2008/2009 Tomatoes

For the last two years we have grown our own tomatoes in pots and I couldn't wait to get them started this year. Last year's crop was a bit disappointing, the cherry tomatoes were good but the Beefsteak and Green Zebra just didn't produce anything. The fruit was very slow to mature and was attacked by pests before they had time to mature. Fruit set was small, they dropped lots of flowers. I think the main problem was lack of potassium, phosphorous and water which led to a fungus or nematode attack.

This year I am growing cherry tomatoes again, two plants appeared in near my roses bushes and when we got home from Japan I put them in separate pots. I am also growing Red Russians and Beefsteak, seedlings from a local nursery. The cherries should almost look after themselves but my basic plan this year is to water in some seaweed extract to provide potassium and worm wee alternatively each weekend. Water everyday in hot weather, my Yates gardening book suggested watering to field capacity which seems a bit too much.

Pruning is important for all tomatoes especially as bushes can get very leafy at the expense of fruit. I'm going to prune the Red Russian to two dominant leaders and Beefsteak back to one. Last weekend I added dolomite for calcium to the pots however it will raise pH (Gypsum is a good source also without changing pH).

There is fruit forming on the cherry tomato, so looks like for the first time I'll have tomatoes for Christmas.