I live in Nottinghamshire and spend much too much time on the Internet.
I live in Nottinghamshire and spend much too much time on the Internet.
Member since:04.10.2000
Reviews:258
Members who trust:8
At the height of the Summer season you can buy tomatoes extremely cheaply so why grow your own? Well the simple answer is for the taste!
When you pick your own tomatoes from the garden, bring them inside, wash them and bite into them you will know straight away why you are growing these plants. The tomatoes are so full of taste compared to the mass produced tasteless red spheres that you get from the local supermarket.
Each year (during May) I buy three or four plants from the local nursery, looking for a good healthy hybrid variety that will grow to a height of about 4 feet. I put the plants straight out into the garden in an area which is shielded from the wind by our garden shed, but on the side that will receive maximum sunlight. After planting I make sure the ground is soaked really well.
Tomato plants need to be watered at least once a day (unless it rains) because if the plants start to dry up then it takes a few days for the plants to recover. If this happens when the fruit is forming then the tomatoes shrink and then burst when it rains or the plants are watered.
Some tomato plant growers are obsessed with the care of the plants, but the new hybrid plants are extremely robust and most of the time can look after themselves. Traditionally any side shoots that grow are cut off. Side shoots are where the plant grows extra shoots above an existing shoot. It is believed that these sap the strength of the plant and so lead to a reduced crop. I try to leave one strong side shoot near the base of the plant so that the plant will develop into two strong stems, giving a thicker plant and a better yield.
You must make sure that you support the plants with bamboo canes straight away, but when you tie the plants to the canes do not do it too tightly or as the plants grow they will cut into the ties and will snap at this point.
When the plant reaches about 4 foot high then I cut off any more growth at the top of the plant so that all of the plant’s effort goes into producing tomatoes. Any large side shoots or tops from the plants I replant into pots with some compost and a significant number will develop into good strong plants in their own right. Once they are strong enough I plant them into the ground. By the end of the Summer I normally have between 12 and 15 tomato producing plants.
Once the flowers (trusses) start to appear on the plants I then feed the plants with a conventional liquid tomato food about every 3 or 4 days, using a diluted mixture in a watering can. This just helps to keep the plants healthy and produces a bigger yield.
Unfortunately in this country we often have the problem of the tomatoes staying green because of a lack of sunlight. When there are a lot of green tomatoes on the plants I pick some and bring the tomatoes indoors otherwise the weight will just break the plants. If you put the tomatoes in a deep dish on a sunlit windowsill they will turn red within a few days and be ready to eat.
Growing your own tomatoes does not save you any money, in fact by the time you have bought the plants, some compost, the canes and the liquid food it may even cost you more than buying them from the local shop, but the taste is worth every penny.
It is very satisfying growing your own tomatoes and very relaxing.
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Mmmmm I agree. I can eat them like sweets. My first attempts at growing tomatoes produced so many I couldn't give them away. I've reduced the amount I grow these days, but still love to eat them straight from the vine. Ann
KathrynE 12.07.2001 22:29
My Dad has grown wonderfull tomatoes ever since I can remember. Mum is looking after them this year but I think if I want fresh tomatoes next year I'll be growing them myself.
Bigbaz 12.07.2001 22:16
I like to buy a number of different varieties each year so as to have different flavours and colours. I have tried to grow them outside but they are never very succesfull, so I stick to the greenhouse , it must be the climate up here in the North. Well put together op........baz
Advantages: Good for you and they're (apparently) easy to grow in your own backyard... Disadvantages: Hmmm....I can't get them to grow in my own backyard?
phoenixgreen 08.06.2007 (08.06.2007)
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Review of Tomatoes
Advantages: Wonderful smell, taste and goes perfectly with tomatoes for a divine salad sensation! Disadvantages: It's an annual that likes a but of sun. And I live in The Dark North!!!
phoenixgreen 26.05.2007 (25.05.2007)
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