Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
into their final growing positions, or you will get a lot more leafy growth before
any flowers appear, delaying fruiting.
Spacing can be anything between 30cm and 75cm apart depending on the variety,
but allow at least as much space as the seed merchant recommends. Cramming
tomatoes into a polytunnel is a common beginner's mistake, and makes it diffi-
cult to see round the plants properly - an invitation to disease and unwanted
growth, leading to poor yields or worse. Provide a cane or growing string (see
Chapter 6, page 51) to support each plant.
If your plants are destined for grow bags, give each bag a good shake beforehand
to break up any dense clumps of compost, and poke some drainage holes in the
underside and also around the edges. This is very important, as tomatoes won't
do well if their roots are left sitting in water. Plant them two to a bag rather than
three, for larger plants and bigger fruit. Watering tomatoes in grow bags or pots
successfully is tricky; ideally the compost should be just moist, and in warm
weather that's difficult to achieve. It's best to give them a thorough soaking and
then let them gradually dry out rather than trying to keep them continually
damp, but don't let them dry out too much; as soon as the surface is just about
dry to the touch, soak them again. For extra water security, use a second grow
bag below the first and use a trowel to puncture the plastic between them, giving
twice as much compost and twice as much water-holding capacity; the plants'
roots will soon find the holes.
Taller plants should be tied to stakes or growing strings at 25cm intervals. As the
plants grow, nip off any side-shoots as soon as you notice them. These begin at
the leaf joints on the main stem and, while they can eventually produce both
flowers and fruit, they steal energy from the main stem and delay the harvest.
Side-shoots also create dense growth, which reduces air circulation and increases
the risk of blight.
Flower trusses grow straight from the main stem rather than from the leaf joints,
and you need to be careful not to nip these out. The fruit on a flower truss can
sometimes become heavy enough to need its own bamboo support.
If you have grown and potted your plants on in good compost, there should be
no need to feed them until they begin to fruit. Tomatoes are thirsty plants, how-
ever, and once they begin to flower, providing an even level of moisture is critical
to the development of fruit: uneven watering can split them or even cause blossom
end rot, which renders them inedible immediately. A moisture meter, available
from good garden centres, can be a great help in avoiding this. Once flowering
starts, give them a low-level dose of tomato feed once or twice a week.
 
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