Tomato growing diary 2016

[veggiechicken]

A few photos of my babies (some of them)

Planted out about a week ago


2 Rambling Red Stripes in a bag of Jack's Magic (instead of a grobag). They've been there for 2-3 weeks. Covered with bubblewrap overnight.



Mixed seedlings. Also bubblewrapped overnight.

Lots more in the bedroom waiting to be pricked out - but I'm not showing you a photo of the mess in there

[Gillykat]

These are the five varieties I'm doing this weekend. Neil ~ bless ~ said to sow ALL the seeds in the packets!!! I told him I know the tunnel is big but not THAT big!!! Especially as I want to grow a few other crops in there too.

Thinking of doing three seeds of each to give me 15 plants. These will be indoor plants in the tunnel and greenhouse. I've also got some Principe Borghese, Costoluto Fiorentino and a Heritage one called The Amateur which, according to the packets are best grown outdoors. I'll probably sow three of these as well.

[bussinspain]

These are the five varieties I'm doing this weekend. Neil ~ bless ~ said to sow ALL the seeds in the packets!!! I told him I know the tunnel is big but not THAT big!!! Especially as I want to grow a few other crops in there too.

Thinking of doing three seeds of each to give me 15 plants. These will be indoor plants in the tunnel and greenhouse. I've also got some Principe Borghese, Costoluto Fiorentino and a Heritage one called The Amateur which, according to the packets are best grown outdoors. I'll probably sow three of these as well.

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I am also trying Principe Borghese - maybe we can compare notes on these? I am in Spain.

[Scarlet]

Quite forlorn looking so to teach them a lesson they went outside this afternoon. It is supposed to be really warm tomorrow so they might go out for the day so they can practise being big, healthy toms........some hope!

They look great Lumpy. Though be careful with those plant labels if are they milk bottles cut up with permanent marker. I did that severalyears ago and after a few days out in the sunall the marker pen disappeared.

[Bacchus]

I noticed this as I was carrying a tomato tray back in from the tunnel - while it's a lovely yellow colour it really shouldn't be there this early..

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Here's my "Babies" as of today!

Having a soak in a nice diluted "Seaweed Feed"



Hopefully get the rest out tomorrow! As they are now getting a tad "Leggy"



Don't ya just hate having to work for a living!

[SaraJH]

Today I sowed tomato seeds that are now nicely sitting in the Propagator waiting to spring into life. I sowed:

Tigerella
Sungold
Alias Craig
Bumble Bee mix
Principe Borghese
Red Pear
Red Cherry

These are the first seeds that I have sown since some mustard cress at school in 1975

However, I made a very rookie error, I didn't water the compost before I sowed the seeds. I have very carefully watered now but am worried that the compost is still to dry.

I covered the seeds in a thin layer of vermiculite rather than compost.

Any advice please on my next steps, I really don't want these tiny seeds to go thirsty

[Gillykat]

Don't ya just hate having to work for a living!

It certainly ruins a perfectly good day off What always gets me is folk who buy a lottery ticket from our shop and say they don't want to win the jackpot because they wouldn't know what to do with themselves all day You can tell they ain't gardeners!

[Gillykat]

Five varieties, three seeds of each sown - now in a propagator on my south-facing windowsill.

[Penellype]

Not a great photo, but I couldn't resist taking this of one of my January sown Shirleys on my sitting room windowsill:



These are my balconi red and yellow under the grow lights (the ones in the bigger pots at the back are the February sown Shirleys):



Coming along rather nicely

[maverick451]

They look really healthy!

[Penellype]

They look really healthy!

They should be - they are in a nice warm room with 14 hours of light and sitting on self watering trays. They have also just been fed.

[Scoot]

Looking good Pen!

[bramble]

Well done Pen, they look so healthy.

[Penellype]

I'm hopeful the Balconi will give me my first ripe tomato at the end of May. Last year they were sown 2 weeks later, the first flower opened on 21st April and I ate the first tomato on 11th June.

Here are some better pictures of the bigger Shirleys which will be stopped out soon as they are at the top of their canes: