Growing tomatoes outside in Scotland

The-Greenfingered-Joiner

I’m trying a little experiment as I have way to many plants in the greenhouse. I have planted out 6 plants in a bed where my 1st early potatoes have been lifted and another 3 against a south facing fence. Has anyone had any success with tomatoes outdoors in central Scotland? I will report back with results and funeral details for my outdoor plants at a later date. 

gillian328

Hi there Green-Fingered-Joiner, sorry no experience of successfully growing tomatoes outside but I am also in central scotland and have planted a tomato plant left over from the greenhouse into my new vegtrug. Smaller than yours but looking healthy with first truss forming. We shall see  

The-Greenfingered-Joiner

gillian328 said:

Hi there Green-Fingered-Joiner, sorry no experience of successfully growing tomatoes outside but I am also in central scotland and have planted a tomato plant left over from the greenhouse into my new vegtrug. Smaller than yours but looking healthy with first truss forming. We shall see  

Hi Gillian, 
Let me know how yours gets on, the weather is changeable so hoping for some heat and sun to help them on. 

Skandi

I've managed sungold outside in Aberdeen, up against a south facing wall it did fine.

The-Greenfingered-Joiner

Skandi said:

I've managed sungold outside in Aberdeen, up against a south facing wall it did fine.

There is hope! Thanks Skandi👍

Fairygirl

Good luck with that! 

I don't know anyone round here who bothers trying to grow outside. Usually they try once...
You might get the odd year it's ok [last year for example] but the temps are too low overnight, especially once we get to August, just when you're hoping for enough warmth to ripen them. Even day time temps can often be barely mid teens, without taking into consideration the wind/rain. If you can rig up some basic protection for overnight, at least, it might be ok. 
Aberdeen is vastly different from the west 

The-Greenfingered-Joiner

Fairygirl said:

Good luck with that! 

I don't know anyone round here who bothers trying to grow outside. Usually they try once...
You might get the odd year it's ok [last year for example] but the temps are too low overnight, especially once we get to August, just when you're hoping for enough warmth to ripen them. Even day time temps can often be barely mid teens, without taking into consideration the wind/rain. If you can rig up some basic protection for overnight, at least, it might be ok. 
Aberdeen is vastly different from the west 

I’m not confident at all Fairygirl tbh, but  as I said they were spares so just a wee experiment. It’s very true even now that outside temps are low at night, it’s probably been around 11 degrees max here and will only get worse as we go on into august. On a brighter note the 10 plants in the greenhouse all have fruit so fingers crossed for them

Fairygirl

If you have them, it's worth a try if they're spare, but it tends to be very hit and miss, and certainly not worth it for a whole crop.
The problem is that when you have them in the best site - ie south facing, it also means they're right in the firing line from the prevailing weather. 

pansyface

Spare a thought for similar strugglers down south.

The other night I thought it was a bit parky (chilly) for July. Duvet not quite so efficient etc etc. 

At five in the morning it was 5.1°C. And that’s central England.

(No, I don’t even try to grow tomatoes outside.)

Fairygirl

That's the problem @pansyface - inconsistencies with temps. It's not worth it. In the last fortnight, there's only been about three nights which have reached double figures.

I sometimes feel it isn't worth growing them at all - by the time they're ripening, it's almost August, and it's autumnal anyway. You're thinking of warming, comforting meals rather than salads! 

Edinburgh_WG

Hi The-Greenfingered-Joiner

I'm keen to find out how you got on with your tomatoes? I too have lots (I really mean lots) of spare seedlings of the Roma variety, which, according to the label, does well outside. 

So, I'm too going to do a wee experiment and put Roma outside (I stay in the south of Edinburgh) on a south-facing plot.

Let us know how you got on with  yours last year please.