Cruelty to tomatoes

[Squash64]

One of our newish plot holders told me that he was going to plant his tomato plants outside today. He showed me them, they were about 18" tall and very leggy.

I told him that I thought it was far too cold for them to go outside but he didn't want to know.  Oh well, I tried. :'(

[Squash64]

[BarriedaleNick]

Should be a law against it!  I suppose he could be using the natural selection technique..
I start my toms much later than I used to do these days (well the ones for the plot anyway) as they always get leggy.

[fitzsie]

How do you stop them getting leggy?  Can you give any other quick tips to help with tomato growing?
This is my first year at seriously trying to grow some decent tomatoes and I will be using one plant to put in my 4 tier greenhouse which I hope will provide protection. Will this help ?

[BarriedaleNick]

Toms (and a lot of other veg plants) get leggy due to lack of environmental stress, low light, excess heat and over feeding.  Essentially growing a plant indoors is not natural!
So if starting toms inside make sure they are in a well lit place - ideally a south or west facing window sill.  Although they need heat to germinate (I use a heated propagator) I keep the spare room quite cool and as soon as they are germinated I take them off the heat.  
Then I let grow on till they have the first true leaves showing - then I prick them out into 3" square pots.  One of the cool things about toms is that you can plant them deeper each time you pot on and they will root from the stem - this is handy if they have got a bit leggy.  
Toms can be slow to grow at first but once they are above a certain size they can race away.  At this point - move em into a greenhouse or cold frame.  Lower overnight temps will slow the growth but that growth will be stronger.  You can start to see and feel the difference as the leaves thicken and stems become firmer.  This hardening off is essential if they are going outside - going from a window sill to a muddy, wet, cold bit of clay will shock them badly.
If you dint have an out side space - try opening a window, turning down the thermostat, get a fan blowing across them - anything to replicate harder conditions.

Of course this is all about timing.  I can't fathom why people sow toms early - there used to be a tradition of sowing toms just after Christmas - may be if you have a heated ploy or greenhouse it would work.  I sow in early March for my under cover toms - maybe three or four weeks later for outdoor toms. I lost 14 toms in the last frost due to unfounded optimism but the ones I resowed are looking fine.

However everyone does things differently - this works for me but others will have their own ways.  

[shirlton]

Betty if you tell em you are wrong and if you don't then you are still wrong

[tomatoada]

When faced with a situation like this I just say "Good heavens I must try it".   Nice to know I am not the only one to have advice ignored.

Like you post B/N. 

[Ellen K]

About this time last year, the weather was much better but there was a frost forecast for the following 2 nights so I went round the site checking if folks knew, shutting GH doors, looking who had emerging spuds etc.

I got a whole range of responses, from "nah, they wont be no frost" to "yes I know and of course will be getting the fleece out you idiot".

One guy was planting his tomatoes and I almost pleaded with him to delay planting by one day but he wouldn't accept it.

But most interesting was that it was mostly the vets who were caught out but the newbies were more by the book.

Still, I dont stick my nose in quite so much these days ....

[Squash64]

I agree with Nick's post.

One year I sowed my tomatoes too early so that by the time the weather was warm enough for them to go outside they were very leggy.  I was a bit embarrassed to plant them near the front of the plot where people would see them so I dug deep holes and put them at the back.  They turned out to be fantastic, strong plants, probably thanks to the deep planting.  These days I don't worry about them being leggy, but I did feel sorry for the ones I saw yesterday because of the cold.  They had been growing in the plot holder's lounge, near the patio window so they were  certainly going to feel the cold outside yesterday.

[Squash64]

Betty if you tell em you are wrong and if you don't then you are still wrong

That's right Shirl.  I only mentioned it to the man yesterday because it's his first full season with us. 

[martin godliman]

I'm always amazed at how many garden centres and green grocers shops cynically sell all kindsa non frost hardy veg plants to the public much too early to put outside who must just bung them in the ground and don't understand why they don't thrive or die.

[shirlton]

Betty if you tell em you are wrong and if you don't then you are still wrong

That's right Shirl.  I only mentioned it to the man yesterday because it's his first full season with us. 

If its the man I think you are speaking of then we told him about his onions being left open to the alium moth but he took no notice.
Sometimes people have to learn the hard way.

[fitzsie]

Thanks Nick, you have ( to me !) made a lot of sense. My leggy toms ( I posted the time lapse of them turning towards the light) were sitting in the kitchen, so that would explain the growth spurt. I have moved them into the shed which has a large north facing window. With the weather we are having at the moment I hope that this will be enough to harden them and give plenty of light. I wish I had a greenhouse but I make do !!!
Anyway, lets see what happens to them.............thxs

[telboy]

fitzie,
If you plant in pots & after the seed emerge, wrap some foil half way round the pot sticking up a few inches & fix with an elastic band. Face the open side to the window & the plants will grow straight and strong.

[daveyboi]

fitzie,
If you plant in pots & after the seed emerge, wrap some foil half way round the pot sticking up a few inches & fix with an elastic band. Face the open side to the window & the plants will grow straight and strong.

What an interesting concept ....you learn something new everyday .....

[shirlton]

I do this with all of my widow sill greenhouses. Tony gets me the cardboard trays that the beer cans come in. We cover them in foil and they fit the backs of the trays. Looks a bit strange from outside but who cares ;D

[fitzsie]

fitzie,
If you plant in pots & after the seed emerge, wrap some foil half way round the pot sticking up a few inches & fix with an elastic band. Face the open side to the window & the plants will grow straight and strong.

oooh, more faffing.....     (re topic - spring onion !!!!).  Will definitely give that a go.

[Jeannine]

I saw two folks walk past me last week with a tray of tomato plants about 3 0r 4 inches high, they were going to their plot and clearly panning to plant. I didn't know this couple and they didn't speak as they went past so I didn't say anything to them. I felt bad afterwards. I have a picnic table on the grass wide "avenue" by my plots which many of the owners have to pass to get to the main gardens. Generally folks stop a minute as they go past but these folks didn't and they seemed in a rush.  I really should have called out to them, these palnts were such little ones too.

I feel so gulity.


XX Jeannine

[banksy]

I feel so gulity.

I wouldnt feel guilty Jeannine, chances are they probably wouldnt have listened to your advice anyway.

[antipodes]

Usually I could plant outdoors here  but it is really cold for this time, and windy too. Mine will be going out next week, under cloches ;) Usually I am about 2 weeks ahead of UK planting so yes, with no protection, I think their toms will catch a cold!

[brown thumb]

well running of room in my kitchens window, so down to the greenhouse they go .    just hope its going to be warm enough for them there, the peppers are staying put for a little longer .