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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

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Original poster

tips for beginner growing tomatoes please...

13 replies

QueenFee · 14/04/2009 20:49

My DD convinced me today to buy tomato seeds. I have never grown tomatoes before so this is completely new to me.

My plan so far is to:
Plant in seed trays in compost
Leave in conservatory till about 6 inch high
Plant in grobag on sunny wall
Water when I water my pots

Is this right?

Please advise on anything I should add to this (or change it completely if I have the wrong idea)

OP posts:

whistlejacket · 14/04/2009 21:02

Sounds about right! Before you put them in the grobag, harden them off a bit so they get used to being outside and don't fall over with shock. This usually means putting them out on a warm day and putting them back in the greenhouse at night for a week or so before they go in the grobag. They'll need canes for support and as they grow you need to trim off sideshoots to encourage more tomatoes (not the end of the world if you don't), the seed packet should explain this.

Original poster

QueenFee · 14/04/2009 22:28

It did but doesn't make much sense
So how long should I be putting them out for before I put them out permenantly?
The ones I have bought say they are good for beginners and children so heres hoping

OP posts:

GentleOtter · 14/04/2009 22:33

Basil is a companion plant and will improve the taste of the tomatoes - grow it round the base of the toms.
Once the tomatoes get bigger, nip the little shoots that appear in between the stems.
Feed them every alternative watering with weak tomato feed once the trusses have set.

missingtheaction · 14/04/2009 22:50

It's all fine.

Stroke the seedlings - makes them feel loved and happy helps them grow strong

You will see what the pinching out bit means when the time comes - it will all make sense. I love pinching out my tomatoes.

Don't underestimate how big they can get and how much support they will need. When you say 'on sunny wall' do you mean 'against sunny wall'? Hope so!

The main thing with tomatoes is regular watering; don't let them dry out. I would invest in the deeper grobags and consider only two plants per bag if you think your watering might be a bit dodgy - they won't dry out so quick

Original poster

QueenFee · 14/04/2009 23:19

I did yes! Last time I checked they arn't climbers. Can you get climbing ones?

I would water every night is this enough?

Mmm Basil. I haven't got basil at the mo so would be a good addition to the herbs in the garden.

OP posts:

GentleOtter · 15/04/2009 00:17

If you turn the grobags on their side (lengthwise) and put one tomato per grobag then they grow really well.
Which variety are they?

snorkle · 15/04/2009 10:29

And if there is garden soil at the base of the wall (rather than patio or gravel for instance) then if you plant them into the soil perhaps with the growbag compost dug in for the nutrients, they will be MUCH more tolerant of random watering patterns. In a growbag on a sunny day they will need watering twice a day at least.

aubergenie · 15/04/2009 13:11

There was a piece on Womens Hour about growing tomatoes. Gave a lot of information. Here.

Takver · 15/04/2009 13:58

Best way to get them to germinate quick is to wrap the trays loosely in plastic bags & put em in the airing cupboard, check every day & as soon as they are poking through bring 'em out into the light. They germinate best around 20 - 30C although they'll grow on in much cooler conditions.

Original poster

QueenFee · 15/04/2009 20:46

these ones. Thanks for the tips - off to read the Womans hour details. May be able to place them somewhere different but in the soil instead of grobag will have a wander down the garden and have a look.

OP posts:

whistlejacket · 15/04/2009 22:28

I aim to plant them outside end of May when risk of frost has passed (after Chelsea flower show is the guide for frost apparently). For about a week before I put them outside permanently, I put them outside in the day and bring them in at night. Grobags have lots of fertiliser in their compost so if you plant them in the garden soil it might help to dilute the watering can water with Tomorite or liquid seaweed (organic alternative) to help them produce fruit.

ThriceWoe · 16/04/2009 09:58

Am coming to this thread a bit late and it's probably dead (if not I'll kill it off anyway - I usually seem to! ), but just to say that if you don't want the faff of pinching out and supporting 'cordon' tomatoes (the ones that grow up in one long stem), just plant the 'bush' type. These may need the odd stick pushed in for a bit of support, but basically look after themselves. You can plant them out in pots or the growbags-on-end (having followed all the previous steps for sowing indoors, getting them to the right size for planting out, and hardening off) and they will crop and crop and crop for ages. The seed packets will say either 'bush' or 'cordon', so you just need to check when you buy.

I grow 'Red Alert' usually, and this is brilliant, with masses of fruit. This year I'm trying 'Tumbling Tom' which can be grown in hanging baskets too.

Just a thought!

thell · 17/04/2009 22:36

I've sown Tumbling Tom too (I'm a tomato virgin.) I'd heard about planting Basil too - sounds very yummy and will sit nicely in the middle of the hanging basket. Just read that French Marigolds (Tagetes) are also a good companion for keeping the relevant bugs away.

My back garden is unfortunately NE facing, but I'm hoping they will do ok if I put them in the 1ft of sunny spot we have at the bottom of the garden, then hang at the front of the house in summer to ripen the fruit. What do you think?

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