Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:182398

Sacha6/1/04 4:16

snip

I don't know if Ray used such lighting in Upshire but will check later.
snip

Here's what Ray is dictating to me about tomato growing:

"I give the methods during the 50s and 60s because these most closely
replicate what amateur growers can use now.

In the 50s and 60s, the method of growing tomatoes commercially in the Lea
Valley (the largest area of tomato growers in the country then) was to sow
the seed around 15 November, 200 seeds to the seed tray in John Innes No 3
(IIRC). The seeds were forced to germinate quickly by using bottom heat -
NO supplementary lighting back then.
These were then pricked out at the seedling stage into a 3" clay pot and
this would be accomplished before the Christmas break.
Once fully growing, tomatoes would be given a regular high potash feed and
stood out in the green house in their final places in the last few days in
January. They would stand in their pots in dibbed holes and not planted
until at least one third of the first truss flowers were showing colour.
They would still be given a regular high potash feed but I must emphasise
that they are NOT planted out until at least a third of the first truss is
showing colour.
The reason for taking them out of the prop house and standing them in their
pots in dibbed holes was to give them space and *stop* them fighting for
light.

We would try to maintain a 60F temp. regime though it probably went to 55F
at night until much more modern heating was introduced. On some nurseries,
they would expect to see the first red tomatoes by the end of March.
The varieties we grew were Potentate or Baby Lea and then in the 60s F1
hybrids, Euro Cross and Shirley.

If you're lucky enough to have supplementary lighting, the recommended one
is mercury vapour but I must state that the tomatoes do need at least 8
hours darkness. There are 2 ways of using supplementary lighting; that is
to use it on dull days or to increase the day length at the beginning and
end of the day by an hour or two.
Now, we don't use supplementary lighting for the few plants we grow here, we
don't plant until January and we keep them at a lower temperature than when
I was growing commercially, especially in dull weather. I should think the
dull weather temp. is around 50F.
If you're going to use e.g. Levington's compost with a high nitrogen
content, the plants will be less controllable in terms of growth than they
would be in a John Innes compost. Once you water Levingtons, it's wet and
stays wet for some time so the plants grow fast. If you're growing in the
present amateur way, which is similar to the old fashioned commercial way,
you're probably better off using John Innes."
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the 'x' to email me)