Dear All
This is my first year of growing tomatoes.
I have some in a green house in grow bags which get watered 3 times a
day automatically to stop the heat getting to them and drying them out.
The rest are in the garden in a sunny position ,which gets watered every
evening.
I am growing two varieties Cherry and Beef eaters.
My questions are around when to feed them and also what shoots to pick off.
I have been given various advice about plucking off all shoots which
grow from the joints between the leaf branches and the main trunk. Other
people say not to bother. Which is correct?
Also when is the best time to start to add tomato food?

All advice and options will be gratefully received.

Many
Thanks
Andrew

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"Andrew Welham" wrote in message
...

Dear All
This is my first year of growing tomatoes.
I have some in a green house in grow bags which get watered 3 times a day
automatically to stop the heat getting to them and drying them out. The
rest are in the garden in a sunny position ,which gets watered every
evening.
I am growing two varieties Cherry and Beef eaters.
My questions are around when to feed them and also what shoots to pick
off.
I have been given various advice about plucking off all shoots which grow
from the joints between the leaf branches and the main trunk. Other people
say not to bother. Which is correct?
Also when is the best time to start to add tomato food?

All advice and options will be gratefully received.

Many
Thanks
Andrew

As to taking out the side shoot......most prefer to do so but it is not
essential but you might land up with a mini jungle unable to find many of
the tomatoes which might just rot on the vine without you knowing it....H

"Andrew Welham" wrote

Dear All
This is my first year of growing tomatoes.
I have some in a green house in grow bags which get watered 3 times a
day automatically to stop the heat getting to them and drying them
out.
The rest are in the garden in a sunny position ,which gets watered
every
evening.
I am growing two varieties Cherry and Beef eaters.
My questions are around when to feed them
and also what shoots to pick off.
I have been given various advice about plucking off all shoots which
grow from the joints between the leaf branches and the main trunk.
Other
people say not to bother. Which is correct?

Remove all side shoots http://tinyurl.com/9vzy9
as soon as they appear or you will have an unwieldy plant and inferior
fruit. Also, dense tomato foliage causes disease due to poor
circulation.

Also when is the best time to start to add tomato food?

Feed as soon as the fruits beging to swell. Tomorite is specially
prepared for this purpose.

When the flowers are fully developed, syringe the plants daily with
clear tepid water to assist polination. Or polinate by splitting an end
of a small cane and trapping cotton wool in the split, tease it into a
ball, and then gently dab the open flowers with the wool. That is my
preferred method.

Stop (Pinch out the leader) the plant when six trusses (Four for outside
tomatoes) have formed. That will accelerate the swelling and ripening
of the fruit. If you allow more trusses to form it will be 'chutney
making' time.

When leaves become old and spent remove them to prevent disease and
increase air circulation.
http://tinyurl.com/aeyzp

Hope that helps, but post back if in doubt.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

Emrys Davies wrote:
"Andrew Welham" wrote


Dear All
This is my first year of growing tomatoes.
I have some in a green house in grow bags which get watered 3 times a
day automatically to stop the heat getting to them and drying them

out.

The rest are in the garden in a sunny position ,which gets watered

every

evening.
I am growing two varieties Cherry and Beef eaters.
My questions are around when to feed them
and also what shoots to pick off.
I have been given various advice about plucking off all shoots which
grow from the joints between the leaf branches and the main trunk.

Other

people say not to bother. Which is correct?


Remove all side shoots http://tinyurl.com/9vzy9
as soon as they appear or you will have an unwieldy plant and inferior
fruit. Also, dense tomato foliage causes disease due to poor
circulation.


Also when is the best time to start to add tomato food?


Feed as soon as the fruits beging to swell. Tomorite is specially
prepared for this purpose.

When the flowers are fully developed, syringe the plants daily with
clear tepid water to assist polination. Or polinate by splitting an end
of a small cane and trapping cotton wool in the split, tease it into a
ball, and then gently dab the open flowers with the wool. That is my
preferred method.

Stop (Pinch out the leader) the plant when six trusses (Four for outside
tomatoes) have formed. That will accelerate the swelling and ripening
of the fruit. If you allow more trusses to form it will be 'chutney
making' time.

When leaves become old and spent remove them to prevent disease and
increase air circulation.
http://tinyurl.com/aeyzp

Hope that helps, but post back if in doubt.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.



Thanks you all for the answers , one more quick question if i may.
I am currently protecting the plants with slug/snail killer. At what
stage should i no longer need to use slug/snail killer ? Is there a
certain size ?


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i find that slugs and snails have no interest in eating tomato plants
at all. I think its their strong tomatoey smell. I thought they didnt
eat the fruits either but i did find last year that a few of my
sungella fruits got munched. I guess being yellow / very sweet they
either have something slugs / snails like or are missing something they
dont like. Either way it was only one or two fruits so no great loss.
Conclusion: dont bother with your slug/snail killer.
sarah


Thanks you all for the answers , one more quick question if i may.
I am currently protecting the plants with slug/snail killer. At what
stage should i no longer need to use slug/snail killer ? Is there a
certain size ?

"Andrew Welham" wrote in message
...
Emrys Davies wrote:
"Andrew Welham" wrote



When the flowers are fully developed, syringe the plants daily with
clear tepid water to assist polination. Or polinate by splitting an end
of a small cane and trapping cotton wool in the split, tease it into a
ball, and then gently dab the open flowers with the wool. That is my
preferred method.
Regards,
Emrys Davies.

I also syringe daily but use a spray containing a seaweed solution...find it
gives better results than plain water.....H

Emrys Davies wrote:
When the flowers are fully developed, syringe the plants daily with
clear tepid water to assist polination. Or polinate by splitting an end
of a small cane and trapping cotton wool in the split, tease it into a
ball, and then gently dab the open flowers with the wool. That is my
preferred method.

A silly question, but can you pollinate from the same plant? All mine are
in different stages of flowering so it's unlikely that there'll be more than
one plant flowering at once. But we do adjoin allotments so I suppose there
are lots of tomatoes there for insect pollination...

Theo

"Theo Markettos" wrote in message
...
Emrys Davies wrote:
When the flowers are fully developed, syringe the plants daily with
clear tepid water to assist polination. Or polinate by splitting an
end
of a small cane and trapping cotton wool in the split, tease it into
a
ball, and then gently dab the open flowers with the wool. That is
my
preferred method.

A silly question, but can you pollinate from the same plant? All mine
are
in different stages of flowering so it's unlikely that there'll be
more than
one plant flowering at once. But we do adjoin allotments so I suppose
there
are lots of tomatoes there for insect pollination...

Theo

I am fairly sure that you can pollinate from the same plant. These
sites explain tomato pollination quite well and you may find them
useful.

http://www.pollinator.com/tomato.htm

http://www.theeagle.com/homegarden/051305horne.php

http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/vege016/vege016.htm

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

In article , Theo Markettos
writes

A silly question, but can you pollinate from the same plant? All mine are
in different stages of flowering so it's unlikely that there'll be more than
one plant flowering at once. But we do adjoin allotments so I suppose there
are lots of tomatoes there for insect pollination...

Yes, you can pollinate from the same plant, we have often done it.
Usually it is only the bottom truss which may need some help with
pollination, after that they seem to DIY it!
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

The message
from Theo Markettos contains these words:

Emrys Davies wrote:
When the flowers are fully developed, syringe the plants daily with
clear tepid water to assist polination. Or polinate by splitting an end
of a small cane and trapping cotton wool in the split, tease it into a
ball, and then gently dab the open flowers with the wool. That is my
preferred method.

A silly question, but can you pollinate from the same plant? All mine are
in different stages of flowering so it's unlikely that there'll be more than
one plant flowering at once. But we do adjoin allotments so I suppose there
are lots of tomatoes there for insect pollination...

Yes, but IIRC the flowers will self-pollinate if no insect does it for
you. I have never hand-pollinated tomatoes.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/