A newbie . . .

[CJS]

Hi all, a newbie to the site. Gardening? well, my late wife was the gardener, only flowers, she said dig here and I dug

I come from a long line of kitchen gardeners. As I have got older I have found the dormant genes, (yes, I have don very little gardening since Kathy died, 12 years now), are awakening, I need much help.

I dont do flowers, in the past couple of years, my borders are vegie/salad, runner beans, lettuce, beetroot, radish, shard and some very unsuccessful spring onions. Boring or what?

First question, I have got 4 Sun-gold tomato plants out doors in grow bags, grown them before successfully. But my memory is going . . . I can remember if I pinch out the side shoots as they grow or wait till the trusses form?

Sorry its so simple, I am dyslexic and the memory is going . . . I need to get an interest that I can do at home . . . As I have a 20x10ft (inherited) unheated green house that until a few weeks ago was a glorified shed. It still need some tidying but is now usable. I will take a few pictures, can we post pics on here?

Lots more to ask, but the above will do for now

Thanks in advance for you help and patience, CJS

[macmac]

Welcome CJS i don't think your veggies are boring can't answer your question but just wanted to welcome you

[WestHamRon]

As a relative newbie myself (this is my 3rd year) and having had problems about "pinching out", I would say pinch out as soon as the sideshoots appear. If you don't, the appearance of flowers will be delayed.
(Dons tin helmet ).

[oldherbaceous]

Evening CJS, and the warmest of welcomes to the forum.
We are a pretty friendly bunch of folk, and try to answer most questions.

Regarding your Sungold and the sideshoots, i always nip them out with my finger and thumb at an nearly stage, just make sure you identify the truss of flowers when they start forming though, you don't want to be removing those.

Hope you enjoy the forum.

[Elaine]

Hi CJS. A warm welcome from me too. Hope you enjoy this forum as much as I do...I'm a newbie too. Yes, you can post pics but I haven't a clue how to as I'm a bit of a dork where computers are concerned...hence no avatar yet, despite help from folk on here with the patience of saints!! Cheers.

[naturediva]

Cheery welcome CJS - I am also new to the forum and its been fun so far
Not too sure about pinching out - sometimes I do so early and other times have been a bit hap-hazard or even not at all, have still had plenty of tomatoes though - enough to eat, and give away and freeze etc. not yet tried making chutneys (on the cards for sometime when brave enough to have a go).
I'm with Elaine about photos! which is why still no avatar here either (and its not for the want of trying - suprisingly, I have so far restrained myself from throwing my laptop at the wall )

[Elaine]

Hi Naturediva. Heeeey! I'm not the only one! I thought I was the only computer numskull on here! Despite some brilliant advice re pics, avatars and animated emoticons, I still can't manage it. This is our first computer (January this year) and I don't think the warranty covers laptops which have been sent into orbit due to frustration.........

[Cider Boys]

Hello CJS

A warm welcome to the Forum.

I try to remove any side shoots when they are about an inch long, I was always told that if a smoker you should not pinch the shoots out with tobacco stained fingers since the tobaco viruses can infect the tomato plants. Since I do not always practise what I preach if you leave any side shoots to get large you can pinch them off and plant the side shoot to get another plant.

All the best

Barney

[CJS]

Thanks all, for the warm welcome. As photography is an interest of mine, so I will see what I can do, I say, its an interest, not saying I'm any good . . . about as good as my gardening abilities I find ilustrations with pictures saves my dyslexic brain doing descriptive handstands, they say "a picture is worth a thousand words".

Projects are to create a small vegie patch by pinching part of the lawn, get the greenhouse up and running, first removing the established (40-50 years???) grape vine? good idea???? . . . picies, I need some pics, try this evening after work.

Thinking of growing sweet pepers, is it to late to plant the seeds, if I can find some at the weekend?? Any sugestions? the soil is very, very poor in the green house, so I thought a few ring cultures this year or grow bags to accomodate a few tender bits? . . . Have I missed the boat?

CJS

[Shallot Man]

A warm welcome, they are quite friendly when you get to know them, I found the first year the hardest.

[alan refail]

Hi CJS and a welcome from me too. Any questions you have someone will have the right answer - though we don't always agree

As for peppers: they need to be sown early like late Feb/early March as they are very slow growing. If you have a good garden centre nearby you might be able to get a few plants.

[lizzie]

Hello cjs and welcome to our little forum.

All your questions will be answered on here as there are so many people with such a lot of experience in growing fruit and veg.

I hope you enjoy your time here cos all the folk here are the best