WarGarden seems obsessed with fault finding and nit-picking UK gardeners. When asked about his travels in the UK and experience with gardening in UK conditions he is strangely silent.
Make of that what you will 😉
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
You're doing fine @meN0A5NeCK Just follow advice from people who garden here in the UK Nipping out the sideshoots on indeterminate toms [cordon] is advisable so that you can keep on top of them, and keep them on the straight and narrow, especially in pots. They can sometimes get away from you quite easily, but as long as they're fed and watered at the right time, and they're being pollinated well, you'll get a crop. I've grown cherry/plum toms in quite small pots, but I usually use something around ten to twelve inches in diameter, and similar depth. I've also used plastic storage boxes which took 2 plants quite happily. They were about 18 inches [approx] by about 10 inches width [front to back] and about 8 or 9 inches high. I think they were around 25 litres in capacity. They fitted into the little growhouse I had more neatly than round pots. I now grow them in the ground in there, and that's a bit better as they get a bit more height. I followed the excellent advice from a very experienced tom grower we used to have on the forum, and one of the best bits of advice was to let them get slightly stressed between waterings. When the plants are too comfy, they don't hurry up to produce flowers and fruits. The slight stress pushes them into flowering a bit quicker as they think the end is nigh and they need to reproduce. I've done that for several years now. I water when they just start to wilt a little bit Harder to do that when they're outdoors of course, but indoors, it's a good method. Keeping the watering regime consistent is also helpful, but again - that's harder outside.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Well I find it all fascinating. I'm a novice but with a few years under my belt, replanted my large garden alone from scratch, turfing, hedging, bulbs, vegetable, salad and flower beds so I reckon I'm doing alright. But I appreciate a bit of expert help now I'm three years. I reckon I do alright with doing all that, working, bringing up two kids and keeping a Dalmatian happy. All this help is fanstastic and I certainly won't be put off by daft comments they'll roll over my head . So a massive thanks to the helpful people!
Fairygirl the varied condition are not unique to UK. we have same type varied conditions here in US. those of us who do well going tomatoes just plan ahead.
pruning side shoot has been shown harm tomato plants not help them in studies uk by RHS.
pruning only design used for neatness in greenhouse.
I think you're doing brilliantly @meN0A5NeCK. I've done gardens from blank slates, by myself, several times, along with raising my children, working etc too, so I totally understand what you're achieving. It's hard work, but it's also very satisfying. I'm glad you're finding the forum helpful - apart from the snarky input from someone. Crack on - loads to learn, and we're all still doing that, even decades into it, but this forum is incredibly useful and most people will give you lots of help
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Two children and a Dalmatian eh? Similar to my two children, a Labrador and a min dachs x Jack Russell … it’s ok, it is survivable … I’m living proof 🤣
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Something I forgot. Those beef toms are big and likely to get bigger so there is a chance the truss will collapse. Not too sure what support people use these days?
Yorkshire, ex Italy and North East coast. Growing too old for it!
Extra canes and old tights .., I hardly ever wear them nowadays but I’ve a stash of thicker black ones I used to wear for smart days at work … the stash is getting smaller tho’
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't suppose for one moment that @war garden 572 will read this RHS guide on: growing tomatoes https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/tomatoes/grow-your-own - but if he can bring himself to do so, and gets down as far as the "pruning and training" section, he will read "Cordon tomatoes are grown as tall, single-stemmed plants - they need tall supports and the side-shoots should be removed regularly."
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
He won't read it though - he knows it all apparently..... Anything substantial, but soft, will be fine for supporting those bigger toms - and old tights are ideal as @Dovefromabove describes. A sturdy framework in place early on helps though, and it's easier if they're in the ground, but you can also do it with large pots. Doing it early enough is important with any large plant- regardless of type. If you have the room to do it, you can even use something similar to the H shaped supports for trees in exposed sites, but you can just do it with sturdy canes. Then the soft ties for keeping the stems secure. I've even used old socks or sleeves from old jumpers for tying in trees to their stakes, although they'd probably be too big and bulky for toms unless you cut them down into strips
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Just follow advice from people who garden here in the UK
Nipping out the sideshoots on indeterminate toms [cordon] is advisable so that you can keep on top of them, and keep them on the straight and narrow, especially in pots. They can sometimes get away from you quite easily, but as long as they're fed and watered at the right time, and they're being pollinated well, you'll get a crop.
I've grown cherry/plum toms in quite small pots, but I usually use something around ten to twelve inches in diameter, and similar depth. I've also used plastic storage boxes which took 2 plants quite happily. They were about 18 inches [approx] by about 10 inches width [front to back] and about 8 or 9 inches high. I think they were around 25 litres in capacity. They fitted into the little growhouse I had more neatly than round pots. I now grow them in the ground in there, and that's a bit better as they get a bit more height.
I followed the excellent advice from a very experienced tom grower we used to have on the forum, and one of the best bits of advice was to let them get slightly stressed between waterings. When the plants are too comfy, they don't hurry up to produce flowers and fruits. The slight stress pushes them into flowering a bit quicker as they think the end is nigh and they need to reproduce. I've done that for several years now. I water when they just start to wilt a little bit
Harder to do that when they're outdoors of course, but indoors, it's a good method.
Keeping the watering regime consistent is also helpful, but again - that's harder outside.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
we have same type varied conditions here in US.
those of us who do well going tomatoes just plan ahead.
pruning side shoot has been shown harm tomato plants not
help them in studies uk by RHS.
pruning only design used for neatness in greenhouse.
the uk has been doing it 1860.
I've done gardens from blank slates, by myself, several times, along with raising my children, working etc too, so I totally understand what you're achieving. It's hard work, but it's also very satisfying.
I'm glad you're finding the forum helpful - apart from the snarky input from someone. Crack on - loads to learn, and we're all still doing that, even decades into it, but this forum is incredibly useful and most people will give you lots of help
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/tomatoes/grow-your-own
Similar to my two children, a Labrador and a min dachs x Jack Russell … it’s ok, it is survivable … I’m living proof 🤣
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/tomatoes/grow-your-own
- but if he can bring himself to do so, and gets down as far as the "pruning and training" section, he will read "Cordon tomatoes are grown as tall, single-stemmed plants - they need tall supports and the side-shoots should be removed regularly."
Anything substantial, but soft, will be fine for supporting those bigger toms - and old tights are ideal as @Dovefromabove describes.
A sturdy framework in place early on helps though, and it's easier if they're in the ground, but you can also do it with large pots. Doing it early enough is important with any large plant- regardless of type.
If you have the room to do it, you can even use something similar to the H shaped supports for trees in exposed sites, but you can just do it with sturdy canes. Then the soft ties for keeping the stems secure. I've even used old socks or sleeves from old jumpers for tying in trees to their stakes, although they'd probably be too big and bulky for toms unless you cut them down into strips
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...