the best way to ?

[shaun01]

grow tomatos and cucumer ..... :D any advice welcome wot little tips make that big diffrence  ;)

[shaun01]

[tonybloke]

soak seeds in a seaweed solution before sowing. ;)

[Lauren S]

Tomatoes
Grow lettuce and radishes between tomato plants. They are both fast growers and will mature well before the tomatoes get large. An added benefit is that the tomatoes will shade the lettuce allowing you to grow lettuce in the warmer weather without danger of the plants bolting to seed.

Tomato transplants should be put in the garden one to two weeks after last frost. Overnight temperatures should be consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius), as tomatoes are cold sensitive. If the thermometer unexpectedly dips into the thirties (0 to 3.8 C), cover plants with fleece (old net curtains)

Determinate tomato varieties should be planted at 12- to 24-inch (31 to 61 cm) intervals. Staked indeterminate tomato plants should be spaced at 18- to 24-inch (46 to 61 cm) intervals. Unstaked indeterminate varieties should be spaced at 24- to 36-inch (61 to 91 cm). If left to sprawl, plants should be spaced at 36-inch (91 cm) intervals. Tomato transplants should be planted with their first true set of leaves near the soil's surface.

Plant varieties that mature at different times, and enjoy homegrown tomatoes all season long!

Cukes
Cucumbers are a subtropical plant and require full sun. Cucumbers also require a decent amount of growing space.
Cucumbers are happiest when the average temperatures are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant your cucumbers in the late spring or early summer when there is no risk of frost. Even a light frost can kill your plants.
In general, cucumbers are not picky about soils. However, make sure your soil is well-draining and has a pH of around 6.5. Add plenty of organic compost to your garden soil before you grow cucumbers.

[manicscousers]

we plant basil and tagetes around our toms, also, we sink a cut-off pop bottle next to them, that way, we can water into the bottle so's the water doesn't dry up on the ground   ;D
feed with nettle, comfrey etc tea
one tip I was told on here, about cucs..take off the baby ones lower than 12", means better, straighter fruit  ;D

[Si D]

Any tips for keeping tomato blight away?  it did for all of my outdoors ones this year.

[ceres]

Any tips for keeping tomato blight away?  it did for all of my outdoors ones this year.

I saved my whole outdoor crop this year, having lost it all in previous years.  A week after planting out, I sprayed with Bordeaux Mix and kept spraying at the recommended intervals.

[thifasmom]

Any tips for keeping tomato blight away?  it did for all of my outdoors ones this year.

last year i lost my whole crop then i read somewhere or saw on the telly a tip for covering outdoor toms to keep the worst of the rain off.

i tried it this year and it seemed to help, see this link (if you scroll up the linked page you'll see a full shot of the covered structue):

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,44646.msg446821.html#msg446821

when the blight did hit early mid September it was easy to control just with the sometimes daily but definitely methodical removal of the infected leaves. my neighbour contrated it about a week before me and his succumbed a good month and a half before mine (i think cause his plants kept getting wet and the leaves weren't drying off, the blight was able to spread quicker.

my plants seem to recover with no more signs of blight after mid October. i finally harvested the last of the toms 1st week of November, ripening some inside and turning the rest into chutney to fill three jars for Christmas yum!.

so I'm not sure but the cover may have helped to keep them a bit warmer when the temp dropped as they also survived that cold snap in October which included a few frosty nights.

the link below show pictures of the tomatoe plants last week of Oct:

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,46603.0.html

[asbean]

Thifasmom -

Iwas only looking at your pics the other day and thinking of trying that next year.  I lost all my toms on the plot this year, last year I lost the lot on the plot but not at the house because I was there to pick off the leaves as soon as they looked suspect. It's difficult when the plants are not outside your door. And of course I didn't have any at the house this year.

Thanks for the tip and the pictures, you certainly have a fantastic crop of veg there, and so late in the year too.  :) :) :) :) :) :)

[kt.]

we plant basil and tagetes around our toms, also, we sink a cut-off pop bottle next to them, that way, we can water into the bottle so's the water doesn't dry up on the ground 

Always worth planting tagetes to attract beneficial insects.  It is also worth planting some "sacrificial basil".  The aphids will go for that before your tomatoes.

I do not soak my seeds or do anything in particular with them.  They get sown in 3" pots  of fresh multi-purpose compost in a heated propagator.  When they reach 3-4" they are then transplanted into 8" pots before being transplanted into their final position in May.  I used the waterbottle method this year and got an excellent crop as no water ever touched the plant itself.  Once the plant reaches the top of the greenhouse - nip out the growing tips at the top of the plant so emphasis is moved to producing fruit as opposed to more leaves and trusses.

I have never fed any of my tomato's or cucumbers and have always had a good crop.  next year I will be feeding once weekly when the first fruits appear.

[thifasmom]

Thifasmom -

Iwas only looking at your pics the other day and thinking of trying that next year.  I lost all my toms on the plot this year, last year I lost the lot on the plot but not at the house because I was there to pick off the leaves as soon as they looked suspect. It's difficult when the plants are not outside your door. And of course I didn't have any at the house this year.

Thanks for the tip and the pictures, you certainly have a fantastic crop of veg there, and so late in the year too.  :) :) :) :) :) :)

I was certainly pleased with my results as last year's lost crop truly broke my heart :'(. if you do try this next year let me/ us know your outcome and if it was successful. maybe we will be able to compare notes as i plan to repeat what i did next year too.

[mummybunny]

Hey guys cant really help 1st year growing but will be trying some off your tips next year cant wait!

lucy

[tonybloke]

tagates DETER whitefly!

[rosebud]

 I grow mine in the green house  also plant marigolds to keep the whitefly away, it does work. Cut the bottoms out of Large black pots & grow like ring culture get a good yield.

[shaun01]

have u ever grown the white cucumber

[manicscousers]

just ordered green fingers, a lunch box variety  ;D

[OllieC]

I've ordered some little ones - can't remember the name...

[thegreatgardener]

shaun1 I grew white cukes last season but did not get any mature ones due to it being a poor season for cukes.