Tomato Split

Today's post is a bit last minute because it's 11.00pm and I've only just got connected to the internet after a connection fault with my ISP.

Anyway, it's raining heavily outside so this could be a good time to talk about one of the things that happens when plants that are growing outdoors get a soaking.

The answer is, if they have ripe fruit on them, the ripe tomatoes will probably split or in other words ... burst out of their skins!

Some varieties are prone to their skins splitting if over-watered or they get a heavy shower of rain, Sungold being an example. It is usually the juicier toms that split but the varieties that are more fleshy like Roma will probably be alright with a sudden deluge of water.

Micro Tom - small but easy to grow

As we reach the end of May, planting tomato plants in their final position, is what occupies the time of most tomato growers.

This is a very satisfying time knowing that all the potting on, lifting heavy bags of compost, moving trays of seedlings into the sun and bringing them in at night is over. You can now stand back and admire your healthy looking plants (hopefully) and imagine what they will look like laden with fruit ... in about two months time!

However, if you haven't sown any toms this season it's now too late for outdoor growing as from seed to fruit takes at least 4 months and that will take us to the beginning of October when the weather will be too cold for growing outdoors.

Nevertheless, you could try Micro Tom ... my first variety to mature this season. Although the toms are only small, they still look great in salads and can be grown on a sunny windowsill indoors.

They do need some support though, because their stems aren't strong enough to support their fruit.

On the subject of support and canes, be careful with canes around 2 or 3 feet high. It is at this height that they are most dangerous. You bend down to look more closely at your toms and if you don't see the end of a cane you could lose an eye!

Attach heavy duty tape (or something similar) to make the ends more visible.


I use canes in large pots and containers to support my bush varieties and have had the end of a cane in the face on more than one occasion ... I now make them easier to see!

Tomato Varieties This Season

I normally grow around forty plants each season which includes about fifteen different varieties.
However, earlier in the year I got a bit carried away! Here is a list of this season's varieties:

Bush

New Yorker
Oregon Spring
Tumbling Tom
Pepolino F1
Micro Tom
Minibel (pot)
Garden Pearl
Alaskan Fancy
Siberian
Roma

Cordon (tall)

Suncherry Premium F1
Jelly Bean Hybrid
Brandywine (Sudduth's)
Caspian Pink
Ferline F1
Glacier (semi-determinate)
Cuore di Bue
Sungella
Moneymaker
Black Cherry
Marmande
Gardener's Delight
Alicante
Golden Sunrise
Tamina

The problem was, just when I reached the point where I could not grow anymore, my neighbour turned up with more seedlings and I just could not refuse them!

Anyway, I am growing a number of these varieties for the first time and will enjoy watching the individual characteristics of each as they develop.

Since I started growing tomatoes, about twenty years ago, I am continually amazed by how different one variety can be from another.
Some like it hot (usually the Italian varieties), but others don't like to sit in the hot, direct sun all day (those that originate in cooler climes like Siberia!) but would rather have some shade.
Some set their fruit (pollinate) at lower temperatures than others such as Glacier and Siberian (perhaps their names give it away!), while others are very fussy and require long periods of good weather before they start to perform.

Removing Old Infected Leaves

Today, now that the sun is out again, I'm moving my large pots from the greenhouse and back onto the patio. The plants that were in the greenhouse are looking a bit sorry for themselves after a week of damp air and poor aeration.


Some of the lower, older leaves will need to be removed as they are infected.

To remove leaf branches (petioles), hold the branch about two inches from the main stem and pull upwards ... the branch should snap off cleanly. It is better to remove branches and side shoots by pulling them off without contact with the open wound because a knife or scissors can spread infection from one plant to another.

I'll dispose of old infected leaves and wash hands before touching any of my other plants because I may spread fungal infection etc. to my other plants.

Removing lower leaves (at the right time) helps keep plants healthy and helps air circulation which is also beneficial.

Growing Tomatoes In The Rain!

My outdoor tomatoes have been rained on every day for about a week now, so I have resorted to using plastic covers attached with pegs.

The problem with wet weather for long periods is blight ... a serious fungal disease that attacks plants and fruit, making them useless.

The varieties Ferline and Legend are said to have some blight resistance so I guess they are worth considering if you expect to have prolonged periods of wet weather during your growing season.

I do have Ferline growing so I shall be inspecting the leaves closely over the next few days to see if they display any of the brown patches on their leaves - the symptoms of blight.