Losing patience with Tomato plants now!

EmptyPockets

Mojisola wrote: »

These pots should be plenty big enough for tomatoes. One of the problems with multi-purpose compost is that, if it gets dry, it can be very hard to get it wet again. If you are just watering from the top, the chances are that the water is running straight through the pots and the compost is perpetually dry. The best way to get it properly wet again is to stand the pots in water and let it soak up gradually. If you can get the pots into a bucket and fill it up, that would be best. If you can't do this or improvise in some other way, make some holes in the compost from the top and fill with the water crystals wornoutmumoftwo mentioned. They hold water and slowly release it into the compost.

Thanks - you've just given me an idea for watering them better. I've got two or three old washing up bowls and a couple of huge toy buckets in the shed somewhere. These should be big enough to stand a single pot in, so I'll fish them out and try watering from the bottom as you've suggested.

mcgrow

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I remember when I wrote on here about tomatoes being difficult to grow and everyone rounded on me and said they were easy.
When you open a book and look at the tomato growing page, read the pests, diseases and problems bit, either it's much bigger than every other vegetable , or they just say.... loads.

Nah, they aren't easy. Growing tomatoes requires quite a bit of knowledge, an ability to follow fairly strict rules, as well as, giving them lots of attention. The easiest tomatoes are dwarf bush cherry varieties because they require less water, minimal work, minimal feed, etc. Not complaining though, I'm enjoying reading lots of forums and websites about them.

Mojisola

EmptyPockets wrote: »

Thanks - you've just given me an idea for watering them better. I've got two or three old washing up bowls and a couple of huge toy buckets in the shed somewhere. These should be big enough to stand a single pot in, so I'll fish them out and try watering from the bottom as you've suggested.

You'll soon be able to tell if the compost has been shedding the water you've been giving it. See how heavy the pot feels before a good soak and compare it to afterwards. There should be a distinct difference. If there isn't, that hasn't been the problem.

Some grow bags contain a wetting agent which helps to prevent this problem. You can use them as grow bags or put the compost in your pots. May be worth trying that next year.

sairy2005

I dont think you should side shoot Gardeners Delight but perhaps some one with more knowledge could answer that.

westiea

Gardener's delight are generally grown as a 'cordon' hence my advice to remove side shoots.
They can be grown as a 'bush' variety but they tend to be much smaller toms, take longer to ripen as the fruits are in a lot of shade from the heavy leaf growth and can be uncontrollable so take up a lot of space for very little reward.
In view of the fact we are now at the beginning of August it makes sense to start stopping all leaf growth and let the plant concentrate itrs energies in fruit production and ripening of existing:)

A._Badger

EmptyPockets wrote: »

Yeah... *hangs head in shame* - I've been neglecting them a bit and I guess they are punishing me now. Grrrrr! The pots are about 13/14 inches across, and about 16/17 inches deep. Can't do anything about that as I have no bigger pots and nowhere to put them in the ground. They're in B&Q Multi-Purpose compost as far as I can remember, couldn't tell you exactly which one though...

In addition to what others have said about waterng, might I suggest you try using John Innes No 3 next year? It holds reserves of both water and nutrients far better than soilless compsts can.

icecreamdogpark

:j Don`t worry i too have had problems and mine are very scruffy having grown loads of leaves bushing out and hiding their extra branches they are sneakily growing so i pulled of all leaves but say 40% they`ll win no prizes for looks but have had about 4 cherry toms and they were sweet and delish and thats what matters !!! :j

Bitsy_Beans

So this is my second year at attempting to grow toms. Mine are also gardeners delight - have lots of green toms but they're just not ripening. My other variety from last year did them same. Is it really best to grow them under glass? mine are in grow-bags on the back patio - we've had continual cloud for nearly 3 weeks and little in the way of really significant sunshine. Should they be ripening at all by now? If this doesn't work I am not going to bother again with them Give me other veggies any day.........

longforgotten

For watering, how about watering slowly from the top so your dried out compost can absorb it. Say fill a plastic bottle with water undo the top so that just a drop comes out now and again. Then lie it on the top of the tomato pot. Just an idea as it maybe easier than picking the pots up to put them in a bowl of water.

Watering done and you're not even there !

EmptyPockets

Aarrrrrggghhhh! I really do give up, I've had enough of them now. I spent loads of time on them yesterday and the day before, tidying them up, re-supporting them where necessary, watering them from the bottom, removing more side shoots, and generally giving them some TLC...

I got up this morning to find that, during the night, the high winds had wrenched three of them from the supports and snapped them. They are now strewn around the garden and I feel like crying