Author Topic: Another sunny weekend - lots of tomato plants! (Read 2052 times)

Chris Graham · « **on:** April 16, 2007, 14:02:03 »

Its an Edinburgh holiday today (work in Edinburgh, live in Stirling) so the sun is shining and I got a lot done.

The temperature in the greenhouse would go well over 100 degrees F so painted the South glass with "Cool Glass" and it has reduced the temperature well (70 degrees F).

Planted out a lot of my tomatoes into pots (yeah ok a bit early may be) and its quite over crowded now. Shall be moving some outside in May.

The Aubergines are also doing really well and the onions in the garden are also sprouting.

Hope the weather stays nice.

Chris

PS.. lots more pictures here - http://backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/april2007.html

coznbob · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2007, 15:57:42 »

Wow Chris,.... still very organised I see. My OH would kill for our plot to look like that!

Chris Graham · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2007, 17:14:25 »

Thanks ;)

Hope to post a few more pics later as i have now planted:

Butternut - Cobnut
Courgette - All green bush
Courgette - Parador

;)

Chris Graham · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2007, 17:17:01 »

actually, here we go

coznbob · « **Reply #4 on:** April 16, 2007, 18:32:59 »

Am going to try and get my squashes in tonight, if all goes to plan and the kids go to sleep!

Apparently it is lunarly correct to plant them today, and I think am going to need all the help I can get!

Still envious of the organisation.....grrrrr

Chris Graham · « **Reply #5 on:** April 16, 2007, 19:31:41 »

I might sow some more in May outside. ;)

allaboutliverpool · « **Reply #6 on:** April 16, 2007, 19:52:31 »

Well done Chris your tomatoes look fantastic. I am not allowed to put things on the window sill, or in the conservatory, and as the greenhouse is unheated mine are 2 inches high.
By the way are you supplying the whoke street with tomatoes?

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

Chris Graham · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2007, 20:36:30 »

Hehehe, yeh after my disaster last year, starting late and not knowing what i was doing i have gone a bit over board.

Lets hope i can supply the whole street with toms, how cool would that be!

MrsKP · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2007, 20:48:01 »

Chris, are you leaving your toms and aubs in the g/h overnight ??

I've had a wee regrouping of all mine on the spare room double bed tonight and I could seriously do with putting some in black buckets, but that would mean leaving them out in the g/h.

What temps are you reaching overnight out on the east ? (didn't realise you were in Stirling mate (shows how much attention i pay to avatars) - nice Dobies btw - (might come over and give you a hand to dig up that patch of useless green stuff if you like.) ;)

I'm just about managing to get about 10oC but they continually forecast 5oC which would panic me. What are your contingencies for a cold snap ?

I've not even moved the aubs out of the living room by the patio doors yet.

Perhaps I should be brave.

btw, I think we could go into business ... 57 tom plants counted tonight. That's double what I have room for in the g/h. Am going to have to work out what's good for outside ..... and fast! ;D

Chris Graham · « **Reply #9 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:11:25 »

Hey MrsKP ;)

Yeh your just along the road from me, well the M8 anyways ;)

The temp in my cold greenhouse at night can go down to 40 degrees F which is around 4 degrees C.

Yeh probably (is) too cold but hey they seem fine to me. I do have fleece on standby just in case.

The largest plant was moved into the greenhouse on 17th March and it hasnt suffered at all. Has flowers and growing very strong.

saddad · « **Reply #10 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:20:10 »

Your Aubergines are far in advance of mine and I am in the deep south (Derby)..
:o

MrsKP · « **Reply #11 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:23:23 »

I had another problem the other morning, I had left a couple out overnight but under fleece and in the morning they were soaking wet on the leaves with condensation.

I didn't think to move them into the shade when I went to work, and the sun that shone on them all day scorched the leaves.

I was wondering if newspaper would be better than fleece if needed.

I've got a pal who lives in Bo'ness. It was she that took me along to the new Dobies at Stirling. She seemed to have better weather than me last year, but if we can keep up with what we've had for the past week or so, I'll be well happy.

Thanks for sharing your pics Chris. You've got a lovely plot. I like "order" and yours is just that. Mine is a bit higgledy piggledy for me !! lol

;D

My early sown aubs (black beauty - in 4pt milk bottle pots) look on par with yours Chris. I'm thinking I should put them in buckets even if I don't move them outside yet. The calliopes are still in plastic water cups, sown later but MUCH smaller than the BBs. I'm sure they'd grow too if they were potted on. Should do that before I stress them too much.

Chris Graham · « **Reply #12 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:30:01 »

My Aubergines were sown in February ;)

MrsKP had a look at your blog, its really good and loads of great pics.

See what you mean about the amount of tomato plants. Are they all going in a greenhouse?

davyw1 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:40:43 »

Why not invest in a Parasene heater
1 six by eight greenhouse. 1 Parasene heater only left on at night.
the result

MrsKP · « **Reply #14 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:43:43 »

Thanks Chris. I'm falling a bit behind but aim to get it up to date tomorrow night (she says ... again !!).

I hope to use it as an aide memoire next year ! Was a bit too late in starting it for it to be of any use this year and I'm relying on my incomplete diary from last season.

My BBs were sown on (rushes to patio doors to look) 5/2 and the calliopes 17/2. I was thinking "long growing season". I started them late last year and but the time the plants started to produce fruit, the temperature dropped and I never got anything.

According to my master plan, I have room for 24 in the greenhouse. Some can go in hanging baskets, and I've got room for two in the mini-g/h now located behind the main one, but where I'm going to put the rest lord only knows.

I'm thinking of setting the staging up in the front garden when I move it out of the g/h with either a "For Sale" sign, or a "Help Yourself" sign !!

The aim was sow 6, produce 2. Ever the pessimist ! Hasn't worked out like that !

;D

MrsKP · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2007, 22:46:50 »

Quote from: davyw1 on April 16, 2007, 22:40:43

Why not invest in a Parasene heater
1 six by eight greenhouse. 1 Parasene heater only left on at night.
the result

davyw1, i've actually got two !!! an ickly one for the small g/h and a double burner for the 8' x 6' but I've not used them for a while now. didn't want to a) burn hard cash b) roast my babes, but you're right, seems silly baby sitting them all indoors when I can put the ickle heater on even if it just raises the temp by a couple of degrees. it's not as if i haven't got enough fuel. i think i'm over the recommended storage quantity in the shed atm.

::)

Chris Graham · « **Reply #16 on:** April 17, 2007, 08:37:37 »

MrsKP - Good luck on your growing, the temp seems to have dropped a bit today. I have opened the vent on the greenhouse just in case but left the door closed.

Its usually nicer weather in Stirling than Edinburgh ;)

MrsKP · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2007, 20:34:33 »

i was brave tonight (and lazy) and left all the babies outside. i put the small heater on and just been out to check and it's not even touched the chill, so blew that out and put the bigger one on instead.

hope it won't be tears before bedtime. ;D

Chris Graham · « **Reply #18 on:** April 18, 2007, 08:40:31 »

Well i pushed them all together (for steam heat, heheehh) and covered with fleece last night, as it was to be a bit colder.

Seem fine today.

One does have slight rolled leaves but read that can be a good sign.

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Author Topic: Another sunny weekend - lots of tomato plants! (Read 2052 times)