The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Living_proof

unrecordings wrote: »

If they have blight, the skin will be blotchy/mottled. Funnily enough I have a green tomato sat in basket in the kitchen amongst its ripe brethren. Normally it would have ripened by now but it's still pale. Maybe it's the variety, not sure where it came from, but I'm certainly used to Ailsa Craig ripening off the vine even when they're lime green

I have bought the obviously affected ones home and now that I look at them they seem to be a variety called Striped Stuffer. They are certainly suffering from a very poor complexion. Maybe if I evacuate those the others will be more resilient. I will have to review it daily I think. The polytunnel toms were affected by Aminopyralid so I am not doing awfully well this year.

Primrose

Blight! It depends how long blight has been on the plants.
Yes, I've been caught like this and it can be really upsetting

My advice would be to pick everything that is worth picking immediately, bring the tomatoes home and wash them thoroughly in soapy water then rinse in fresh water before drying on sheets of newspaper on trays.

This may not save them. You may still find that the fruit develops blight but itS worth trying. You will need to check the tomatoes every day and remove any which start looking tainted.

euronorris

Congratulations Mnd! Sounds like you did brilliantly at the competition! Well done to you both!


I've no idea about blight, I'm afraid. I *think* we've been very lucky to avoid it so far (touches wood and crosses fingers).


My stripey tomatoes have finally started to ripen! Wahoo!! Taste OK, but still a little bland for my liking, though I have started the process of saving some seed from the best looking one none the less. It'll still do nicely as a sauce tomato.


The black tomatoes are taking forever to ripen still! And it's really difficult to tell when they are! Before they fell over with the storm, they had parts that were still green (ie, not exposed to the sun). But as a result of them falling over, and being put back up and resecured, they have moved position and so some of them are entirely black! lol Am having to go by feel and see if any of them are becoming a little softer instead.


Had a busy weekend celebrating DH's 40th on Saturday, then in the garden with DD for most of Sunday and yesterday. Had to hack back the Buddleia. It's beautiful, and has attracted LOTS of butterflies (including some red admirals) and honey bees, but it had fallen over in parts into the lawn and was sticking out a good 2-3 feet. So I've trimmed it back so that's not overhanging, but left plenty for the bees and the butterflies to enjoy.


The purple brussel sprout is still hanging on in there. I pick caterpillars off every day! lol. I can now see the sprouts forming, so that's exciting! And my runner beans (not broad beans as I keep saying) have finally started forming nicely. Picked about 3 or 4 last week and wasn't hopeful for more, but can now see loads forming. Strawberries producing well, and I have put a runner into a pot with some compost. Once roots have set, will trim it and pass to a friend.


Gave up on remaining courgette and have pulled it. Was still only producing male flowers, and the female flowers just kept dropping off before even getting close to opening. Oh well. Will try again next year.


My tomato transplants are growing like weeds! Not really sure if I just let them carry on, or if I pinch off new flowers this late in the season?! Undecided.


Hacked back neighbours overhanging plant as well, trimmed the rose bush a bit (thought still flowering plenty and beautifully), and also deadheaded one of the hydrangeas and trimmed it a bit, weeded one of the side beds, planted a few garlic cloves with DD, found a load of worms hiding under a compost bag and relocated to trug, sowed some radish seeds (I know it's late, but understand they grow quickly), and some kohl rabi with DD, and fertilised the trug.


Oh, and the little cherry tomato plant is now doing fine again after getting so waterlogged! lol Still producing new flowers and tomatoes too!


Phew! Still loads to do too! Lawn needs a cut, and lots more of the borders need weeding! Hopefully can at least do some more weeding from Thursday onwards. I have Thurs and Fri off to look after daughter whilst DH goes on his birthday fishing trip.


I was supposed to do a load of batch cooking this weekend, but spent most of it in the garden instead! lol

Jazee

I have my first ripe tomato.

euronorris

Jazee wrote: »

I have my first ripe tomato.

Wahoo!!! Hopefully all of the others will shortly follow suit!

Primrose

Jazee wrote: »

I have my first ripe tomato.

Savour it! I find it interesting on here reading the various reports of individuals picking their first ripe crops.

Of course we're not all playing on a level playing field here and responding to different climatic conditions in different parts of the UK because some grow in greenhouses, some sow from seed, some buy young plants from garden centres etc.

It would be an interesting experiment if we all sowed tomato seeds on the same day wherever we lived in different parts of the country and planted them out, both in greenhouses and outdoors, to see how they fared.

I suspect we would see very different results on ripening time with those growing in more northerly parts struggling to obtain ripeness before the season turned, with those more southerly having an easier time of it.

I suppose the lesson is that we have to experiment, see what works best in our particular areas and grow what is most adapted to the climate. Always nice when you're able to defeat the natural laws of nature though.

unrecordings

Primrose wrote: »

It would be an interesting experiment if we all sowed tomato seeds on the same day wherever we lived in different parts of the country and planted them out, both in greenhouses and outdoors, to see how they fared.

I'd be up for this - would be great if we could use the same packet

Belated congrats to Mnd & Jazee. This hot weather has wrecked me once again, I'm not even thinking about getting outdoors today

euronorris

Yes, would be an interesting comparison!


I popped home to pick something up, and had another look in the garden and managed to spot 3 black tomatoes on the turn! Finally! Looked back at past photos and seems I had planted the seedlings outside in early/mid April, so must have started them indoors in late March. It has taken the best part of 5 months to get a ripe tomato from them lol. Whereas, I am sure that the stripey tomatoes were started weeks after them, and started ripening last week.

Jazee

I'd be interested in taking part in an experiment with seeds. One for next years thread.

This morning I've stayed in the shade sorting the shed as DH got me some more shelves.

Mnd

Count me in on the tomato experiment. We've Benen picking for 6 weeks now, 20 a day I expect. Wiltshire in unheated greenhouse