim

[kingkano]

How big does a full sized cherry tom need to be? haha  I had a tiny tim very small cherry already, it doesnt qualify tho really it was tiny, and its my plant I kept on from last year ;)

Bu I have about 8 trusses set on my first tiny tim of this year, and they ARE cherry sized.  fingers crossed for the ripening then  ;D

[tim]

Will wonders never cease?
Our first flowers are only just opening.

BTW - there will be a handicap for those living in the Canaries etc! = Tim

[kingkano]

Well I think I am about 1 or 2 days away from my first ripe cherry tomato - real one that is  :o ;D

This is a Tiny Tim bush tomato.  Its grown indoors on a SE windowsill (I reckon) at work.  I started the seed sometime in mid/late feb in a small pot, and just potted on as necessary.  Well, I goofed and didnt pot into this big pot until this week lol.  I just started giving it tomato food last couple weeks.

It does suffer on weekends when I can't water it tho.  Anyone got any ideas how to make its life easier then?



full plant

[tim]

Brilliant! Why, oh why do I bother!!

Ease? Capillary watering?? = Tim

[Moggle]

Half a pop bottle with a small hole in the lid? Dunking the pot in water on friday afternoon to let it soak up as much water as possible?

Well done any way, Why didn't I think of that - Gardening at work too  ;D

[Dunc_n_Tricia]

I'm using water spikes (with vimto bottles attached) to water my lottie tomatoes (I've already drunk the vimto - the toms have to make do with water :P).

They are orange cones about 6" long with a couple of small holes at the end. You screw it onto a pop bottle (just replaces the cap), and plant it!!! Got these in a pack of 30 from QVC, but I think you can buy them from garden centres.

I'm using them on the lottie to make sure that water gets down to the roots rather than just sitting on the surface. Used them last year with the courgettes with excellent results, so the toms are going to get the same treatment.

You can also use them indoors (holidays and the like). We even use them in hanging baskets with smaller bottles attached.

 :-*Tricia

[Mrs Ava]

I use those Tricia in the conservatory when I go away for the plants that are too big to move into the cool house.  I think the pop bottle idea is perfect for the office Toms.  Excellent though, my plants are just making flowers.  I think I will have many weeks to wait before tasting my first home grown tom of the year!

[kingkano]

thanks guys. quite chuffed :)

I think I will try a pop bottle again.  I tried a bottle last year with just a hole, but a vacuum develops :(  I think I tried the pop bottle idea with top cut off but the water came out too quick (all over in a couple hours).  I think I just need to make a very small hole in the bottom and the lid, maybe stick some sand into the lid to slow the seepage.  Worth a go tho, it looks so flat when I come in on mondays, dont even think about bank holidays!!!

I've been looking for those spikes!!! I'll check again this weekend.

Capillary could be worth a try.  But the water evaporates.  The office is very dry, and all sealed up over the weekend.

This is my second year running growing stuff here lol.  Last year was quite late with just a few pepper plants.  This year I have my early tomato along with 2 chilis, an aubergine, a sweet william, my prize a cape goseberry (thats dropping all its cases sadly :( - its huge!) and a couple carnation plants.  I germinated alot of my seeds here too :)  As they have the heat up too high in winter/early spring, they all came up great (with a SE window too).  Just lucky I guess!

Everyone else has spider plants and cacti - I grow veg! lol.  along with a few other bits :)  I get quite a comments nowadays how well its all growing and what not.

sorry thats turned into an essay!!  thanks for the suggestions and comments.

ken

[kingkano]

another pic  ;D

[tim]

A bit tricky but, if the pots are in a saucer, and that has 1/2" - 1" water in it, & you can upturn a 2+l bottle so that the mouth is just touching the water, it'll do its own thing. Before we had capillary watering, we used demi-johns.

Capillary evap? Yes - but cover the area that has no plants on it & nothing is wasted. = Tim