Yes it's not easy getting the balance right especially when we have such extremes of weather nowadays. If the top of the soil is dry after a hot day, I try and give just enough water to moisten it a bit then water properly the following morning. But I still get split toms
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Apart from an interest, a friend gave me about 3ibs of cherry tomatoes, she wanted to be rid of them as every one had split. When I got them home I realised that all the skins were too thin for the variety, Gardener's Delight. This area enjoyed the warmest summer this year for many years.
Not wishing to go against the grain but I didn't have any splits this year. Sungold, Chocolate Cherry and what was supposedly a Bloody Butcher but wasn't. Grown in the GH and outside. Similar weird weather thru Spring and Summer. Rarely have the problem but maybe just lucky
Pete.8: Yes, we are experiencing extremes these days. The earth/compost around the edge is about 15 inches deep and never dries out so the top is only watered gently. Vents and doors are open in the day with the oscillating fans giving continual circulation so what else can one do? Despite all this greenhouses do get extremely hot and I'm loathed to whitewash the glass as the tomatoes need all the help on duller days.
Uff: Regarding the thickness of skins - by looking at the plan you can see they were normal varieties. Anyway, I'd much rather have thinner skins than chewy ones and wouldn't know which growing techniques could alter this?
philippasmith2: Please become my gardener! As a footnote...About 3 types of the same variety were grown in our vegetable cage. Even before the slugs did their worst they only grew to a third of the size as the ones inside the greenhouse.
You'd be surprised how much sunlight gets through the clouds. Even on the dullest of days about 80-85% of the sunlight gets through to your plants. I have blinds on the south side of my GH that are are pulled down throughout summer. They are a fine mesh and easy to see through, but they take the extreme brightness down and help a lot with the temps.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Pete.8: Thanks for that tip. Unfortunately the greenhouse had to fit into the available space which means direct sunlight reaches all angles throughout summer days but I will consider the expense of fitting blinds everywhere. Also, when the builders laid the foundations they added 8 north facing cold frames - a mistake being in permanent shadow between the main structure and a high fence.
My more modest greenhouse sits atop a raised area that is paved. There is nothing in the vicinity to provide any shade from any angle during the summer so it gets full sun for as long as the sun is out. The sun never ventures into the northern part of the hemisphere so you would only need to use blinds on the apex glazing that faces south. The cold frames would be much better on the south side. I have 3 on the south side and 3 water butts on the north side
With the blinds down-
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Posts
If the top of the soil is dry after a hot day, I try and give just enough water to moisten it a bit then water properly the following morning. But I still get split toms
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Uff: Regarding the thickness of skins - by looking at the plan you can see they were normal varieties. Anyway, I'd much rather have thinner skins than chewy ones and wouldn't know which growing techniques could alter this?
philippasmith2: Please become my gardener! As a footnote...About 3 types of the same variety were grown in our vegetable cage. Even before the slugs did their worst they only grew to a third of the size as the ones inside the greenhouse.
I have blinds on the south side of my GH that are are pulled down throughout summer.
They are a fine mesh and easy to see through, but they take the extreme brightness down and help a lot with the temps.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
There is nothing in the vicinity to provide any shade from any angle during the summer so it gets full sun for as long as the sun is out.
The sun never ventures into the northern part of the hemisphere so you would only need to use blinds on the apex glazing that faces south.
The cold frames would be much better on the south side. I have 3 on the south side and 3 water butts on the north side
With the blinds down-
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.