Just bought some lovely tomato plants, now what do I do with them?!

missymoo81

Hello, I hope no one minds me posting here.

I was really hoping to get some help. I am a complete novice at gardening. I have just bought 4 moneymaker tomato plants about 30cm high and 4 golden vine plants again about 30 cm high. They are in little tiny pots, but now I have them home I don't know what to do with them!!!

I think I have some big pots at the bottom of the garden but I dont have any compost nor any money to buy any. I think I have a couple of spadefuls in the ground from when I tried to plant some tomatoes last year, could I mix this with just normal earth, or sand (sorry see I told you I was a novice!!:o).

Your advice would be very grately appreciated, as I really want to start growing veg but am petrified at falling at the first hurdle and getting disheartened.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

Missy

Lotus-eater

You could put them straight into the soil if you like, much easier to keep watered.

EmptyPockets

I would put them straight into your garden, in a nice sunny spot. Provide them with canes for support if they need it (if they don't now they soon will). And once they start flowering give them a little tomato food. I'm a novice too, but don't be afraid of 'falling at the first hurdle' - you will probably make many mistakes along the way, show me a person who hasn't. But this is how you will learn, and the satisfaction that comes from growing your own veg, plants and flowers, FAR outweighs the little disappointments or mistakes.

missymoo81

Awww bless you both, thank you, well I think I will do that, I thought they would be to small to plant straight out.

What should I do just dig a hole and put them in, cover the roots with soil then water??

How often should I water them? Sorry I know these are such simple questions, but I really am starting from scratch.

And thank you for your lovely kind words empty pockets I do appreciate it.

savemoney

I grow mine in posts with a bamboo cane in. Keep well watered and feed with tomato feed once a week

These are mine

I got African marilgolds in small pots on top of tomato post they suppose to put off bugs, I grow them from seed not really for this but ran out of space in garden



I use an old Morriosons plastic flower pot about 8 for £1

Lotus-eater

missymoo81 wrote: »

Awww bless you both, thank you, well I think I will do that, I thought they would be to small to plant straight out.

What should I do just dig a whole and put them in, cover the roots with soil then water??

How often should I water them? Sorry I know these are such simple questions, but I really am starting from scratch.

And thank you for your lovely kind words empty pockets I do appreciate it.

Dig a hole, fill with water and let it drain away, stick a cane or something of the like, in the hole, stick plant (roots down ) in the hole, cover with soil and push it down with your hands to eliminate any air pockets. Not too hard, but hard enough.
Water again.

When checking if you need to water, stick a finger in the soil and see if it's damp a fingers depth down, if it is, you probably don't need to water. It depends on the soil and the weather.

Tie the plant to the cane, tie knot onto cane first, then tie it round a good place on the plant.

Learn how to sideshoot tomato plants.

Keep all weeds down around the plants.

missymoo81

hey save money thank you for the lovely picture. Might see if I can plant some marigolds too, i heard that bugs can be a problem.

Thank you so so much for the step by step guide lotus eater, that is exactly what i was after!!! Oooooh I'm so excited!! Will have a go when the weather clears a bit.

Going off topic very slightly is it too late to plant things like carrots or potatoes, as I know you are supposed to start growing things april time aren't you, but I wasn't able to but am now.

Thank you again for being so wonderfully helpful, I love this website!

EmptyPockets

missymoo81 wrote: »

Awww bless you both, thank you, well I think I will do that, I thought they would be to small to plant straight out.

What should I do just dig a whole and put them in, cover the roots with soil then water??

How often should I water them? Sorry I know these are such simple questions, but I really am starting from scratch.

And thank you for your lovely kind words empty pockets I do appreciate it.

Yes dig a hole slightly bigger than the pots they're now in. Water it as said above, then take plant out of pot (carefully. Don't pull and tug on the stem to get it out. Put one hand on the soil surface, turn upside down and gently squeeze and pat the pot until the rootball falls out).

Place in hole so that the top is level with the soil level, fill in around the roots and firm gently. Water lightly.

As said above re watering, we do ours almost every day, but ours are in pots and so they dry out much quicker. Do the finger-test to see if they need water. You'll soon come to know when and how much they need.

foreign_correspondent

you want to leave about 18" (45cm) between plants, and it is often easier to take the first lot of sideshoots off before you plant them, then continue to keep nipping them off as more grow!

Make sure it is sideshoots you remove, not leaves, or trusses! Sideshoots grow out (like armpit hair!) between the main stem and the leaves - they eventually get big and thick if left.

savemoney

When I pot on plants I tend make a hole for the new plant and put a little blood and bonemeal in as its a slow release fertiliser (wilkos have it) Its just what I do. Tomatoe feed £1 at Poundland (Doff)

I am not expert on tomatoes this is my first year for them. I am growing one that has yellow tomatoes, the other two a gift from a neighbour

savemoney

Oh yes nip side shoots as shown above