Growing tomatoes

droopsnoot

RobM99 said:

Tomatoes are known to sulk. They'll probably pick up (Drama Queens, Dahhhhlinks!)

I am still watering them "just in case", I hope they do.

droopsnoot

Nobbie1967 said:

Isn’t it a bit early to be sowing tomatoes unless you have a heated greenhouse? Seem to remember sowing about the start of April last year.

I am keeping these inside the house, but others have suggested that I started them off too early. I read the packet "sow January to March" to mean "sow them any time you like in this range", when it seems to mean "it will vary depending on where you are".

fatbelly

You can grow them to quite a size before you plant them in their final position.

I'd say now is a good time to get them going, but keep moving tem on so they do not become pot bound

Nobbie1967

fatbelly said:

You can grow them to quite a size before you plant them in their final position.

I'd say now is a good time to get them going

I find that you just have to spend longer looking after them if you sow early as they get pot bound and stop growing. A later sowing seems to catch up as they grow strongly and don’t suffer any check to growth. Mine are planted into an unheated greenhouse around mid May after hardening off. I think I’ll try start of April this year and see how they get on. I use an LED grow light to get them started, so they do grow quickly. Be interesting to see how these early showings do.

I’ll be growing Sungold for an early sweet crop, Gardener’s Delight for a more traditional flavour, but slightly later and Pink Brandywine beefsteak which was a trial last year and produced fantastic fruit relatively quickly for a beefsteak which can take ages to ripen.

-taff

I normally sow mid march and then panic they won't grow, sow again and have hundreds...But I do normally sow mid-March. Can't be bothered with the faff of worrying whether they're warm enough or getting enough light. I have noticed in my greenhouse one side grows stockier than the other, no matter what the variety planted,,and after last year, I'll be putting quite a few outside. The italian plum ones certainly.

btw, watch the Back Krim and Russian, they have a tendency to split.

RobM99

Tomatoes split because of irregular watering. If they bet dry and then lots of water, the fruits absorb water too quickly and the thin-skinned ones split.

RobM99

Bought some mixed tomatoes, the actual fruits - so will dry some seeds and try them! 

-taff

The large black ones are a !!!!!! for it, the brads Black Heart excepting. I gew a lot of black tomato varities in the last, some of them have traits, but they're all delicious. I went through a phase of growing every weird sounding or looking tomato I could, time and years have told me not to do that now because I know what I like On the other hand, red tomatoes, haven't got a clue except for Italian varieities.

Nobbie1967

Well, ignored my own advice and sowed my tomatoes a week ago. Sungold and Brandywine are up, but I think the Gardeners delight seed was a bit old and no sign so far.

RobM99

We haven't had the warmth really yet.