Author Topic: Will I ever go red? (Read 19047 times)

tim · « **Reply #20 on:** August 06, 2004, 17:40:07 »

May I bring this up again WITHOUT the usual calls of UNFAIR??
Ina & others have got away with it.

REASON? - to try to figure out why so many people are 'late' with fruiting. Example - Emma sowed her toms 1 Feb & set them out in May. And she's still singing to them. We sowed ours 30 March & set them out 6 May. She has full sun. Our greenhouse is in partial shade until 11 o'clock. We don't 'pollinate'. A while ago, we remarked that Santa is always early, but now that all varieties are coming in, that excuse has gone. So WHY??

In the picture, there are Santa (smallest), Rudolph (next up), Rose de Berne (on right), John Hawkins (the beefs), Red Debaro (very patchy ripening, as last year). Note the 'catfacing' on the JH & RdeB due to poor early pollination.
I humbly apologise if it gets anyone mad, but I'm sure there's mileage in the query? John?? = Tim

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #21 on:** August 06, 2004, 17:44:52 »

Oh, it doesn't make me angry Tim, it pleases me to see your glorious pics and the lovely vibrant colours. Never heard the expression 'catfacing' before - I guess that is where the toms have split? It is just a shame that I am still paying supermarkets for the pleasure of toms, when I have so many to come. Our local farm shop doesn't have any either at the mo, but I think that is more a case of me being late there :-\. I have now emptied everything excess from the greenhouse, cleaned the glass, cut away at least half of all the foliage, watered and fed them all, and hung a banana up in there. Fingers crossed - we are forecast a scorcher this weekend, so maybe they will start to turn.

tim · « **Reply #22 on:** August 06, 2004, 18:34:31 »

Thanks!
Shading ? - the north side of our 'house gets no sun, because it's totally shaded by the (you said it?) - jungle - of growth to 8' on the south side. Which keeps the overall temperature down nicely.
Things don't need burning direct sun - just good light & even warmth. I believe. = Tim

micky g · « **Reply #23 on:** August 07, 2004, 08:12:17 »

My toms are ripening nicely (9 plants in 3 growbags), but 1 has blossom end rot???? I'm sure I watered it as much and as frequently as the others - any ideas??

Micky G

tim · « **Reply #24 on:** August 07, 2004, 16:45:30 »

Shading? Jungle, someone called theirs? This is on the hottest day of the year - today - only 85F inside. = Tim

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #25 on:** August 07, 2004, 16:55:45 »

So Tim, when yours reach the top, do you train them along the roof? Or are they you cuces?

tim · « **Reply #26 on:** August 07, 2004, 20:24:51 »

Funny you should mention that!!
Yes - at this end, where there is space, I let a couple of the frantic growers do their thing. The one on the right is 7' up & 4' along - so far!!
The cus are at the far end, & I'm having to run them along the tops of the toms, towards this end. Green Zebra is suffering, as the first to be 'taken over', & will be slow to ripen.

Just cooled off in the g/childrens' plastic pool on our lawn - so hot doing the 2nd watering in the tom 'house. In passing, I'm giving each plant about 2pt daily - twice if like today. = Tim

ina · « **Reply #27 on:** August 07, 2004, 21:07:47 »

One of the two blight resistant Ferlines outside has blight! At least, I'm 99% sure, only on some leaves so far which I removed. Please, let it not be so! If it is, it will only be a matter of time before it hits inside the greenhouse. Blight is all around at the complex at the moment and it would be a miracle if we didn't get it. I had put all my hope into the Ferlines.
We already had a lot of tomatoes and still have a lot ready but so many green ones on the plants. I was planning on having tomatoes through september, I'm not giving up hope yet.

tim · « **Reply #28 on:** August 08, 2004, 08:40:00 »

What amazes me is that we have 2 blighted rows of potatoes alongside the greenhouse, which has 12 vents on that side, & no trouble, yet, inside.
You don't believe in prophylactic spraying, do you Ina? = Tim

Justy · « **Reply #29 on:** August 08, 2004, 14:56:51 »

My tomatoes (Gardeners Delight) have green streaky tops to them. Again no sign of redness. Are they ok? All of the bottom leaves on the plant have died but the rest seem OK.

A couple of people have said about removing foliage. Does this help them ripen and how many leaves should I remove? I have two plants outside on my south facing deck and the rest are on the allotment. It is interesting that the ones at home have been fed, de-sideshooted etc but are not doing as well as the lottie ones which have been left to their own devices.... Do we pamper them too much?

ina · « **Reply #30 on:** August 08, 2004, 17:15:40 »

No Tim, I don't spray and I don't pray, maybe that's the problem hahaha.

About removing leaves Justy, I remove leaves from the bottom up when they are tired looking and inbetween trusses when it gets too dense. Between every truss there are three leaves, if I cut, I always leave the one directly above a truss alone.

tim · « **Reply #31 on:** August 08, 2004, 20:03:52 »

Green on green, Justy? You mean darker marks? Doubt there's much wrong. = Tim

tim · « **Reply #32 on:** August 11, 2004, 16:40:01 »

Emma - if you can't beat them, join them?? Ripe at last! = Tim

Jesse · « **Reply #33 on:** August 11, 2004, 16:46:41 »

Really happy today, picked my first large handful of red tomatoes and are (well the ones left that didn't get eaten immediately by a tomatoholic 3 year old) busy cooking, making a pasta sauce. They are from Gardeners Delight plants, growing outside. First time I've grown tomatoes outdoors. Typical, they wait until I'm going away on Saturday for a week before they ripen, guess my neighbours will get the rest until I'm back.

tim · « **Reply #34 on:** August 11, 2004, 16:55:59 »

Just the right size for 3 year old? = Tim

Jesse · « **Reply #35 on:** August 11, 2004, 17:07:06 »

Yes Tim, just right, hope she leaves the green ones alone this time (last time she picked them all). They were a little tricky to chop up for a pasta sauce but we're away this weekend so didn't want them to go to waste. Next year I'll also try a larger variety, can you suggest any for growing outdoors?

tim · « **Reply #36 on:** August 11, 2004, 17:46:32 »

Whereas the GD are really better straight into the mouth, a pasta sauce, I reckon, needs a plum variety.
Many to choose from, but many of those are 'bush' - not very good for indoors.
Red Debarao is a lovely shape & very prolific cordon. We've had greenback this year - don't know why. We always use Simpsonsseeds. Family business. They also recommend San Marzano. They do plants of many varieties. = Tim

ina · « **Reply #37 on:** August 11, 2004, 21:54:41 »

That's a bad case of green collar Tim, too bad. It does look kind of pretty tho'.

tim · « **Reply #38 on:** August 12, 2004, 11:07:44 »

Jesse et al - here I am 'knowledgeably' recommending - and I don't even know why 'paste' toms are called that!!

Is it because they have few seeds, or is it a special flavour? Or 'prolificness'??

Most 'paste' toms are 'plum' type. Why? On the first 2 counts, beef toms would do even better.

For a wider view - http://www.tomatogrowers.com/processing.htm
= Tim

Jesse · « **Reply #39 on:** August 12, 2004, 15:47:19 »

The Hungarian Italian sound nice, I like the idea of heavy cropping. Are we allowed to order and bring into the UK seeds from US? And do you know what the 80 days means? Is that delivery time or growing time until it fruits? Would these need to be in a greenhouse or can they be grown outdoors? Lots of silly questions I know but tomatoes are fairly new to me.

News:

Author Topic: Will I ever go red? (Read 19047 times)