Nick Maclaren7/1/04 1:03


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Here's what Ray is dictating to me about tomato growing:

Most interesting. I may start my seeds a little earlier this year.

| 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.

So warm but not modern house temperatures.

| 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."

Ah. So growth was controlled in other ways than temperature as well.


Yes, the points you pick out illustrate why Ray sent this post in this
fashion. How they grew toms 'back then' is much more akin to what modern,
amateur growers can achieve without considerable extra light and a lot more
heat
His family grew them to sell on as plants and to sell the fruits, too. They
also grew lettuces and cucumbers.

--

Sacha
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