Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Tomatoes

bigolobbigolob Posts: 127

How are your Tomatoes growing? I am again growing Gourmet (mid size) sown in February in heated conservatory, eventually into GH with heat in April. They are now 4 foot tall with 3 trusses of flowers and small fruit developing.

I do not remember having the heating on in late May for years but this spring has been and still is disgusting. Here in Cheshire, today  the temperature is 50 degrees (sorry old English) which considering we are 6 days from the first day of Summer - June 1st, it is pathetic. According to our annual gardening diary the plants and the garden as a whole, we are 3-4 weeks behind other years.

 

«13456

Posts

  • Hi Bigolob, I am growing 2 types of tomatoes, one is called Rosabunda ( a plum type ) and another one called Sungold.Both in a growbag in an unheated GH. They are still small, 10 " (inches)and 14" respectively, and at this rate wont get anything until Christmas!

  • I have Gardener's Delight outside - but also, for the first time, something just called 'Italian Plum' tomato. Should I pinch out the side shoots of the latter or leave to grow as a bush? Anyone happen to know? Thanks

  • bigolobbigolob Posts: 127

    Thanks Betty. I grew Sungold some years ago and found it to have good flavour but a bit on the small size. I now grow a couple of Gardener`s Delight each year, again, for their flavour but I still prefer the mid size Tomato Gourmet for its flavour (eg. the size of a Moneymaker or Shirley although I have always found these 2 varieties utterly tasteless inspite of other growers feelings!).

    With the wonderful weather we are having, you do not say which X-mas!!!

  • bigolobbigolob Posts: 127

    Sorry Greengardener 2 I have heard of the variety but not grown it. I suggest you ask at a garden centre or look it up on the internet for the answer re removing side shoots or not.

    Regards.

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    I have grown Roma and Ferline some in the soil in greenhouse, some in plastic greehouse out side, i also have Shirley, but they are only for greenhouse, they are all2ft tall with 2 trusses.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731
    greengardener2 wrote (see)

    I have Gardener's Delight outside - but also, for the first time, something just called 'Italian Plum' tomato. Should I pinch out the side shoots of the latter or leave to grow as a bush? Anyone happen to know? Thanks

    Haven't come across "Italian Plum" as the name of a variety. Sounds more like a description. San Marzano and other similiar tomatoes are "plums". What is its growth habit at the moment? Spreading like a bush variety or developing separate leaders with growing tips?

    If it's a true "plum" variety it should be doing the latter as an indeterminate variety. You can nip out the side shoots.

  • Bf206Bf206 Posts: 234

    I'm getting geared up for hardening mine off in the cold frame, putting in final pots and hoping for the best...

    i know about the advantages of burying part of the stem when potting up but I'm not sure whether to bury above the cotyledon leaves? On some of the plants, they've started to drop off or shrivel (some have only got one left), none them look like they're doing much anymore. So, do I remove them, bury them, or just keep them where they're still on the stem?

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731

    You can take off the cotyledons, Bf. Once you've got developed foliage the cotyledons have done their job. They provide the nourishment till the real leaves come along.

    The deeper you bury the plants the better. All of the stem that's underground will turn into root structure. I take off all wee branches and foliage up to the canopy - the very top cluster of wee branches and foliage. Then I plant so that the canopy is virtually sitting on top of the soil. It will be off the soil within two or three days as the plant starts to grow.

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731

    Good point, Verdun. Forgot about grafteds.

Sign In or Register to comment.