Tomato Plants

[Tilly2]

An elderly friend of mine gave me six tomato plants today. They are in individual pots and are about eight inches high. I have no idea what to do with them now.

She said, 'They're getting a bit leggy and will need transplanting.' What should I do with them, just put them into bigger pots? Do they need staking, pinching out? .... I have no idea. Please help.

[tonyav]

I'd replant them into grow bags if I were you, Yilly.

[tonyav]

And yes they will need staking.

[Tilly2]

Do they need staking, Yont? How do you get the stakes to stand up in the bags?

[tonyav]

You could put the grow bags on top of soil and poke the stakes through the bag.

[Tilly2]

Can I just put them in big pots on the patio? I don't have enough room for them in the actual garden.

[tonyav]

Only small stakes to begin with and bigger stakes when the plants have grown a bit.

[tonyav]

Yes you could plant them into patio pots, don't forget to feed them regularly though. The reason I suggested grow bags is that they have plenty of nutrients in them.

[Tilly2]

Thank you, Yont. What about pinching out? Do you know about that?

[tonyav]

Nip the little side shoots out, Yilly.

[Tilly2]

They haven't flowered yet. Do you have to save the big shoots?

[jourdain2]

Yes, save the big shoots. The axil shoots (the ones in the join between the main stem and the 'branches' are the ones to nip out before they get too big - unless these are bush (Cherry) tomatoes, did your friend say? If so you leave well alone. Are you sure you can't manage to site a couple of grow-bags? It is by far the easiest option. Mine have been in a bag for 3 weeks now and the first flowers have only just opened - such a cold, late Spring!

[tonyav]

As jourdain says, save the big shoots.

[Tilly2]

The only space I have is dry and shady. Tomatoes won't do well there, will they? I shall put them in big pots with long canes and leave them on the south facing patio. Thanks for your help, both of you.

[alavahalf]

If you are really lucky they may be dwarf toms .. they will need neither staking or pinching out.
Ask your friend what type they are ?

[Canary42]

Keep them well watered

[Tilly2]

I will see her again, tomorrow. I'll ask her to ask her husband, who has grown them from seed. I do hope that they are cherry tomatoes. I love cherry tomatoes.

[Old_Geezer]

For what it is worth I tried to grow tomatoes for the first time ever this year. Had 7 seed germinate (not a great percentage) and only afterwards realised the playhouse I'd envisaged keeping them wasn't going to get enough sunlight. But I bought a couple of grow bags THEN discovered they only took 3 plants each.

So far 3 out of 6 of the grow bag plants are still struggling on, the snails & slugs apparently having destroyed the others by chomping on them each night. It is the remaining one that I jammed into a large pot and covered with wire mesh to keep the darned cats off (since there was no more grow bag room) that has done best !

I'm unconvinced any will do well enough to bear fruit, but we'll see.

But if you don't already have a greenhouse, just saying the pot has fared much better then the growbag sitting at ground level. Maybe because it is such a large climb to get into the pot ?

[Cloverjo]

There seems to be a problem with tomatoes this year. My dad started some off from seed and gave me some. Mine have produced no fruit even though I've been meticulous with the pinching out, watering and feeding. Only one of his has actual tomatoes on and they're still green. He says it's to do with the lack of bees, but I have no idea if this is true or not.

[hammerman]

No problems with toms down here. 6 each of Shirly, Ilde and Sweet aparatif plus 15 Balconi red. Just about to pick the first fruits from Balconi.

All grown in pots....the first 3 are cordons in 10 litre pots, well staked and the balconi are a dwarf, self branching cherry tomato in 3 litre pots

[Chipchopper]

Hi Tilly,
If they're getting a bit leggy, I would suggest, they do need staking, at least until they acclimatised to their new location and start growing vigorously.

Whether in pots or open ground, a sunny sheltered spot is best.
A soluble tomato feed should help too.

Good Luck - Chip.