This is all Random Orbital Bob's fault...

[Steve Maskery]

You know what it's like. Somebody suggests that you do something. You know it's a daft idea. Bound not to work. You know the sort of thing - "You should buy a lottery ticket", or "Why don't you ask her out for dinner?"

So, from another thread:

You may not be a gardener Steve - but you are a foodie so I recommend you just grow 4 sungold tomato plants this year. Then lets have this conversation again in September because I predict you will be an enthusiastic convert. Your taste buds won't know what's hit them

So there I am, in B&Q, just having a look. What do I spy but a 6-pack of tomato plants, including 2 SunGold. Sigh. But it's not just the plants, is it? Oh no. I need grobags. I could just buy a couple but they are a lot cheaper if I buy 4. And they will need supporting so I need some canes. And you have to feed them, apparently, with Tomorite.

So thirty-odd quid later I have this:

I'm looking at it thinking how many packs of tomatoes I could buy in Morrisons for 30-odd quid.

AND I STILL DON'T HAVE ANY BLEEP-BLEEP-BLEEPING TOMATOES!

S

 

[Bm101]

Lol. How tall are you expecting those to grow Steve?!?
:shock:
They're tomatoes mate, not triffids.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Lol. How tall are you expecting those to grow Steve?!?
:shock:
They're tomatoes mate, not triffids.

I have no idea at all. I'm a gardening virgin. But I seem to remember my grandad's toms growing as tall as me.

 

[treeturner123]

So that would be 2ft 6in!!!

Phil

 

[Steve Maskery]

Quite possibly! But those are only 4ft canes, so I don't think it is too OTT, is it?
BTW the other two varieties are Roma and Ailsa Craig, whoever she is.

 

[Bm101]

But I seem to remember my grandad's toms growing as tall as me.

Gave me a proper chuckle.
Mrs grows em. I don't bother much these days. Never had a huge amount of joy with Tom's. I still grow runner beans, peas, a few tatties and salad cut and come agains. Cost wise probably only the salad pays for itself as opposed to bagged stuff like spinach/rocket types. The rest I grow because A. Easy peasy. B. Nothing beats homegrown spuds and runner beans dab of butter on a plate 2 minutes out the ground. Food of the gods.
Stick some salad seed in there as well Steve. Will grow fast and won't upset your tomatoes. Increased yield and effortless.
Good luck mate.
Cheers
Chris

PS. I think Ailsa Craig is that good looking lass off the x factor with the dirty laugh just FYI.

 

[custard]

Worth every penny.

Home grown tomatoes (when we get a decent summer) are just so much tastier than shop bought, same goes for leeks, carrots, sweetcorn etc. Some veg however, like cabbage, garlic, or peas, I can't taste so much difference, but with tomatoes (and even more with sweetcorn) the difference is genuinely startling.

 

[CHJ]

Oh dear what have you started Steve, surprised you let Rob lead you astray but I'm afraid the damage might be done now.

You know that nice newish patch of block paving you are cluttering up with a car nowadays!

I can envision things getting out of hand very quickly.

Somewhere in that lot are some little promises of things to come.

And there's of course those that have been and gone.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Are those strawberries shown against a pound coin? They must be HUGE!

 

[CHJ]

Are those strawberries shown against a pound coin? They must be HUGE!

Yes Steve, first batch this year were 35 to 50 gram each, those currently cropping are somewhat smaller, the cold snap slowed the growth down, but enough to go with the Raspberries etc. for tea.
New runners in new plot this year, they had been in greenhouse side plot (where the Tom's and Lettuce , Radish etc. are now) for about 15 years in three sections rotating out to new plants every three years.

Decided to move them this year to somewhere easier to reach and planted new runners, it would appear that the ground preparation was spot on.

The new plants, pots are for rooting new runners for a 3rd. batch so that I can scrap the old plants every three years.

There's other soft fruit to stock up freezer, Logan Berries are just a few days away,

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I don't know what to say Steve....I can only apologise for my.....hang on a minute.....GOOD MAN.....well done you and I can promise you that come about August 28th (ish) you will be in culinary heaven! If I may be so bold and suggest marrying the sungold's with smoked streaky, pork n leek sausages and double fried organic eggs with a dash of Daddies and of course a slice or two of black pudding. Your day will start so well you'll probably never be the same. I spend most of September waiting for the next few trusses to load back up so I can pick enough for another English breakfast with them because they are quite simply off the chart. Important safety tip is of course to cook the sungold's in the pan after you've fried the bacon to inherit the flavour (I grill the sausages to remove most of the fat).

Of course...you will need to keep shelling out on Tom's between now and then....but lets be honest, they're so tasteless it's hardly worth it!

Better to spend time in the workshop making a wacking great planter...then you wont need to buy gro-bags

 

[Steve Maskery]

Stick some salad seed in there as well Steve. Will grow fast and won't upset your tomatoes. Increased yield and effortless.

Salad seeds in the same bags? Will there be space for that? I would like cut-and-come-again stuff. I like lettuce but don't eat it every day. I always end up throwing the last bit away. I've got another couple of growbags I could use.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I don't know what to say Steve....I can only apologise for my.....hang on a minute.....GOOD MAN.....well done you and I can promise you that come about August 28th (ish) you will be in culinary heaven!

WHAT???? You mean I have to wait until then? And then 3 days later I go on holiday and they will be neglected for two weeks...

I knew I'd regret this.

I could have bought a decent bottle of whisky...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Slightly more seriously, you must get them watered daily when you go on hols, toms don't tolerate wilting at all well and I suspect our friendship would come under some strain if they croaked before ripening

But keep the faith Steve, I stand by my promise that you wont regret it....it's a long term payoff, like all good things in life

 

[powertools]

Gardening is a bit like woodworking, you can buy the stuff cheaper but there is not much satisfaction in that.
As well as gardening we keep chickens and if you take all the costs and time involved it's crazy but going out in the morning to collect your breakfast eggs and lunch time salad and potatoes it is priceless.

 

[CHJ]

Last year I had some Blight on a couple of outdoor tomato plants, first time ever. so this year I'm trying some F1 Crimson Crush from Suttons, supposed to be 100% blight resistant and good flavour so we will see, first time I've bought seed for years, home grown in the past few years were mongrels resulting from growing Ailsa Craig and Moneymaker and a couple of others such as Shirley together over the years.

Those in the greenhouse have resulted from self sets from Gardeners delight and some obscure minute marble sized variety that self set in the border this year.

 

[CHJ]

.... but going out in the morning to collect your breakfast eggs and lunch time salad and potatoes it is priceless.

Or even enough for a tea time palate cleanser.
Still on the plants at 18.15 today.

 

[CHJ]

Steve, might I suggest you sort out some spare wood or scrap MDF and put some sun shading around those Grow Bags.
If they get direct sunlight during this weather you may be cooking the plant roots rather than any future Tomatoes.

 

[Steve Maskery]

How do you mean Chas? As I say, I'm a virgin in this department.
Do you want me to cover them over to keep them dark?

I think the heatwave is over after today. Thank goodness.

 

[flying haggis]

Better to spend time in the workshop making a wacking great planter...then you wont need to buy gro-bags

but how much for the compost to fill the wacking great planter??