Tomato plants

10" pots are ok for tomato plants but a growbag would be better and will take all 3 of them. Try and put them by a sunny wall or fence and put a 4 foot cane behind each one and secure to the fence/wall. Secure the plant to the cane loosely as it grows about every 6" to 9" and pinch the top out after 4 or 5 trusses have formed. Pinch out the side shoots from the leaf joints as soon as they are large enough to grasp with your finger and thumb. Check the soil every day and dont let it dry out but also don't over water (about a half gallon of water per plant per day). Keep the watering consistent to avoid tough skins and splitting fruit. Over watering will also encourage blossom end rot (rotting of the end of the fruit where the blossom was). Feed with something like Phostrogen once a week AFTER the first truss of fruit has set.
Nothing much else to do to ensure a good crop of tasty toms. Good Luck!

I'm sure you're all probably aware of this but the weather forecast this morning said we're going to have some very cold weather this week which will kill "tender plants" if they're outdoors.

Hello!

I don't think you need to plant out just yet, perhaps start hardening them off when the weather seems a little more consistent! There seems little to gain from planting them out earlier, as later plants apparently always catch up with those that go out prematurely. Mine are all in little pots at the moment, some indoors, and some in a plastic coveres greenhouse/shelving type thing outside. All looking healthy, but too little to put outside yet (still only about eight inches high).

A tip for when you either plant them in the ground or in bigger containers. You can remove the lowest pairs of leaves in order to achieve deeper planting. This is particulrly helpful if your plants have gone a bit tall and "leggy", as it enables you to make them more stable. But also, the plant will put out more roots from any of the stem you bury, potentially giving a stronger plant. I have done this, re-potting into troughs, or larger pots, or the ground. I have to say, the plants in my veg patch tend to fare best for size and productivity, closely followed by two plants sharing a big flower trough, then the ones in individual 12" pots.

Another tip if your plant is leggy and you're using a grow-bag so don't have much depth, you can sort of coil the stem around a bit before burying it - careful not to snap it, but I find they can be very bendy when young.

Enjoy! There is nothing to beat veg grown yourself. I think I'm in about my fifth season, still learning all the time!

I'd suggest getting some cut-and-come again type leaves to give you some pickings while you're waiting for actual lettuces to grow. If you sow a little every couple of weeks, you should always have something ready!

Not too late for carrots, either.

catznine wrote:

Opps! Have just padded out into garden to pop tomato plants back into the greenhouse! Thanks for the weather report CQ!

No worries

Even though I have no plants to worry about myself, the first thing that popped in my mind when I heard the weather report this morning was all the Old Stylers with their little veggie plants coming on as I know some of you mentioned planting them out this week