[JohnB]

"that makes this such a nice and friendly site is that people do feel comfortable to make gentle jokes"
Fair one explain the joke though?

"please try and take it in the spirit it was meant"
Thought thats what i was doing. Sniggering my dear is not a joke gentle or otherwise.

[WG.]

Can i put a photo on for people to look at the plants? Also lighting, If i left ordinary light on at night would that help. If not how about lighting that the drugies use for Marijuana. Sorry cannot think of the name?

Yes - we always like piccies.  You can get growing lamps which purport to supply full-spectrum light (household bulbs are only part-spectrum).  Check the sponsor's ads on this site or Google for Grolux which is one brand.  

When all is said and done, I remain skeptical    since I don't think you'll be able to create summer-time conditions in a conservatory.  My indoor tomatoes were rubbish even this summer due to cool conditions with hardly any sunshine (Jun/Jul/Aug).

And we are a friendly site so can we let the other issue rest at that please.  

[Selkie]

And we are a friendly site so can we let the other issue rest at that please.  

  thank you wiggy darling

[WG.]

FYI, there is a similar thread here : http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=9921

[JohnB]

"Yes - we always like piccies."  
No, what i meant was you (or someone else) maybe able to tell what the problem is if it is not just the obvious IE not enough light.

"You can get growing lamps which purport to supply full-spectrum light (household bulbs are only part-spectrum)"  
Thanks will try that. John B

[WG.]

"Yes - we always like piccies."  
No, what i meant was you (or someone else) maybe able to tell what the problem is if it is not just the obvious IE not enough light.

That's what I meant too  

[Annie]

I envy you your conservatory but don`t know if I would be brave enough to try toms in winter,I have the last few in the greenhouse but I doubt if many will ripen as the light drops towards Christmas.Your peppers should be OK though even if growth is slow they will take off next year.
When you read the posts in feb/march as the rest of us struggle with tinfoil and windows sill allow yourself a little smile.

[gobs]

Only trying to help, mate, so are the stems brown near the soil at all?

[WG.]

Only trying to help, mate, so are the stems brown near the soil at all?

We are going to get piccies I hope.  

[milkman]

my remark was not intended to be "sniggering" and I'm sorry it was taken that way  

I've heard of a few folk that try and get new potatoes to harvest on Christmas day, which is extremely difficult to achieve and rarely successful, I've never heard of people attempting to harvest fresh toms through the winter and I doubt it can be achieved, but by all means prove me wrong    

One of the things I love about growing fruit and veg is the seasonality of it all, and the fact that you cannot grow and harvest the same veg all the way through the year - makes it all the more special when you pick that first asparagus spear or first sweetcorn cob.

[John]

I note JohnB is in Lincs and at this time of year, like most of England, will be getting daylight for just 8 hours a day and low level light at that.
There is no way you are going to get good growth on tomatoes without providing proper illumination. That means grow lights (like the dope fiends use)

Even if itemperatiure is maintained, without proper lighting levels to power photosynthesis no plant will do well.  

It may well not be the answer you want to hear but it's a fact.

Because of the lack of light the plant is weak and subject to disease anyway. I've still got a few tomatoes ripening on plants in the home greenhouse (it's twinwalled and reasonably warm) - the plants are pretty sorry and on their last legs. That's the way of it.

[JohnB]

"I note JohnB is in Lincs and at this time of year, like most of England, will be getting daylight for just 8 hours a day and low level light at that.

Even if itemperatiure is maintained, without proper lighting levels to power photosynthesis no plant will do well. "

I know they won't do well but that does not answer why they are affected the way they are. IE the bottom leaves dieing of. The plants are in fact growing well (height wise). Anyone know how i can post a picture of them?

[JohnB]

Only trying to help, mate, so are the stems brown near the soil at all?

Nope just the lowest branches. The problem appears to be moving up the plant.

[JohnB]

Only trying to help, mate, so are the stems brown near the soil at all?

We are going to get piccies I hope.  

Sorry can't work out how to put photo in message. Do you or anyone else know how.   Thanks JB

[Selkie]

john do you have a photobucket album? your photos need to be on that or similar before you can post them here