Home grown tomatoes ????

[sarah1]

i have bought a grow bag and the tray that goes underneath, i have got a conservatory and was wondering if i should grow them in there or outside. i was worried in case they look a mess in the house.
I have got four tomato plants for the grow bag is that right ammount ?
any help will be greatly appreciated. :confused:

[ChocClare]

What sort of tomatoes are they? Are they the bush type or do they need staking? Where do you live? Is it sunny in your back garden?

I have grown tomatoes outside in the open for years, but then I live 200 yards from the sea and my garden faces south. The only trouble I have is that where I am it can be a bit windy and so the ones that need staking tend to get a bit blown about sometimes. But on the whole, as long as you give them sunshine and PLENTY OF WATER (apparently, you cannot overwater a tomato!) they're fine.

Your conservatory would obviously make things warmer and protect them from wind (bit like in a greenhouse), but you've only got to be at work all day on a hot day and you'll come back to something shrivelled (see "plenty of water", above!). Also, they can be a bit prone to whitefly and other creepy crawlies and I find they tend to get a bit more of those inside. So, back to the beginning - what kind of tomatoes are they and where do you live!!

All the allotment holders will probably give you better advice than I can, but I think tomatoes are really easy to grow - give it a go and see what happens - and best of luck!

[new_girl]

I would advice you to keep them in the conservatory as so far it has been very cold

4 plants to a bag should be fine , most bags suggest 3 but mine have always been ok putting 4 to a bag

remember to stake them as they grow

enjoy there is nothing like the taste of a home grown tomato

[squeaky]

There will be other tips in at least one of our grow your own food threads. Follow the link to organic foods which you can find in our "Indexed Collections" sticky at the top of the board.

[sarah1]

Thanks for your replies,
I have bought two Alicante and two Moneymaker plants they are about 14 inches high already.
When you say stake them i don't get it , how should i do this if they are in a grow bag? do i need to take them out.?
And when do i start feeding them ?
Thanks Sarah

[raeble]

I think once a week is the norm - it should say on the packet.

[apprentice tycoon]

If you plan on putting the growbag outside you can do it now. You will need to thump the sides to make it less flat and make the compost a bit deeper. It's more usual to put 3 plants in a growbag so if you want to do that you could put the other plant in a large plant pot or bucket (with holes made in it for drainage), you could try 4 plants if you wanted to give it a go.
If you can put it against a wall it makes the staking easier, you just push in a cane for each plant as far as you can into the bag before the tomatoes go in. Tie the toms carefully to the canes. You won't need to feed them for 4 weeks as there is enough food in the bag BUT if you get flowers before then you will need to start feeding them. You will also need to pinch out the side shoots to stop the plant growing out sideways, you just want one stalk. The side shoots will grow where a leaf joins the stem.

[Loadsabob]

Something I tried one year was getting three plastic plant pots (about 8inches?), and cutting the bottoms off, and pushing those into the growbags once you've cute three circles out. Then topping those up with other compost if you have any. It means you can plant the tomatoes even deeper (as growbags are so shallow), and they develop and even stronger root system. I also found when I watered, the water was less likely to just run out of the bag when I was watering into the pots. And I'd emphasise, too, the need to loosen up the compost in the growbag before you put the tomatoes in - they're so compacted sometimes.

I've always done mine outside (in Cornwall), but I start them in the house, then put them in the greenhouse shelving type thing I have outside if the weather is at all doubtful (like now!); then put them outside. Mine are still quite small, but they will catch up. Last year my garden wall was just COVERED in tomatoes, and I had to cut off a lot of foliage through the season, to let the sun get to the ripening fruits. Tomatoes are great, they can withstand this kind of brutality!!