Trials on tomatoes in 2006

[Nicos]

my father used to use 12" pots (across the top) but I have no idea what the volume would be-is that any help?

[nick the grief]

Hi Bramble, You could use 5 ltr pots (I think they are 9") but a bigger one will be better as it won't dry out so quickly & Toms do make a good root. I'd be tempted to go to the local pound shop (bet you don't have them seeing as you're in Euro's ) and get some of the smaller square tubs or Try gating some pt the black florist buckets, they are better still cos they are deeper.

Another way round it would be to get somering culture pots (they are made os a materiakl like roofing felt & have no bottom) and pot your toms into the 9" pot then put the ring culture pot over the top, then as the tom grows you can top the compost up in the ring culture pot & the tom will root from the stem.

[bramble]

Thanks for the info Nick. Went to the local shopping centre today and got some builders buckets (they cost 2euro 49cent) in Homebase ( i think its an english firm so perhaps you know it) anyway i invested i 12 and feel happier i now have the right size. No we dont have £ shops any more they changed the name and changed the price and everything is now 2euro so they gain of course.

[Pete]

or Try gating some pt the black florist buckets, they are better still cos they are deeper.

Local florist had some outside shop last week at 10p each, so bought 10. But saw a load beside the floral stand in Asda today and they gave them for nothing "We just dump them."

[multiveg]

Latah - grew that a couple of years ago, tomatoes weren't early for me.
Why did I pick Giant Tree Tomato from the Heritage Seed Library catalogue?
Growing Sugar Italian Plum, Auntie Madge's, Sub Arctic Plenty from the HSL and Zuckertraube. Have already got little green tomatoes on (ran out into greenhouse to check) Zuckertraube and Auntie Madge's.

20 years ago, I badgered my dad to grow Tigerella (I had Hessayon's book) which cropped well, but other tomatoes had better flavour. My dad would collect seed from shop-bought tomatoes, such as the yellow plum ones and we would have masses and masses of lovely tomatoes. He never pinched out side-shoots and it was my job to go into the greenhouse jungle to pick!