Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Daphne]

I am rubbish at growing toms. In our last house on chalk I tried in growbags (quite pathetic) and in the veg garden (very pathetic). In this house (clay, but quite good) I've tried in pots (OK but hardly bumper crops) - I haven't tried in the ground (not sure why - I could comandeer a patch). I don't have a greenhouse/polytunnel. I admit I don't feed that regularly (forgetful) and my pots are in sun in the am but not the after 14.00ish. I could move them to a sunnier spot but it will be windier. I want to grow Gardeners Delight and Sungold. Any top tips please?

[Sheilaz]

Did you water every evening? I can hardly believe how thirsty my tomato plants were. just a thought, I don't know much else, although longer in the sun sounds good too.

I'm hoping to grow more this year, so will be following your progress.

[Christian]

If they are planted in the ground, they get more nutrients and moisture - pots can dry out very quickly.

 

Dig a deep hole and fill with plenty of decent compost. Tomatoes are hungry and thirsty plants. I always bury a pot next to each plant, so when you water, it goes straight to the roots. You have to water every day. I feed mine with seaweed extract once a week too. Any tomato feed will do.

[sjp]

put them in 10" pots at least they will need watering aleast twice aday.take the side shoots out take the growing tip out when they get to four trusses feed them at least once a week when they 've got the first toms on and you should be ok both sun gold and gardener's delight will grow ok in pots the only proplem I've had is with Gardener's delight the strain I've had for the last 2 years didn't crop very well (free packet of a gardening mag)

I've also noticed that in general the size of the crop has got smaller in the last few years but I think that is due to the fact the bee population has been rejuiced

should add most of my toms are grown in pots some in full sun some not and I never grow less than 10 varities

[Cinnamon]

I grow mine in a greenhouse, in grow bags,& get a bumper crop every year.

My growbags have a special waterer thing popped in,so I just fill up a reservoir, which I do at least once a day,& I feed when I remember

I grow Sungold, which are amazing, & as I am getting a bigger greenhouse soon I hope to try some more unusual ones too.

If you are growing outside, look for varieties suited to that,& maybe consider buying them as plants,so they have that robustness & a good start.

[Daphne]

thanks all - I think my watering has left a lot to be desired! I am going to try a couple in the ground and continue with the pots; mostly they are 10 inchers, but I did also use some 'long toms'. Lets see what happens!

[emchook]

I am sure the key is in the watering !

Evey time I grow them I forget to water and they split.. completely useless for anything !

[Lesley]

We've been buying these over the years.......

http://www.selections.com/GF952/grow-pots-set-of-3/

 

....great for tomatoes. You water into the inside ring until the plant has put down roots, then you water into the outer ring from then on.

[Cinnamon]

I like the look of those very much

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I made something similar using some plastic lawn edging (which was totally rubbish for that purpose as it's so flimsy ). I cut a really long piece and put it in a ring (3 times round for each one) round each plant in a grobag. It did make watering much easier (but I still didn't water enough ).

[Lesley]

I have made my own at times as they're not cheap - I cut the bottom out of the bigger, rubbery, plant pots but they don't work as well as the ready made thing for me. The grow pots are great for grobags as they cut the right size hole in the bag as well. We use them direct into soil in the polytunnel now and our oldest ones are almost 17 years old and purchased from the Gardening Show when they were first introduced - just starting to become brittle. You also add more soil into the inner ring which encourages the growth of more roots which increases the uptake of water and also keeps the plants strong and well anchored.

 

If you Google 'ring culture pots' you will also find the newest version which (I think) are just tubes and are bio-degradeable fibre pots......I think I'll stick with my long-lasting plastic ones with the dual ring.

[Cinnamon]

Some are on their way to me now.....................along with a lovely willow potato hopper

[Daphne]

Thanks for this Lesley - I can see the benefit to somebody like me who is useless at remembering to water regularly enough - this is why I don't keep houseplants either, except Christmas cactuses - I really like the idea of a major water less regularly. I am also going to put a cut off plastic bottle next to the ones I'm going to put in the veg bed so the water goes down to the roots/stays off the fruit. PS I see what a dangerous website this is!

[Lesley]

Some are on their way to me now.....................along with a lovely willow potato hopper

 

I think virtual shopping baskets are magnetic - things just fall off the 'shelves'

[Christian]

I bought a watering system by Gardena about 7 years ago and it is still going strong

 

The basic kit cost around £50 but that is enough for a small garden. It connects to an outside tap and the timer can be set to to once, twice a day, once every 3 days, once a week etc. I have mine on twice a day in the simmer for 3 minutes at a time.

 

The extras are quite pricey, but wilkisons do the small tubing at a quarter of the price. The whole veggie garden and pots etc on my patio are now connected every year and it takes the worry out of watering when I am away with work. A 9v battery powers the timer and lasts for the year.

 

Well worth the initial outlay

[Valkyrie]

I have long and wide drip trays - I can get 5 large pots staggered in them. Outdoors need to be a bit further apart.

[chickencam]

If you are growing outdoors, the hanging basket varieties are great, Tumbler, Tumbling Tom etc. They are very easy to grow and produce large crops of cherry tomatoes that ripen earlier than greenhouse varieties. They still need to be fed and watered regularly though They are however a bit more forgiving than standard tomatoes.