Anyone growing tomatoes? (The Gardening thread)

[ShaunWhite]

thx for the advice, staked straight into the ground didn't get many votes so I think 4/6 concrete pads sounds about right seeing as it's pretty sheltered. Or maybe a strip footing about 6-8" deep around the edge if I roll my sleeves up and mix enough concrete because it always looks like a lot in the barrow and half the amount when you tip it out.

Gotta say £500 extra for dark green was a shocker and I thought about spraying a std one till I saw all the tricky profiles in 1000 pieces, oh well we've decided this is the forever house barring lottery wins so spread over the next 20-30(?) yrs it'll seem worth it. Next job, a digger and a pond. I've waited my whole life for this so bl**dy loving it. I wish I could say Betfair were paying but thank you mum, RiP.

[Simoba]

Back to the gardening...... Mr and Mrs Blackbird have been teaching their bub that I'm an easy touch when it comes to handing out sultanas. Had all 3 on the bench next to me....awww. The robin quite likes a mealworm too but so far nobody else comes close.

.... Pre delivery info for my greenhouse arrived today What do you think guys? .... proper slab base or straight on the ground with a path up the middle. Planning on having staging one side and raised bed on the other so paving a whole area seems daft. I'm more excited about it arriving than anything I can remember Never had one before, the main driver has been not being able to get pea aubergines to make a proper Thai curry but it'll be a bit late for this year. Now it's on the way I'm picturing a rain forest.

Until you grow your own, have you tried thai food online or tuk tuk mart or any of the other online stores for pea aubergines? I buy a lot of fresh food from there for my proper Thai curries and have regularly bought pea aubergines, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, palm sugar etc etc etc....good luck with greenhouse too !!

[ShaunWhite]

Sounds interesting Simoba thx. We miss living close to a good Asian supermarket.

[Derek27]

Can anyone put a name on these abhorrent lifeforms? I know the seeds are sown and watered by Satan in hell and they're destined to find their way to my garden, but if I can find out what they're called I can at least look them up. I pulled them all up and they reappear in a few days!!

20220505_140728[1].gif

[Atho55]

Looks like Mare`s tail. Saltwater solution works in stunting the growth but they are deep rooted and snap off rather than be pulled up.

[Derek27]

Looks like Mare`s tail. Saltwater solution works in stunting the growth but they are deep rooted and snap off rather than be pulled up.

Cheers Atho55. Horsetail is a more PC name. I absolutely panicked when I saw this - then I realised Japanese Knotweed is just the name of the company.

Capture.GIF

[ShaunWhite]

Skip to about 3:55. Basically just keep weakening it, or plant something even more vivourous you want next to it.. Don't bother digging it'll get worse.. It's poisonous don't touch it and let the cat lick you.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000knwy

[Derek27]

Skip to about 3:55. Basically just keep weakening it, or plant something even more vivourous you want next to it.. Don't bother digging it'll get worse.. It's poisonous don't touch it and let the cat lick you.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000knwy

Thanks Shaun. It's behind my shed and I'm beginning to wish I allowed more space between the wall so it wasn't such a tight squeeze. But I certainly made the right decision to have a maintenance gap to treat the shed and get the weeds out.

[ShaunWhite]

I'm beginning to wish I allowed more space between the wall so it wasn't such a tight squeeze.

Haha I know that feeling. I had to patch the back of my shed, dropped the hammer and had to do yoga to pick it up, but then didn't have the strength to get back up again. I had to wriggle out backwards on my side an inch at a time but I probably laid there for a minute wondering what the hell I was going to do. .... all to save about 6" of garden.

[Derek27]

I'm beginning to wish I allowed more space between the wall so it wasn't such a tight squeeze.

Haha I know that feeling. I had to patch the back of my shed, dropped the hammer and had to do yoga to pick it up, but then didn't have the strength to get back up again. I had to wriggle out backwards on my side an inch at a time but I probably laid there for a minute wondering what the hell I was going to do. .... all to save about 6" of garden.

I gave myself a 15-inch gap which is enough to get in and paint/treat the shed but I never accounted for things like turning around or taking tools in with me.

[Derek27]

It's a good idea to saturate the bed with water a week or so before planting out tomatoes to make sure there is a good water reserve in the subsoil.

[ShaunWhite]

It's a good idea to saturate the bed with water a week or so before planting out tomatoes to make sure there is a good water reserve in the subsoil.

As usual I think opinion is spilt, if they need to go looking for water when they're young the roots are stronger, allegedly. But I think a good splosh in the hole and then a big drink in a slight depression around the plant to make a puddle when you water and you're good. Cutting the bottom off a plastic bottle and sticking it in deep the ground (neck first) gets the water where its needed to too if it gets hot this summer. I'm gonna miss my toms this year. Good luck avoiding the dreaded blight. Not much you can do about it.

What variety are you growing?

[Derek27]

It's a good idea to saturate the bed with water a week or so before planting out tomatoes to make sure there is a good water reserve in the subsoil.

As usual I think opinion is spilt, if they need to go looking for water when they're young the roots are stronger, allegedly. But I think a good splosh in the hole and then a big drink in a slight depression around the plant to make a puddle when you water and you're good. Cutting the bottom off a plastic bottle and sticking it in deep the ground (neck first) gets the water where its needed to too if it gets hot this summer. I'm gonna miss my toms this year. Good luck avoiding the dreaded blight. Not much you can do about it.

What variety are you growing?

Moneymaker. Not to assist with my trading but it was the only one Lidl had.

The upside-down bottle of water or plastic tube sounds like a good idea. In my first attempt at growing tomatoes, I was underwatering them. Last year I had about 40 tomatoes when torrential rain made the tree so heavy the stem snapped under the weight. I'm hoping this year will be third time lucky.

[firlandsfarm]

I gave myself a 15-inch gap which is enough to get in and paint/treat the shed but I never accounted for things like turning around or taking tools in with me.

And did you allow for as you get older you will need more space!

[Derek27]

I've been so busy trading lately I've left two of my tomato plants in the mini greenhouse and forgot to water them.