Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

annie123

Dug up first spuds yesterday and was disappointed and amazed.
Disappointed because I'd usually get a really good crop with the first ones but amazed that I got any from the March planting due to the 6 weeks of rain on clay soil. Couldn't believe they hadn't all rotted.
Only dug up what would have been 2 seed spuds and got 300g enough for our dinner last night. Do have pics but need hubby to get off the other computer so I can upload them.



Got my canes today from homebase in the end. 15% off and I had a 15% vooucher and triple nectar points:j cost me £3.50 for 10 x 8' canes, all they had left, so will have to cut them down but I do get extra smaller canes which will be useful.
Also got 8 celery seedlings for 30p and 6 PSB for 30p:T Never bothered with celery before, we're not big fans of it but at that price thought I'd have a go.

Before gardening today, need to make a start on resurfacing the bath......:(

Drea

annie123 wrote: »

Those toms need something a bit deeper than that tub. I'd be tempted to plant them in the ground if you can, as deep as poss. They'd soon put out extra roots along the stem and would support the plants much better, or at least a deep tub. Everything else looks fine, great looking tatties and peppers.

edit: just read you're renting.......they wouldn't notice 3 little holes with toms in them, when theyre finished scatter some grass seed over the area


Send them an email, got to be worth try, I don't think 8 weeks is too late to say something.

aliasojo wrote: »

Either that or buy a couple of growbags. Much easier.

You could wind string around the growbag then pin it to the fence (no-one will notice a few wee holes) and the toms could use the string as support to grow up.

I agree with annie, Drea...don't think there's enough space (or earth) in there for them and you should move them on.

Btw, add me to the 'jealousy' list for the chillis. What the heck have you done to get them looking so big and healthy? Mine look puny in comparison. I do have a very big and very fetching marigold though. :D

I did wonder if I should have re-potted them but the OH's mum said they'd be ok. Would the grow bags the strawberries are in do the job or is depth the issue? I've been making it all up as I go along really, it's not easy when I'm not even sure what things should look like :rotfl:

The chillies lived on my windowsill for most of their time, they only went out to the greenhouse a couple weeks back (they were getting far too big). I've done nothing but water them and re-pot them once. They were my babies seeing as they were in my bedroom, maybe talking to them did the job :rotfl:

Drea

Oh, I had an issue with repotting things that have been in the same pot originally (hence why I now only have 3 lettuce!) and don't really want to lose my tomatoes.

How on earth is it done without tearing roots?! I end up with the roots all tangled together!

aliasojo

I've been using Levingtons Tomorite growbags (bit bigger than normal and particularly for toms) and out of all the toms I planted, the ones in this growbag are doing so much better than all the rest.

Lie the tubs on their side and gently loosen the soil so the toms slip out, tease as many roots apart as you can then just rip the rest (gently!) . The toms will send out new roots to compensate.

Either that or just cut out a long strip from the top of the growbag and plant them as a one-er.

Drea

aliasojo wrote: »

I've been using Levingtons Tomorite growbags (bit bigger than normal and particularly for toms) and out of all the toms I planted, the ones in this growbag are doing so much better than all the rest.

Lie the tubs on their side and gently loosen the soil so the toms slip out, tease as many roots apart as you can then just rip the rest (gently!) . The toms will send out new roots to compensate.

Either that or just cut out a long strip from the top of the growbag and plant them as a one-er.

Oh I do have one or two tomato grow bags I got from poundland ages ago, I wonder if they still sell them...

Thanks hopefully I'll manage without killing them off!

annie123

Or you could cut the growbags in 1/2 and get really deep pots so the ends become the bottom of the pot, hope that makes sense and poke some drainage holes in the bottom.

djohn2002uk

What Annie says is right, it's depth they need now. There is so much stem doing nothing, no leaves or anything. Get them in as deep as possible and roots will grow from all that wasted stem. A couple of growbags cut in half and put on end would be deep enough. Get the longest ones right to the bottom and the others so the compost is about an inch below the first leaves.

Drea

djohn2002uk wrote: »

What Annie says is right, it's depth they need now. There is so much stem doing nothing, no leaves or anything. Get them in as deep as possible and roots will grow from all that wasted stem. A couple of growbags cut in half and put on end would be deep enough. Get the longest ones right to the bottom and the others so the compost is about an inch below the first leaves.

They had lots of leaves... Until I destroyed them

I'm not sure I know what you mean by cutting them in half and on end? Will be going out tomorrow to get something for them

Drea

Oh I understand now! In that case the poundland ones might be best. They are deep bags, just need a lot of soil to fill them.

annie123

Drea wrote: »

Oh I understand now! In that case the poundland ones might be best. They are deep bags, just need a lot of soil to fill them.

growbags come with soil, so you may have a plastic planter that needs soil? thats fine too, just do as John says and plant deep.

growbag
http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=031324

Any brand will do. Find roughly the middle and stand it in an upside down V shape then cut across the middle, bit of a wiggle with the soil, poke the holes in the bottom and voilà, you have 2 deep ready to plant pots.
Your toms will love you for planting them deeply