[andtiggertoo]

Happy new year both in and out of garden/allotment to one and all  

Does anyone have any experience or advice on growing toms outside in my neck of the woods.

I would prefer plum tomatoes or the ribbed varieties which always look very tasty. I'm not keen on the sweet cherry tomatoes.

I don't have a greenhouse, but I do have a a sheltered spot in my back yard which is south west facing with walls on two sides, suitable for containers.

I have aways avoided tomato growing in the past as it seems a bit time consuming with lots of watering required. Is this a fair point or should I give it a go ?

Thanks

[woodburner]

Unless you can afford the top range (and don't begrudge the money  :oops: ) they are definitely worth growing at home. Regular watering is important, but even in 10" pots and with my erratic watering I got more than enough toms off six plants to keep mum and me happy all summer.
Bigger pots would help reduce the effect of erratic watering, or you could use 'ring culture'.
Edit: they were in the conservatory, sorry I can't help with the outside part of your query.
I want to try the ring culture with outdoor toms this year, as it's not practical in the conservatory. .

[mikem]

In North Yorkshire I grew some Ailsa Craig and some Shirley F1 last year outside in pots on a south facing patio.  They were what was left after I potted up the best ones for the greenhouse.  They were in 10" pots and I didn't look after them that well but they grew well enough and provided quite a few nice tomatoes although not as many as those in the 6'  plastic greenhouse.  

If you are concerned about having to water very frequently then try and plant them in the garden and put a flower pot into the ground alongside the plant and then water through that which will encourage the roots to go further down into the ground and then be less likely to suffer if you don't water for a few days.  There is nothing like a home grown tomato, well there is actually - home grown sweetcorn!  

[purplebean]

I'm just down the road in Huddersfield and in the last three years I have had (all grwon outdoors)

2006 more toms than I knew what to do with
2007 a few late ripening toms
2008 virtually none

I will be growing in a  greenhouse this year  :twisted:  It all comes down to the rain/sun. If it's right you can get loads of toms outdoors, 2006 was great but the last two years have been total pants

[mumofstig]

Last 2 years- pants for everyone not just up in your neck of the woods..

only had few late ones outside here in kent as well

Lets all hope this year is better

[andtiggertoo]

Thanks very much for your comments, am particularly encouraged by Purplebean because you are nearby and clearly thought it worth growing outdoors 3 years running.

Am I right in thinking the key to a decent crop is getting the plants to mature as soon as possible so the fruits can then set and ripen before the days shorten or temperature falls ?

So I'm wondering how early I could get away with leaving them outside, not sure what the lowest temperature tomato plants can withstand.

At Christmas I was lucky to recieve a fold away polytunnel for one of the three raised veg beds I have at the top of the garden, so I could maybe start the plants off in that. It's only 2 foot high so i can't leave them in there.

[paintedlady]

The first frost will turn the plants into blackened stumps, but if you start seeds off indoors in March/April and have them on a south facing windowill until the weather warms up, harden them off gently then plant out after the last spring frost (bit of a lottery, but say end of May?), you should get ripened fruit from about August/September (depending on whether we get a heatwave or another cool summer)  By October if they have not ripened, bring the fruit indoors and put on a windowsill, encourage ripening with an over ripened banana etc, or make lots of green chutney  

[woodburner]

I was told by a chap who won prizes for his toms that to get them to ripen faster he kept his plants to (I think it was) three trusses, might have been just two though. Either way, the fewer fruits a plant has the quicker it can ripen them.
He did that as well as starting them early.  

[alfman]

Tigger, I've grown Roma a few times and they're pretty good. They're a plum tom and are low growing, I didn't even bother staking them. I start them off under glass or indoors in april and plant them out at the end of may. They are late fruiting but are juicy and very few seeds. try 'em they're good.

[Clampit]

Hello AndTiggerToo, I'm near Pontefract and grew tomatoes down the side of the house last year, they were west facing and only got sun from noonish till the sun sank behind my neighbours house.
I used 9" pots with no bottoms, filled with compost and sat into grow bags. I left the compost about 3" below the top of the pot so I could water.
The varieties were 'Sweet millions' (a sweet cherry tomato) and 'Alicante'.
Once the first two trusses had set I fed with a standard tomato fertiliser once a week.
I had stacks of tomatoes, although they were a bit late in coming. I had to pick alot of green ones when the cold weather came, but every single one of them ripen when I left them on a sunny window sill for a few weeks.
It was the first time I had grown tomatoes in containers and I was chuffed to bits.
The only problem I did have was supporting the plants, I just had a cane stuck through the pot and into the grow bag, which was fine at first, but when the fruit started to swell the support was a bit inadaquit.

[andtiggertoo]

Thanks for all the great advice you have all given. I have ordered 4 packets of tomato seeds today. I ordered Roma - so was pleased to see your endorsement Alfman, I also ordered Principe Borghese, Olivade and Costoluto Fiorentino. Am looking forward to seeing how they all do, I will keep them indoors on a sunny windowsill until end of May as you advise and wll bring them in to ripen if they aren't ready by October !

Thanks

[matthew2riches]

Well, here in Suffolk I grew tomatoes outdoors and they were all ok up until the blight got them :-(

I had a lot off the plants though.