Toms

[Hot_Potato]

Hi E.J. - thanks for the encouragement...I'll certainly give it a go...I just assumed after reading in my Vegetable & Herb Expert book that growing them directly into the soil might be difficult, especially as yet, the ground is not even dug and certainly wont have had any manure or compost on it - the plot has been neglected for several years....just thought it would be safer to plant them direct into grow bags where they'd get more nutrients etc....but then of course, the watering becomes even more crucial, which will be difficult for me as I have to keep going away!.....can however put some fertiliser on before and after I dig it, prior to planting them out....as they say - nothing ventured, nothing gained...H.P.

[Hot_Potato]

[ina]

Hi Hot Potato. The seedlings won't be able to go outside for a long time yet (middle of May?), plenty of time to get a place ready for them. Make sure to find a sheltered place in the sun and they should be fine. I would dig a hole and empty a bag of potting soil into it before planting.

If you get a grow light, your seedlings will not grow too leggy and remember to repot them a few times up to the top few leaves so that they do not get too tall and grow a nice set of roots. They will need tomato food every week when they are planted out. Mine are on the lottie and I don't go every day either, twice a week usually. Dig a flower pot or bottle without bottom in near the plant and water in there, the water will go deep and not evaporate before it gets down to the roots.

What have you got to lose? Good luck, go and surprise yourself.

[ina]

Ruud, I responded to your message in the shed. ina

[aquilegia]

Hotpot - I grew toms very successfully last year without a greenhouse. I started them on the window sill, gradually hardened them off and then planted out after the frosts. I grew some in large pots, some in growbags and most in the ground. The best croppers were those in the ground. I watered them once a day (sometimes every other day) the pot ones needed daily/twice daily watering and still didn't produce as many toms.

Grow bags have less nutrients than are in the ground - compost doesn't hold nutrients as well as soil (you'll probably have to feed grow bags more). When they are in the soil they can send roots down and have access to more water and don't dry/become water logged.

I'm not going to ever bother doing them anywhere but in the ground again!

[Doris_Pinks]

I put mine in the ground at my lottie, and they were a complete disater.sorry:-(  they all got blight.   So never growing them up there again!!DP

[Garden Manager]

Thanks to Ruud - Re Sungella toms.

"Hot potato" - Do give it a go. If you have somewhere light and warm to keep them until the last frost in your area, you can certainly try them on your lottie.  Not sure how you'd get around the hardening off of the plants before planting out, but I suppose if you kept them in a cooler place just before planting this would be ok.  Planting site should have plenty of compost added before hand. Water in well after planting.  Good luck!

I wish i could grow all of mine directly in the ground, I just dont have the space in the plottie to do it. I have tried a few in the ground in the past and the plants cropped well.  Most of them though have to be grown in large pots against a sunny fence.

[ina]

Hi Doris Pinks. Why don't you try the blight resistant ones? They came along just as I was giving up growing tomatoes on the lottie after getting blight every time and they did well.

[Doris_Pinks]

I haven't seen them Ina, will keep my eyes open.thanks! :-)

[ina]

Just google Ferline tomatoes

[Captain_Blood]

Ferline toms at www.thompson-morgan.com

[Doris_Pinks]

Thank you you 2! Will give them a go!

[Doris_Pinks]

Got them this morning at my local gardening center! Thank you again, looking forward to eating lucious blight free toms!:-)

[ina]

I hope so that they'll work for you. Good luck.