"Phil L" wrote in message
. uk...
Pam Moore wrote:
:: On Wed, 18 May 2005 14:15:08 GMT, "Phil L"
:: wrote:
::
::: I've just removed the first suckers from my toms and also noticed
::: that one or two of them have formed small buds, soon to be
::: flowers.
::: Am I dreaming or have I read somewhere that the suckers should
::: not be left in the vicinity of the parent plant? - something to
::: do with disease etc? Also is now a good time to give them
::: fertilizer and if so what? - I have growmore, FB&B and
::: miracle-gro....they are still in 9" pots, I'm planting them
::: directly into the ground next week.
::
:: It is possible to root side shoots and produce new plants. Because
:: our season is so short, I sometimes try this trick. Stop one or two
:: plants as soon as the first flower buds appear. Leave one leaf
:: above the flower shoot. You will then get a truss of fruit sooner
:: than if you leave them to make more trusses.
:: If your side shoots are producing flowers already, then I would
:: guess that they are bush type anyway and would not, as Harry says,
:: need pinching out anyway.
:: What variety are they?

Shirly..not bush tomatoes - my OP was a bit misleading, the side shoots
aren't producing flowers, the main plants are, hence my Q's about
fertilizers.

I would plant them in as much manure as you can.

Steve

On Wed, 18 May 2005 16:37:35 +0100, "shazzbat"
wrote:

I would plant them in as much manure as you can.

Are you sure? Too much manure will promote leafy growth rather than
fruit. What do others think? Harry, how do you feed yours?
A question on these lines cropped up on GQT a while ago. It was about
growing tomatoes in containers. John Cushnie said to plant them one
plant to a half-barrel and to put manure in the bottom, but not so
that the roots would get to it too soon.
Also, re feeding, they said you should keep them quite dry before
planting out, so they don't get too sappy, and for the same reason not
to feed until the first truss was setting. Then give a high potash
feed, "tomato" feed.

Pam in Bristol

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 May 2005 16:37:35 +0100, "shazzbat"
wrote:

I would plant them in as much manure as you can.

Are you sure? Too much manure will promote leafy growth rather than
fruit. What do others think? Harry, how do you feed yours?
A question on these lines cropped up on GQT a while ago. It was about
growing tomatoes in containers. John Cushnie said to plant them one
plant to a half-barrel and to put manure in the bottom, but not so
that the roots would get to it too soon.
Also, re feeding, they said you should keep them quite dry before
planting out, so they don't get too sappy, and for the same reason not
to feed until the first truss was setting. Then give a high potash
feed, "tomato" feed.

Pam in Bristol

I plant them in a mixture of seaweed, compost, soil and slow release
fertilizer that has a whole bunch of trace elements and then periodically
water them with a tomato fertilizer(with trace elelments) just for
luck....then mulch them with a layer of seaweed......I have grown them in
pure rotted cow manure without any other adders with excellent results....I
like to play around with them.....may have said this before and if so my
apologies...tomatoes can be grown in bales of straw without any soil, same
for sawdust, same for pure peat moss....just feed 'em well and they will do
well....H

In article ,
(Pam Moore) wrote:

John Cushnie said ... Then give a high potash
feed, "tomato" feed.

Cushnie suggesting potash ????? Are you sure :-))))

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

On Wed, 18 May 2005 20:12 +0100 (BST), (Steve
Harris) wrote:

Cushnie suggesting potash ????? Are you sure :-))))

No Cushnie said manure, the others disagreed and said potash! :-))))
Well they would, wouldn't they!

Pam in Bristol