Growing some early tomatoes 2020

[quanglewangle]

Ok Scarlet and vc. I will take out alternate ones front and back to make a W

That will give a spacing of about 17 of those inches, if pythagoras works in greenhouses, and as you say will make the back ones accessible.

Thanks for persisting - I'm not always easy to persuade....

[OakR]

From a Sunday sowing they�ve come up really quickly,the others could be slower varieties or just slower than the others

You were correct! Virtually all came up, bar the Yellow Stuffers which I will try a few seeds on some wet paper towels and see what happens as none of those came up.

I put most out in pots today as I think they were getting a bit leggy even under the growlights - this may all be in vain but I will sow again end of this month - hopefully a few make it through to the Greenhouse!

[quanglewangle]

You can say that again

Three "likes" are quite enough for Miss O'Hara's post; you can stop now.

[mcdood]

Scarlet, with your double stemmed cordons what spacing do you use as I think I'll give that a go this year.

[mcdood]

Thanks Scarlet. Do you use the 1st/lowest armpit that arrives as the 2nd stem?

[DannyK]

I plant very deep. I'm sure this helps as you get some good roots. But also the lower branches don't put out flowers so I get fruit low down.
I then used the lowest armpit to the ground.

Do you earth up immediately or gradually as it grows?

[annie8]

Phew finally got some germination from the shirley, black icicle a green grape seeds I planted last weekend. Was starting to worry I wasn't going to have any tomatoes this year! Did these in small modules rather than the larger trays that came with the propogator. Not sure I'd that is what made the difference. Never had an issue with tomato germination before. So took the seedlings out and moved to small individual pots. Just put some more gardener delight seeds in and need to get another packet of sungold today.

[Mark Rand]

Grafted five tomatoes (and one cucumber) today. At the moment, they're in a foil tent inside my lightless workshop at 16�C after being thouroghly sprayed with water.

If any of them are not completely dead in a couple of days time I'll be over the moon!

[mcdood]

Started chitting some old seed: Sniega Pika, Gelbe Konigin, Dr Carolyn and German Lunchbox. Hopefully will get some to sprout.

[quanglewangle]

When to start de-suckering?

These bad boys are getting little side shoots. When should I start to rub them out?

(Couldn't persuade pesky camera phone to focus on side shoots so a little bit blurry)


Tomato Mandarin showing side shoots

[Ms-T]

Micro tomato sowed on 29/1/ 29

[quanglewangle]

Micro tomato sowed on 29/1/ 29

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They are doing well. You have flowers!

[Bonjour]

These bad boys are getting little side shoots. When should I start to rub them out?

(Couldn't persuade pesky camera phone to focus on side shoots so a little bit blurry)


Tomato Mandarin showing side shoots

I usually pinch them out at about an inch long. Any smaller is too fiddly for my big fingers.

[Jungle Jane]

Quanglewangle how small are the sideshoots I can�t really see anything to worry about. Is it a bush tomato variety,if it is leave them on,if not you can remove the sideshoots when you can easily get to them without touching the rest of the plant,you don�t want to damage the tiny hairs. I had some tiny snippers once that would�ve been handy or small sterile scissors might help when they�re slightly bigger. Unless that variety�s a bush type,bush tomatoes throw out side shoots quite early,if unsure I treat as a bush variety & let it do what it wants.

[quanglewangle]

Quanglewangle how small are the sideshoots I can’t really see anything to worry about. Is it a bush tomato variety,if it is leave them on,if not you can remove the sideshoots when you can easily get to them without touching the rest of the plant,you don’t want to damage the tiny hairs. I had some tiny snippers once that would’ve been handy or small sterile scissors might help when they’re slightly bigger. Unless that variety’s a bush type,bush tomatoes throw out side shoots quite early,if unsure I treat as a bush variety & let it do what it wants.

Thanks for helpful advice. It's an indeterminate (cordon) variety. I can wield a pair of surgical scissors so I will take them off while small.