Must hold myself back on sowing tomatoes

[Primrose]

Every year I sow my outdoor tomatoes too early and regret it, resorting to all kinds of methods to protect them from unseasonal weather and never gaining any long term benefit from earlier crops,so this year could all you kind outdoor tomato growers please post on here when you start sowing yours.

[pongeroon]

Yes Primrose, get a grip! I try to wait until early March, but usually break about mid Feb...
The seed packets I have at the ready (not yet, not yet...) say sow six weeks before the last frost. Oh to have such foresight.

[Mole]

Hi Primrose

I generally sow my toms in early march, but nearly always regret doing it so early! The plants are generally a little leggy by the time I get them all planted - I usually do 200 plus in a polytunnel - we don't do any outdoors as blight gets them to quickly.

Mole

[Monika]

It's so tempting, isn't it, to sow the first seeds when there is the slightest sign of approaching spring? I have thrown away many a pot of thin, drawn, stretched tomato seedlings in past years, only to start completely anew.Luckily, they seem to germinate like mustard and cress and grow like mad, so always catch up.

Also, am I not right in thinking that you can eventually prick tomato plants out by planting the seedlings in potting compost right up to their seedling leaves so that you can "hide" the long stem without harm?

[gardenaholic]

Planting them deep will encourage new roots to develop and make for a stronger plant.

[Johnboy]

If you do not take off the first two side shoots and allow them to grow and you plant them with those shoots just buried you can actually get three stems from the same plant. My father used this method very successfully for his entire gardening life.
The way to do it is to just bury the joints of the side shoots and then place a ring around the plant and as the plant grows top up with soil until the side shoots have at least 2" of soil and they will produce roots as big as the main stem.
Many people have tried what used to be called the "Trident Method" by simply allowing the side shoots to grow but my father realised that the plant could not take up sufficient nutrition through the main stem so he adapted it to his theory.
He used to grow the most wonderful tasty tomatoes that I have never been able to match.
JB.

[Elderflower]

That sounds really interesting JB! I fancy trying that.
But tell me, what do you mean by `a ring`?
Sorry to be dim as usual.

[Johnboy]

Hi Elderflower,
A ring is similar to the one used in Ring Culture
systems but is not quite as tall. My father used this to maintain the level of soil and also to feed the plants as in the ring culture method. I suppose it could be said that his method preceded the Ring Culture Method because he was using his method in the late 1920's. Regret to say that I can remember back as far as 1935 and I thought his method was just normal and it was a few years after that that I realized that it wasn't. I was only a little lad then.
JB.

[Gilly C]

My father used to leave just one side shoot and have a split stem thus being able stop the plant sooner and thus get an earlier crop, does that make sense ? I only got a greenhouse last year so until then I only grew tumblers, maybe I will try his method this year, anyone else tried this ?

[Mike Vogel]

Is the problem of sowing early in part due to the instructions on the seed packet? They say sow January to March, but I think the January instruction is based on the idea that the groower will have a heated greenhouse facing South. I have an unheated one in less than 100% sun and most of my plants are grown outside on the allotment.

I've tried sowing a few of each variety in mid-Feb and then some more in March. I've decided to sow on March 1 and then some more in late March. Then they'll be about right for planting out.

I've also had success pulling out the lowest side shoots from plants established in the ground. These shoots have small roots and as long as you keep them watered until established they'll produce 3 or 4 trusses. I also agree with the idea of allowing the stem to fork, but remember to stop the plant!

Mike

Never throw anything away.

[oldherbaceous]

I have an old booklet called,

Tomatoes
Bulletin number 77 of the ministry of
agriculture and fisheries.
Published by His Majesty's
stationary office.

Price 2s. 0d. Net

I have to say it is a first class read full of interesting suggestions, especially about leaving sideshoots and different methods of stopping.

It makes a big point about root damage when pricking out, so if your plants have got a bit leggy and you are planting them deeply, be careful not to just bend the roots over in the bottom of the pot.
Better still don't grow them too soft and you won't have this problem anyway.

[Berlioz]

There is a collection of Dig for Victory leaflets here

http://www.earthlypursuits.com/AllotGui ... tGuide.htm

which are very interesting.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Berlioz, as you said a very interesting site indeed, and makes for some interesting reading.

Thanks for putting it on the forum.

[pea]

Oh,im such a newby.My toms all suffererd blight last year and were all quite tall when i put them in I did manage a good spicy chutney from green toms though.My Grandfather is my inspiration for growing and turned his first ever garden into an allotment,his tomatoes were always waited for and delicious to taste he didnt have a green house at his disposal and managed very well.My worry is with blight and spacing as i suffered very badly last year.


ps..has anyone in the southeast checked there allotments recently i have lots of slugs already because of the rain

[Chantal]

Don't worry Pea, last year was the worst for blight in living memory, I don't know a single person who didn't suffer at some point during the season. I managed 2 tomatoes from 54 plants at the allotment before I lost the lot and although I managed to keep the greenhouse toms clean for a good while, blight eventually got them too

This year will be better