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Tomato plants aka Triffids!

(41 Posts)
Witzend Sun 02-Aug-20 09:52:06

Patticame123, I used to grow Gardeners’ Delight in big pots many years ago when we lived in Oman - no lack of sun there! Had to get my mother to send the seeds, couldn’t buy any such thing locally.

Neighbours on our construction camp (dh is a civ eng) were mostly Greek Cypriots who initially scoffed at my tomatoes, because they were so small - ‘Like grapes!!’

But that was before they tasted them - I had so many, I often gave them away.
One of the initial scoffers even asked me for some seeds!

Peewitt52 Sun 02-Aug-20 09:44:11

If it’s the older, bottom leaves it may just be that they’re old and it’s natural. I’ve been growing tomatoes for about 10 years and found this is more likely than magnesium deficiency. In the early days I tried Epsom salts but didn’t see any improvement (sorry). I have more trouble with blossom end rot....not this year so far?.
With regards to the variety, they’ll be similar to whatever variety the supermarket ones were but are unlikely to come true as commercial ones are F1 hybrids and don’t breed true to the parent. But you’ll still get some lovely tomatoes and maybe even better than their parents. Good luck!

Patticake123 Sun 02-Aug-20 09:41:53

Yes, I’ve used Epsom salts and this year for the first time I spray them each month with a much diluted solution of soluble aspirin - apparently this produces more fruits and they are also sweeter. They are not quite ready yet, so I’ll have to wait and see. Your variety sounds like ‘Gardner’s delight’ but there are so many varieties, it could be one of many. Bon appetit.

Craftycat Sun 02-Aug-20 09:41:02

I usually grow my tomato plants in the greenhouse but with the amazing weather this year I moved them outside. They are going potty. It's hard to keep up with them. I grow the little bite size ones so I do tend to
pick a few everytime I walk past them. Really great year for them & the whole garden too.

Witzend Sun 02-Aug-20 09:37:21

Re calcium deficiency, before I planted them out into big pots, I read online about adding crushed eggshells to the compost. So I carefully saved a load of crushed eggshells - and then forgot to add them!
Such a prize twit!

elleks Sun 02-Aug-20 09:16:02

That should say a calcium deficiency.

elleks Sun 02-Aug-20 09:15:05

The other thing to watch out for is Blossom End Rot. We had it a couple of years ago after a hot spell.It's a calcium deficiency, and the fruit starts rotting from the tip. We got this from Amazon, which did the trick. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01H6ZG8I4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?psc=1&tag=gransnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

Chewbacca Sat 01-Aug-20 10:24:05

I've got 2 tomato plants growing in a grow bag that was specifically for tomatoes and, so far, no sign of magnesium deficiency but I've got the Epsom salts on standby. But the amount of growth on them is more than ice seen in previous years and when the reached the roof of the greenhouse, I ended up popping off the tops. Looks like a good crop... if the ripen up.
I've grown a Passandra cucumber in a 20 litre pot and have cropped about a dozen so far. They don't grow bigger than 6 inches and are perfect for GC to pick. I give them at least 2 litres of water a day and feed 3 times a week on Tomorite.
Peppers have been a disaster this year. Had some flowers but they withered off and no sign of budding fruit.

Callistemon Sat 01-Aug-20 10:15:59

Whether they'll ever produce red peppers is doubtful. Witzend. Last time I grew them they produced a green pepper each which never ripened from green and each seemed to have a hole in.
It's more of an experiment. They're in pots in a greenhouse.

Witzend Sat 01-Aug-20 09:05:30

Good to hear about your peppers, @Callistemon.
My few did eventually germinate but growth was then so painfully slow, it was obviously going to take so long for them to even think about producing fruit. At that rate it would have been November and we don’t have a greenhouse - so I ditched them.

The tomatoes are making up for it, though - that is unless some horrible tomato-virus sneaks in and blights them good and proper.

Callistemon Fri 31-Jul-20 16:00:53

One lot of ours are doing well, the others not so. The pepper seeds I took out of a red pepper are growing and have flower buds (the seeds I bought failed to germinate).

We have cucumbers Illte. They are very hungry, thirsty plants; we've picked about 4 so far but the ones in pots are a bit slower. You could try Tomorite, not just on tomatoes.

Witzend Fri 31-Jul-20 14:07:43

Ha, @jusnoneed, I went to Boots for Epsom salts - success! - but then went to the Asda right next door where I saw them in the bath stuff aisle! Had never noticed them before. Will spray tonight and ?.

Illte, it’s shown by yellowish patches on the leaves. Apparently common. Mine are in pots, since I have no room in beds (titchy garden) so minerals are more likely to run out. If you google it you’ll see, there’s loads of info online.

Ohmother Fri 31-Jul-20 13:10:55

I’ve grown a spaghetti squash for the first time. It’s in a window box type plastic pot but it’s going rampant!!! I’ve never cooked or eaten this type of squash. ?

Illte Fri 31-Jul-20 11:56:38

I'm growing tomatoes for the first time.
What's magnesium deficiency?

Anybody know anything about aubergines? Plenty of flowers but no fruit.

And why won't the teeny tiny ridge cucumbers grow?

Think I need a gardening for beginners thread.

jusnoneed Fri 31-Jul-20 11:11:30

We bought Epsom salts in the supermarket, I think it was Asda, it's with the bath stuff.

Witzend Fri 31-Jul-20 10:15:55

These are the plants I grew from seeds squished out of a squashy cherry tomato at the beginning of lockdown, if anyone remembers that.

They were already pretty huge before we recently went away for 9 days but were absolutely rampant on our return. I had someone in to water but he didn’t know about side shoots so I’ve taken off dozens, some of them already 8 or 10 inches long.

I wish I knew what variety they are - there are huge trusses, many 3-fingered, so to speak, with masses of fruit set already, and plenty that look big enough to start ripening.

Probably too good to be true and I’ll be seeing blight or rot soon! But I’ve already printed off a recipe for green tomato chutney, in case I have enough later.

I think they’re beginning to show signs of a magnesium deficiency (despite the feed I use supposedly containing it) so off to look for Epsom Salts today, since I’ve read that spraying foliage with dilute ES is the easiest way - has anyone tried this?
I just hope they have it in my local Boots.