Late planted tomtoes

[ianw]

I took a tip from Bob Flowerdew and rooted some sideshoots from my expensive blight resistant tomatoes. Brilliant idea and I now have some healthy plants about 12inches high ready for planting out. Do you think it is worth planting these out into an unheated greenhouse at this time of the year or am I just wasting compost? Has anyone else done this? Next year I will start earlier and save a fortune on expensive seed. Any opinions would be much appreciated. We are away on holiday soon, so it does mean more plants for my neighbour to water.

[Monika]

I don't know where you live and how much sun you can get, but I think you might be wasting your compost. Even if they grow (which no doubt they will), they may not flower and if they do, I don't think the tomatoes will ripen so late in the year.

[FelixLeiter]

I've done this and it works well enough. I'm not sure I've potted my plants on this late, though, and it might be cutting it a bit fine. Growing from cuttings, you get something of a head start in that the plants don't have to grow through stages of development — phase change — that plants grown from seed do, so you ought to see flowers very soon. But the autumn equinox is only three weeks away, after which light and warmth will be in short supply. They'll grow alright, and may set fruit, but it's unlikely those fruits will ripen.

I don't know what Flowerdew advises (I take little notice of what he has to say if I can help it) but the principle is to extend the fruiting season of cordon tomatoes where space is limited. Tomatoes which are raised very early in the year are often spent by now, having reached the full height of the greenhouse. Commercial growers make use of limited head height by laying the main stem down for the end of it to continue growing upwards. In most greenhouses there is not enough room to do this, so rooting cuttings from side-shoots of existing vines is an alternative.

[Motherwoman]

I doubt you will get much from them as it's late in the year but the principle is sound if done earlier. You could also try leaving a side shoot to grow on from the bottom of the main plant next year and growing a double cordon plant as suggested by another member on here, I shall have a go at this next year.

I take it your blight toms are outdoors? No need for them indoors. And always water from the bottom, don't spray the foliage with water as it encourages the blight to develop.

MW

[ianw]

Thank you all very much for your advice. The plants cost me nothing but it was fun to root them in a jar of water and see roots appear magically overnight. I will have a go earlier next year and see what happens.

[sally wright]

Dear Ian,
it all really depends on which part of the country you are in as to whether you might get some toms.
North of Yorkshire and Lancashire the frosts will be there is less that a month. So you would be best not bothering.
Further south and there is a chance of a small crop. Do not pot into more than a 5L pot and limit the plants to no more than 2 trusses. If you can provide some form of heat and/or insulative sheeting eg fleece or bubble wrap then your chances of success would increase. To aid pollination tap the trusses lightly to aid the fertilization process in the absence of insects.
I think you might get some fruit which you could ripen indoors if necessary. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Regards Sally Wright.