"Douglas" wrote in message
...
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Righto! Jim lad! , I have built-up beds in my greenhouse, - it's easier
on
my poor back and I change the soil with a new mix to a foot down about
every four years, - But forget all that.
Growbags are OK for tomatoes I've used them plenty. You can use just water
if you have the technical knowledge , - but I don't like that. You can
grow
them in a 12inch pot stood on a 6inch tray of gravel
but you'll get the same result with your growbag.
Rightyho! - here's The Life Of The Tomato plant.

Plant the seedling, (stake each plant with canes,) one per plant, two per
growbag I know it says three but, they want to sell growbags, - don't
they?.
Water the bag and see that there are little holes around the middle of the
bag half way up to relieve possible drenching. Some people don't bother so
don't you bother , either way will do.
The better and more expensive growbags are already primed with fertiliser
but don't worry, you can do it yourself when doing normal watering.
Ventilate the house during the day and close down at night. Have a
High-low
thermometer hanging up but shaded from sunlight. It's not too important
but
its nice to know the Temp. Makes you feel more in control of things.
The plant will grow. At about a foot high a flower raceme will appear.
All's well so far.
You can if you like give the plant a feed but don't get too enthusiastic
, -
a quite weak dose of Phostrogen will do at this stage. Tie the plant very
loosely to the cane with brown string
(1, because that stem is going to get quite fat later on.
(2. .Because the string is cheap, easy to use and the first knot stays
tight until you fix the second knot.
The plant will grow to between one and a half to two feet and then stem
will
split. It wants to grow two stems. Snip off the weakest one, you are going
to grow only one stem.
As it grows more, racemes of flowers appear, then once more the stem
splits, - So you know what to do. Careful! - don't clip the whole plant
off.
Don't laff, I've done it in my time
Eventually the plant is nearly fully grown and from the first appearance
of
the first flowers you have been feeding with fertiliser from very weak to
slightly increasing doses BUT between doses you water to keep the plant
alive.
Now hear this, - the dam thing wants to have branches so it starts shoots
just above some of the leaves where the leaf stalk meets the main stem. As
the plant grows new branches are beggars for hiding themselves and you'll
do
the same as all of us and grow all pappy quite longish interlopers before
you espy them., - so join the club.
There are a quite a lot of leaves in there!
When the plants are carrying five separate bunches of tomatoes you snip
out
the top of the plant roughly about two nodes above the top flowers.
You are now at the pinnacle of growth and you are feeding more freely -
but
don't get excited and overdo it.
Look at the stems; fat ones are ok but if further up they thin off too
much,
more than you think can be good , (Every plant stalk thins slightly as it
grows upwards) so increase slightly the fertiliser strength.
As the plants get near the top, you can, using your judgement, (don't
panic,- it becomes apparent to you).
You start systematically as the fruit develops snipping of the lower
leaves to let light in on the fruit and yet again your judgement will not
fail you. Some people just snap them off with thumb and finger and that's
OK if you use care.

One morning you will go to open up and there near the bottom is a tomatoe
nice and ripe and red. Your very First of the year! Promise me you will
do
this, - pick the tomato, wipe it clean. Don't rush to the house to gain a
Brownie badge. No! that first tomatoe is yours alone, it belongs to you .
You have earned it sonny-boy, by hard work, dedication and long
tradition,,
so here's what you do . You stand up straight, put the fruit to your
mouth,
bite in, suck the juice, relish it, then slowly chew the succulent flesh!.
And you say to yourself,........ *I* grew this!.
I will say no more. Happiness is in a garden and a greenhouse is an extra
blessing.
There have been times when I have not known which way to turn but when you
enter a greenhouse it is a haven. It's nice and warm, which relaxes mind
and body. You see something to do at once. You start,
- your concentration excludes and bans outside worries. Your mind is
solaced.
You eventually leave that greenhouse with all the confidence you had
previously lost.
Preaching? I wont go into that but fr'one instance I was having my house
sold over my head....but I won't go into that either, - we are talking
gardening here.
Jim!, You lucky guy! - you got yourself a greenhouse! .
Enjoy!
Doug.
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Well im not Jim but I wanted to just say thanks for taking the time to write
that informative reply. Its just what I was looking for as im a first time
gardener too :-)

Regards

Shirl