Allotments 4 All
Produce => Under Glass => Topic started by: wattapain on April 12, 2005, 17:47:37
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Today I sowed 8 kinds of tomatoes,
Orange Banana (thanks to SueK)
Sweet Olive
Italia
Sungella
Golden Sunrise
Red Alert
Gardener's Delight (old fave)
Ailsa Craig (anther old fave)
I planted just 6 of each and they're now tucked up in the airing cupboard (following a reorganisation of the laundry).
i.e. 48 plants in all ::) Well I DO luuurve tomatoes! ;D 8)
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And now - where will you grow them?
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Well tim, I usually end up giving quite a few away to family & friends/colleagues, so my aim is to have about 30 ish plnts to grow for myself. Some will go in the garden which is even smaller now we have the 2nd greenhouse, and the rest will be for the lottie.
We'll probably end up with a few in large pots on the very sunny and sheltered patio like we did last year.
But I adore tomatoes and use them to make soups and pasta sauces to freeze and they really taste of summer in January (if they last that long ::))
Here's a little pic of my overcrowded airing cupboard
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/terristevens/DSCF0023.jpg)
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So that's what a proper propagator looks like ;D my Toms hit the roof of my cheapo Wilko ones in no time at all ::) Incidentally is it necessary to have the P/gator in the warmth of the airing cupboard? or do you just do it to kick start them? ???
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How clinically superb - you deserve to succeed.
And you have other jobs around the house??
To answer Roy's question, I assume that those are trays rather than propagators??
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Maybe Tim ??? but they have see through lids on them ??? Told you I was green ;D
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I assume that those are trays rather than propagators??
Whats the difference Tim, I was of the same opinion as Roy, ie that they were propagators - but there again I too am green ;D
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Yes guys they are just trays with cheapo plastic covers over them. I have got an electric propagator but have had much better results from a few days in my airing cupboard. 3-4 days is all it takes usually then a few more in the spare bedroom, then out to the unheated greenhouse.
However, with temperatures varying from 30+ by day to 4 by night, I'm off tomorrow to get a mini greenhouse to add a certain somethig to cosset these tender little babies for the first couple of weeks of their lives.
A bit of TLC now sure pays dividends in July & August. :) 8) :)
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Of course - any tray is a 'propagating' tray.
I was just suggesting that a tray without heat would benefit from an airing cupboard's warmth.
You couldn't get a spare flannel into ours!
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Well I now have a mini greenhouse to add a little extra warmth to tender young seedlings. I put my early sown tomatoes (9th Feb) which I am keeping in the greenhouse and hoping for early crops ( fingers crossed ::)).
My latest sowings will hopefully be ready to go in this new home in a couple of weeks. My spare room has now reverted to its former life ie a bedroom ;).
Here's a pic of the new addition.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/terristevens/DSCF0027.jpg)
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Nice shape, those 'houses.
Very spick & span.
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Roy, a propagator is a seed tray with a see-through lid, as above, a heated propagator is the same but with an electric heating element built into the tray to give the seedlings "bottom heat". You can also get thermostaticaly controlled heated mats to put under propagators. These are my heated propagators:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/simon404/propogator.jpg)
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;D Thanks Simon ;) I did know what they looked like (sort of) ??? as I bought half a dozen from Wilko quite cheap, but having now seen Wattapains and yours, I now realise the posh ones come with a much higher lid.
Thanks for explaining ;)
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Roy, mine are 3" plant pots with cling film over...maybe next year ;D
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My one propogator top gets put to good use ;D I start a tray in the airing cupboard, then the propogator top comes off and goes on to the next tray in the airing cupboard once I move the first tray on to a windowsill :)
So far I have
5 roma toms,
1 unidentified (victim of the mini-greenhouse blow-over)
11 gardeners delight
and some red alert and craigella just germinating
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For my first attempt, I'm trying:
Black Russian
Baby Yellow Pear
Riesentraube
Gardeners' Delight
I sowed 12 seeds of each, carefully spaced, and all but 4 germinated. The last to appear were the Riesentraube (took 2-3 weeks), and these were potted up yesterday into 3" pots to join the others.
When can they be comfortably moved from a south-facing windowsill to a greenhouse (paraffin heater can be lit if required)? Or can they go now? The most advanced plants are currently about 3" high with second pair of true leaves just appearing...
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I'm keeping mine warm in the house until it's safe to plant them out after danger of frost. It would be a shame to put them out and then lose them. They'd be ok in an heated greenhouse as they do need warmth :)
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I do like to have a nosey at peoples gardens...thanks for the pics folks.My seeds don't get as much cosseting as some of you I think they grow to spite me not because of me. They are just bunged on the floor in the dining room....with a bit of compost and pot of course.
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All ours are in a cold 'house. Normally I have them on a heated bench, to give a soil temp of 60F. But, since everyone else raises theirs in the cat litter, I'm being less finickity this year.
Pity we can't do a controlled experiment. On this, & all other things.
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Gadfium - I grew riesentraube last year from the heritage seed library - if I haven't got my varieties mixed up, I think they have a very sharp "nipple" looking thing at the base. Now, did I take a picture of them.... No :-\
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Multiveg - got my Riesentraube from the 'Simply Vegetables' catalogue, they have an amazing 13 pages of tomato varieties, and a lot of them seem to be heirloom. I think you may be right about the nipple shape... The catalogue's description goes along the lines of:
Riesentraube - German heirloom since 1856. The name means 'bunches of grapes' and certainly the fruit is produced in vast quantities, 1" round, and a very distinct shape (?). Excellent flavour. Cordon. 80 days from transplanting.
That sound like yours? I picked it mainly because of the 'excellent flavour' description, and the fact thats it's an old heirloom. How did your riesentraube fare? Do you go along with the flavour description?
If they survive, I'll take a picture of their aesthetic statistics ;)
Thanks Tim and Wardy for answering my 'greenhouse shift' dilemma. I'm running out of windowsill space, so have compromised. The greenhouse heater has gone on; half of each tomato variey has stayed on the windowsill, and half has gone into the greenhouse.... which allows me to keep the peppers, aubergines, melons and cucumbers inside.
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Riesentraube is very prolific. Grew it once only.
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8) Mine are in a heated greenhouse. Growing:-
Gardeners Delight - grows in or out very tasty.
Marmande - huge beefsteak - Grew these last year some inside and some out, all cropped really well. Had to support trusses toms were so big!!
Allicante - my stepdad used to grow these. So hark back to childhood.
Roma - Italian plum cos I like tomato sauce on on my vegetable spagetti squash. Will grow outside.
Got about 30 of each going. Postman Pete has already ordered some.
I start mine off in takeaway trays, those plastic jobs you get from the local curry house. Heres as pic. after 5 days. South facing window radiator assisted.
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/superninnan/greenhouse11april2005001.jpg)
As soon as they are about 1 1/2 inches tall put into 3 1/2 " growing pot. Plant with ordinary compost right up to the leaves. Into greenhouse and away they go.
I have some self sown seeds from the outdoor ones growing in one of my pots that has been outside all winter!!
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I've got Marmande and Gardener's Delight growing, about 60-70 of each! Nowhere to put so many of course, that's just what I got from a packet of each.
Had some GD given last year, beautiful sweet flavour, but the Marmande is a first for me. Good flavour perchance?
And where are you in the country i.e. any chance of me growing them in the garden in Yorkshire?
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Since the Greenhouse temperatures are begining to rise, I have just sown
Gardeners Delight,
Ailsa Craig
Garten Perle
Sowed fourteen of each. :)
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Interesting, Nan - Marmande is not supposed to cope indoors.
Greenhouse temp? 39F last night!
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anyone know anything about 'jolly' and' st pierre?'
are they in or outdoor toms?
to pinch or not to pinch?
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St.pierre is a very old french heirloom.I have grown him last year outside on the allotment,gave me a great grop of middle sized tommies.
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thanks ruud-did you pinch out the side shoots or leave them to it?
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Interesting, Nan - Marmande is not supposed to cope indoors.
Greenhouse temp? 39F last night!
Tim
I have grown Marmande for the last two years in a plastic greenhouse, not heat but can get very hot in the sun. Temps drop at night though. It did suffer a little from Greenback but very meaty toms about the size of a Tennis ball. Good flavour too,
We oven dried loads and they have kept very well.
Jerry
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sanders-could you tell us what temp and for how long-do all toamtoes dry well-and how do you keep them and rehydrate...sorry to be dense but i've never done it before!
thanks kitty
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Yes i did pinch out the side shoots,i always do only with cherries i didnot
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:D Top of the morn!
I grew Marmande in and out. In ones did have a bit of greenback, I just chop it off they were so big there was still plenty left. Not an expert here sort of try it and see.
I have more room this year, 175x30 ft lottie to fill. Garden last year only 30x40!!!
I always intend to pinch but some always get away from me..............
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Like Robin.... I too am growing GD and Marmande this year this year, plus Sungella (thanks to our own Terri), Matina and Aurora, and in Yorkshire too.
I do have a mini-greenhouse (and relatives' greenhouses) to fall back on for the Sungella and Marmande, but does anyone have an opinion on growing these types outside in the garden "oop north"?
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Hi Sue ;D ;D 8)
Terri
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sanders-could you tell us what temp and for how long-do all toamtoes dry well-and how do you keep them and rehydrate...sorry to be dense but i've never done it before!
thanks kitty
I dry loads of excess toms, last year we dried Marmande, Tiggerella, Gardeners Delight, Tumbler, Garden Pearl, Big Boy and a couple of others.
I slice them in half or quarters and place on a rack in a baking tray. Sprinkle with mixed herbs and so good Maldon Sea Salt.
They go into a low oven, 70 to 100 degrees for a couple of hours.
These then get put in glass jars and covered with olive oil. Put in a dark cool place until needed. They will last for upto 8 or 9 months if you sterilize the jars well.
We use them in pasta dishes mainly.
Jerry
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right thanks for that sanders!
my dad used to bottle toms-but i was a kid and have no idea how he did it-apart from knowing he used kilner jars.....
do you buy your oliveoil in bulk then?
kitty
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right thanks for that sanders!
my dad used to bottle toms-but i was a kid and have no idea how he did it-apart from knowing he used kilner jars.....
do you buy your oliveoil in bulk then?
kitty
Yes, we buy olive oil in 5 litre cans, far better quality than in the supermarket and about half the cost. If you have an asian supermarket nearby you might find it there, or a good farmers shop.
Jerry
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I have given in to temptation on eBay!! Bid on some heirloom tomatoes, 10 varieties for £4.99 plus £1.25 postage from France. Won the auction and they arrived the next day!! Hows that for service. If you want to order they are under Talourd Gourment Vegetable Seeds.
I have now planted eight of the varieties, AMISH PASTE, BLACK PRINCE, BRANDYWINE, GREEN ZEBRA, MR STRIPY, NEBRASKA WEDDING, PRUDENS PURPLE AND THESSALONIKI :D
Two varieties Roma and Marmande I already had but with 20 seeds in each packet they were such a good bargain I could not resist. They are in my mushroom hot box upstairs on the south facing window sill with bottom heat from the rad. Will let you all know how I get on. Anyone else grown these would welcome any advice re in/out etc. Thanks
SuPeRnAn
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o nan-i'd love to try brandywine-i read about them a few years ago-i think they should taste wonderful from reports i hear!
sanders-thanks-we are short on asian supermarkets here...i wonder if i can get it from a wholesalers........
anyway-i shall follow you(not literally of course! :o)
thats how i shall bottle me surplus(counting chickens tim would say!)
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Roy, a propagator is a seed tray with a see-through lid, as above, a heated propagator is the same but with an electric heating element built into the tray to give the seedlings "bottom heat". You can also get thermostaticaly controlled heated mats to put under propagators. These are my heated propagators:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/simon404/propogator.jpg)
And many propogators are much larger than a seed tray - my greenhouse one is 4' x 2' 6" - homemade from waterproof ply, expanded polystyrene insulation, and plastic sheeting
Phil