tomatoes/ diseases/ resistance

[Ricado]

No doubt everyone has had their fair share of dirty tomato leaves, but isnt it difficult to identify what the problems are !

Im finding that early blight strikes most of my tomatoes at some point or other.  generally this is late in the season (like now).  My tomatoes were early but with unripe toms there, the foliage is still dying quicker than i would expect.  The fruit is not marked or discoloured as with late blight.

There is a large body of debate to be had on the benefits of greenhouse growing.  Wheras my gh grown toms are nearly dead and buried, those i put on the lottie are as green as grass and resemble bush roses (by height and spread), but they are struggling to ripen in the low temperatures/lack of sunlight.

[Ricado]

[MikeB]

I wonder if it is worth while starting in the GH, finally poting up to a 12"/30cm pot and puting outside (still in the pot) when the risk of frost has passed?

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's very close to the way I grow outdoor toms; use an early variety and they'll be fine. They'd probably be better in the ground unless you have a specific reason for growing in pots.

[MikeB]

They'd probably be better in the ground unless you have a specific reason for growing in pots.

No, it's just that personally I don't have problems with my tomatoes in the GH until early August. I guess I was thinking ahead with the previous post, I was wondering about moving mine outside in August and by then they would probably be to large and established to transplant into the ground, or maybe not, what do you think?

[davy1]

I wonder if it is worth while starting in the GH, finally putting up to a 12"/30cm pot and pouting outside (still in the pot) when the risk of frost has passed?

I have never grown a tomato outside before probably because my allotment is only a few hindered yards from the north sea but i am going to try next season.
My intentions are to give them an early start in January and transplant them into bottomless 12" pots then when the weather breaks the pot and all into a hole. But i think i will have to use guide ropes to keep them upright LOL

[Ricado]

I have had the benefit of a 15ft walled garden, so it wouldnt matter even if the north sea was close to me ! The plants were against the wall to start and now theyre 3-4 ft away ! and with no support ! i just planted them and left them!

But still, id try in your position and hope for a good sunny summer.  At planting id strip at least the bottom two leaves and then bury all that stem underground right up to your new first leaf.  Tomatoes will root from the stem, i believe you can go  as high as you like as long as the growing tip is in daylight !

Any tomato fanatic should read the tomato book by Matt Simpson, from Simpsons Seeds, an excellent read and many tom tips and recipes.