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Compost and tomato growing

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Monday, 22nd August 2011

  Thanks to Teegee's expert gardening video I have now manured my NEXT year's potato patch, and I am now giving it the first hoe.
  Soil takes some thinking about, and my recent potato crop was not good.
  Next year I shall be using half the area, and much,much better composted soil.
  
  Does the same apply to my tomato crop, planted in the same kind of top soil as the potatoes were? Not good. they look as though they would have liked to be good but are not!
  
  After all the fuss I made about growing the seeds in the spring time, I then planted them out in poor soil!
  
  Shall I persevere or give up in despair?
  
  Nah! Nah! Nah! Next year twice as many tomato plants, far more carefully prepared soil but in the open again, or shall I do deep bags in the alley way, and get ten times the crop in one tenth of the space?
  
  Gardda's tomato crop? FAILURE
  Gardda's Potato crop ? FAILURE.
  
  Must try harder.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Monday, 22nd August 2011

  gardda, toms in the ground aren't especially fussy about soil providing it's within an acceptable pH range and well drained. Rubbish soil is a different matter, obviously, but there's a lot said and written about them being big feeders but they're not really.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Monday, 22nd August 2011

  I agree with italophile but in the UK growing outdoors can be a bit of a problem choose what your soil is like!
  
  For instance this year has not been too good year for tomatoes, not enough sun something Italolphile does not suffer from I would guess (what say you Ital?)
  
  I only grow under cover and even here I am having problems!
  
  Not so much with the crop but the ripening process its very slow, and when this happens those that do ripen (slowly) are often a bit 'leathery'
  
  I only prepare my ground in spring by adding some manure and a top dressing of FB&B and that it until the fruit sets when I give them a weekly feed of high potash and this works in most years.
  
  Trouble this year is; its been relatively warm but no 'currant bun' (sun) hence the slow ripening process.
  
  So IMHO I think you problem is 'growing outdoors' rather than poor soil.
  
  Lets all move over to Northern Italy and join Italophile
  

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Monday, 22nd August 2011

  I am certainly doing peeled plum but I think I will pass on Italy itself.
  there is absolutely no sign of ripening although we have had constant sun since about March, but not in the ripening season, August, so much.
  
  If they start to rot I will pick em and eat em green.
  
  I may have asked similar questions before: what depth for the tomato plant if in container/growing bag, as deep as possible? minimum 2'?

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Monday, 22nd August 2011

  I will pick em and eat em green. 
  
  Put them in trays in a dark cool cupboard and they will ripen.
  
  Check regularly to remove any ripe or bad ones.
  
  This is what I do and I often have my own tomatoes for Xmas tea, along with cold turkey
  
  I may have asked similar questions before: what depth for the tomato plant if in container/growing bag, as deep as possible? minimum 2'? 
  
  I am not sure what you mean here???
  
  
  With tomatoes(like potatoes) new roots will form on all parts of the buried stem so I would say plant them up to the first pair of leave!
  
  Glad you liked my slide show!

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Tuesday, 23rd August 2011

  Tee Gee - central Italy, actually, eastern Tuscany, and it's the hottest year we've had in 6 years here. It hit 20C towards the end of March - when it's usually around 12C at most - and has stayed warm. We're currently in the middle of seemingly endless 40C+. It was 43C in Florence yesterday, 44C in Sardinia. So we now have a sudden glut of ripe figs - green and purple - and absolutely no trouble ripening the toms.
  
  I agree with you. I suspect it's a weather rather than soil problem over there, and, in terms of ripening toms, sun is pretty irrelevant unless the temp is up around 20C. Temp is the key to ripening. 20C and higher is ideal for ripening. The further below around 20C you drop, the longer you wait.

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