Pics of my tomatoes. Advise needed

gsxr1 · 31-05-2010 2:30pm #1

Pot 1

Pot 2

I have never grown Cherry tomatoes before

Pot 1.. (the first pic) Plants where taken to the bigger 10" wide pot 1 month ago. They are 10" high. (4 plants in pot).

Pot 2 .. Plants where taken to this bigger pot 2 weeks ago. They are 6" high.
(about 9 plants in pot)

No fertiizer has been used and both have been potted in muti-purpose compost. B&Q brand.

they are Outdoor and grown from seed

I have not idea how to proceed with them.

what should I do?

yellowlabrador · 31-05-2010 2:40pm

Plant them out in hanging baskets or large pots, 4 to each basket. Start feeding tomato food and put in a sunny sheltered spot.

gsxr1 · 31-05-2010 5:04pm

Are you sure I should be feeding them?

there is no sign of fruit yet.

bmaxi · 31-05-2010 5:18pm

Tomatoes are very hungry plants and because they are in containers and need such frequent watering any nutrients are quickly washed out.

Dizzyblonde · 01-06-2010 3:22pm

I grow them successfully every year and put one plant to each pot of the size you have them in. Water them at least once a day and never let them dry out, and feed once they begin to flower.
Put them in whatever part of your garden gets the most sun.

gsxr1 · 01-06-2010 3:26pm

I followed the advise (thank:)) and got all I could into pots of there own. One there is sharing a big tub with strawberries . Hunted the place looking for pots..

And the rest went into the soil in a semi shaded spot. Its all the space I have left. Last years pea bed.

I did this before I read your advise about fertilizer. Unfortunately and gave them a half dose of food:(. But i will refrain from any more food till fruit appears.
these are the seeds.http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Seeds/Tomato+F1+Sweet+Million+Seeds+181392.htm?sku=181392
i think Sweet Million are an indeterminate .

Dizzyblonde · 01-06-2010 3:39pm

gxsr1 your plants look really healthy. You'll get kilos of tomatoes off that lot

Thanos · 01-06-2010 3:49pm

gsxr1 wrote: »

Are you sure I should be feeding them?

there is no sign of fruit yet.

My father is big into growing tomatoes, both normal and cherry and he always waits to feed them until the fruit starts to set, then he will but some food in every second feed (watering) after that.

Dr Galen · 02-06-2010 8:21am

i can't see anything crazy wrong with your plants there OP. The advice to move them to individual pots is sound though. They can get pretty big by end of summer, but remember to pinch out the side shoots etc as they come along and top them off at a decent height, so that the energy goes into growing fruit and not onwards and upwards.

As for fertilizer, wait til they start to flower and give them a little bit. Once you start seeing fruit though, I'd go along with the every 2nd or 3rd watering method. Thats what I do, and had heaps. You'll need to be diligent on watering in general though, they dry out at all, and you'll have cracked skins on the fruits. If they dry up on you, don't automatially lash a load of water on them, water gradually, so that the uptake of the water by the plant is a bit more uniform, preventing the fruits from cracking

gsxr1 · 02-06-2010 9:43am

Dr Galen wrote: »

i can't see anything crazy wrong with your plants there OP. The advice to move them to individual pots is sound though. They can get pretty big by end of summer, but remember to pinch out the side shoots etc as they come along and top them off at a decent height, so that the energy goes into growing fruit and not onwards and upwards.

As for fertilizer, wait til they start to flower and give them a little bit. Once you start seeing fruit though, I'd go along with the every 2nd or 3rd watering method. Thats what I do, and had heaps. You'll need to be diligent on watering in general though, they dry out at all, and you'll have cracked skins on the fruits. If they dry up on you, don't automatially lash a load of water on them, water gradually, so that the uptake of the water by the plant is a bit more uniform, preventing the fruits from cracking

cheers. I do water everything each day anyway. Probably to much. But the garden in general and all my veg are flying this year. I have already nipped off some bottom shoots already .

I am a little worried over transplanting them so soon after the last re_pot. Some got done 2 weeks ago and where just starting to grow again.

cant wait to see a crop. Thats 20 tomato plants I have on the go. More than my family will eat..

Im in a leg cast at home for the next month so my garden gets all the attention ..

coxy123 · 02-06-2010 2:30pm

Am trying to grow tomatoes myself this year also - first time doing so...on watering is it recommended to submerge in container with water or should this be placed on earth in pot. I read also that tomato plant food fertiliser should not be poured onto leaves - any thoughts on this. tks.

mags16 · 02-06-2010 6:28pm

coxy123 wrote: »

Am trying to grow tomatoes myself this year also - first time doing so...on watering is it recommended to submerge in container with water or should this be placed on earth in pot. I read also that tomato plant food fertiliser should not be poured onto leaves - any thoughts on this. tks.

Don't water the leaves. Direct your watering to the earth at the base of the plant. The same goes goes for the fertilizer. As someone else said on this thread, start to feed when flowers appear.

muckety · 03-06-2010 8:01am

What does 'pinch off the side shoots' mean? I have plants grown from seed that are now about 2ft6" tall? Thanks for advice,

Qualitymark · 03-06-2010 8:07am

gsxr1 · 03-06-2010 9:19am

Qualitymark wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlhDPiLfFPg

Qualitymark · 03-06-2010 9:23am

Thanks, gsxr1 - how did you do that, please?

gsxr1 · 03-06-2010 12:24pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

Thanks, gsxr1 - how did you do that, please?

[ YOUTUBE]***************[/YOUTUBE] click the youtube icon above in the reply box to get this code.

then from the you tube URL address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlhDPiLfFPg take the code xlhDPiLfFPg from the end and insert it where the stars are above.

Qualitymark · 03-06-2010 12:41pm

Thanks!

MidlandsM · 03-06-2010 12:47pm

+1 for tomato feed

coxy123 · 03-06-2010 5:03pm

thanks for that.

okedoke · 09-06-2010 3:03pm

I'm growing a couple of tomatoes in the back garden (bought plants about 8-10'' tall last week) and wondering about this "pinch off the side shoots" as well. Video doesn't quite clarify it for me - from what the guy on youtube is saying you pinch off only new shoots growing in between the main stem and main branches - is this correct?

okedoke

Qualitymark · 09-06-2010 3:05pm

okedoke wrote: »

I'm growing a couple of tomatoes in the back garden (bought plants about 8-10'' tall last week) and wondering about this "pinch off the side shoots" as well. Video doesn't quite clarify it for me - from what the guy on youtube is saying you pinch off only new shoots growing in between the main stem and main branches - is this correct?

okedoke

Yeah, shave the armpit hair. But there's a certain amount of controversy about whether it actually makes any difference to the fruiting.

okedoke · 09-06-2010 3:07pm

Thanks Quailty mark - I'll go ahead and do it anyway.

gsxr1 · 14-06-2010 5:08pm

a few weeks later . They are growing quite well. Some have been damaged by a rodent digging at the ground planted ones .
They where over watered last week as I was away and wanted to make sure they did not die from drying. While I was away it rained a few times .The Soil is a little green from algee. Have not been near them with water since.

I am wondering . the below pic shows some sort of new growth. Is this the flower forming? Is it an indication to fertilize now? Does this growth turn into the tomato fruit?

Im also need to make sure that this is a sucker . And is the part I should be pinching off. Im a little worried I may cut off flower heads forming. (below)

mags16 · 14-06-2010 8:07pm

Yes that is a sucker and needs to be pinched out. You have flower buds at the moment and after the flower has withered, a tomato will form. I am told that you need to start feeding once the plant is flowering. My toms are at the same stage as yours. I will start to feed with tomato food once the flowers come out. I also feed with sulphate of potash every 3 or 4 weeks.

Dizzyblonde · 15-06-2010 11:16am

gsxr1, they're looking great

okedoke · 15-06-2010 7:41pm

My plants are at almost exactly the same level as yours gsrx1 so I'll be following this thread with interest.

okedoke

inigo · 16-06-2010 9:56am

same here! fed mine last night for the first time... finger crossed!

gsxr1 · 16-06-2010 11:59am

inigo wrote: »

same here! fed mine last night for the first time... finger crossed!

this weather and heat are bringing the little flowers into bloom today.

So proud of them. (yes I know. Being proud of a plant is a bit sad LOL).

inigo · 16-06-2010 12:24pm

gsxr1 wrote: »

this weather and heat are bringing the little flowers into bloom today.

So proud of them. (yes I know. Being proud of a plant is a bit sad LOL).

No, it is not sad at all (I hope!). I can't wait to go home tonight now!! And you should have seen me jumping around the garden last night, my wife giving me a strange look and all just because I saw the first leaves of the courgette seeds I sowed about 10 days ago (first time ever I sowed something).

I thought it would never happen after that long...

okedoke · 16-06-2010 1:47pm

I was reading that after the fourth/fifth set of flowers appear to pinch out the main growing tip - can anyone explain what this means.
Also people talk about feeding once fruit has "set" - does this mean that you wait until the flowers have dropped off and you can see fruit?

Thanks

okedoke

Pics of my tomatoes. Advise needed

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