Tomato question

[springbok]

Has anyone just planted their tomato plants outside in a normal bed?

My neighbour has done it, instead of buying "tomato bags".  Im tempted to give it a go too.  What advice can anyone give to prepare the soil :)

Also, has anyone had much success with this method?

[springbok]

[tonybloke]

I always plant in the ground, apart from my tumblers. and yes, have success, it's better than gro-bags, the soil is a better reserve of nutrients and water then a bag

[SPUDLY]

I grew a variety called "Red Alert" last year, started them in pots, then straight out onto the allotment. Had a good crop from all 5 plants, and have done the same with "Gardeners Delight" this year. Not much to worry about, a sheltered spot with full sun would be good. Dig a small hole, loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and plant, then water well. Worked for me :)

[Squash64]

Yes, I do this every year.  No special treatment for the soil, other than home-made compost in the Spring.
The tomatoes usually do very well, until the dreaded blight starts  :(

[pigeonseed]

Yes me too - i add compost to the hole.

Mine have gone out and this year I've done 14 plants! nomally 4 max. So feel proud and slightly concerned we'll be eating tomatoes morning noon and night!

Also our new garden looks suspiciously like an allotment...

[macmac]

We've always grown tomatoes outdoors in beds,apart from the B word we have wonderful crops.They're always better than the greenhouse where we just grow a couple for an early crop.We discovered a variety of baby plum from Marshalls called Vicky which where brilliant but sadly they don't stock it anymore so we're trying some seed we saved from a couple of years ago.So far so good.... :)

[cleo]

I did take the liberty of looking at your profile and tomato plants will grow quite happily outside there.

My aunt lives there and as I recall the soil can be a bit thin and chalky so it might be as well to put a bit of compost in when planting

[springbok]

THanks everyone :)
Cleo looked at your profile, and your where my family is :) and I am hoping to move back really soon.

Pigeonseed, my garden looks like an allotment too :)  Started growing last year, and the beds are getting bigger and bigger.. :)

[saddad]

Was "Vicky" an F1 ? It will say on the packet MacMac... if not it should be possible to save them without problems. Remember to ferment them to get the gel off before you dry them...  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's been a disaster for me for the last two years, but normally it works as long as you use early varieties which fruit in 70 days or less from transplanting.

[Deb P]

Having had outdoor tomatoes blighted before they ripened two years on the trot (although i did ripen them succesfully hanging up in the shed), I'm trying something different this year. I'm going to be growing some bush tomatoes around the bottom of my bean frame. The beans will be going in once big enough, the toms are being hardened off now. I can use the supports for the toms at the bottom where you don't usually get many beans, and if they get badly blighted, I'll just pull them out! The idea if that I won't waste any space with a crop that can take up a lot of room for a few months....well, that's the theory anyway. I have got a lot of greenhouse tomatoes to back me up though..

[small]

I always put my 'spares' into the garden plot having chosen the best for the greenhouse, and often find they ripen sooner.... I dig a large hole and put in loads of compost, fingers crossed I've never had blight on toms, the skins are a bit tougher later in the year but otherwise I've always been successful. I did mine yesterday, Ailsa Craig (yes, boring) and Roma.  Previous years, Gardeners Delight have gone berserk outside as well. Shame they never taste of anything.

[saddad]

If you want to try a few weird ones we have loads for the sale...  :)

[ajb]

Planted Glacier and Legend out in a raised bed for the first time this year. I usually plant them in pots on the patio as it gets more sun.