Tomatoes "palely loitering"

[ken]

Well, not exactly. I'm very anxious to plant them out but we're having a succession of cold nights. Can anyone explain the advice often seen in gardening books that you shouldn't feed tomato plants until the first truss shows, or is open? I grow mine initially in a 50/50 mix of John Innes No.3 and coir, which gives me good germination and root growth. However, although the plants grow well, the leaves tend to look very pale. I usually therefore ignore the traditional advice and give them a bit of slow-release feed. (Incidentally, in an earlier post I said my tomato seedlings were getting leggy because of the very dull weather. I repotted them as deeply as I could, and they are looking very good now.)

[hilary]

Mine don't look too happy either I tried to harden them off inside by night and out by day but the cold wind made then very unhappy so back indoors. I usually reckon that by potting on they get enough feed until they are in final positions when I start to feed. I usually give a seaweed spray if necessary.
I would be interested to hear what others say as we are going to have to struggle with plants indoors a bit longer.
On the Keats theme the basil is looking good!

Hilary

[Beryl]

I put mine out last week on the lottie having potted on to 6" pots first. After the dreadful weather over the last few days I did expect to find them looking very sad today but no they are fine. I do always plant deeply again having watered well and then mulched well with rotted compost. Maybe this protected them I don't know. I find I am having to take a chance now with most things. My mini sweet corn has also gone out, it is about 9" tall and survived with no yellowing. Next week it will be the celeriac and I do know they don't like any check to their growth or a bit of cold weather till well established.

They only get 2 chances. Best of luck
Beryl.

[Primrose]

The leaves on my climbing bean seedlings still indoors have done exactly the same thing - gone very, very pale. The only liquid fertiliser I have to perk them up until I can plant them out is Tomorite. Would this do the trick?
I have potted on a few tomatoes to prevent this happening. Several of mine are now planted out under those 1.5 litre square mineral water cloche bottles which have had the bottoms cut off and this seems to have prevented the leaves paling at the last minute. Those still indoors have one or two bottom leaves which have gone yellow which I'm assuming may be a deficiency of nutrients now in their compost..