Oh Fell. It Seems To Have Triggered...
Body & Soul1 min ago
Tomato Plants
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.
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.
Answers
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.
20:20 Mon 15th Jun 2015
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!
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 ?
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 ?
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.
