Talkback: Growing tomatoes outdoors

Gardeners' World Web User

I'd agree, I did mine in potato bags outdoors but I think they would have done better in the ground. I had alot of watering to do even if it had rained all night, the bags would dry out by lunch time. I'm getting a steady crop of gardeners delight and cherry toms (It was a lottery what seedlings got to grow as my 2 year old son took all my labels off when they were tiny seedlings! Next year they are going in the flower bed in a sunny spot.

Gardeners' World Web User

After the disastrous blight which affected both potatoes and tomatoes last year, I decided to put most of my tomato plants in big pots lining my unused drive. Great crops from all of them - the medium being half and half garden soil and J.I. 3 with a little horticultural grit for extra drainage. My "Tomato Terrace looks good as well and the freezer is filling up. It's Murphy's Law of course that we had no blight and the potatoes which were confined to the back garden are all giving great crops.

Gardeners' World Web User

I always plant mine in the borders, it's so much easier than messing about with growbags and pots.
I know some people who place growbags on their soil borders, to grow vegetables in??????

Gardeners' World Web User

blighted last 2 yeras so no go this, got prob with Acer defoliated. gutted so still think blight spores in our area toms hit by blight even in green house 2 years back.

Gardeners' World Web User

we've tried tumbler for 1st time this year, good early crop but not as sweet as old fav gardeners delight also had stalwart money makers both inside and out with both decent cropping .

Gardeners' World Web User

I grew Rosa (plum tom variety) from seed this year transplanted to a border and have had great growth and numbers but NOTHING is ripe yet. Weather is getting cooler and wet-looks like I need a recipe for green tomato chutney :-(

Gardeners' World Web User

Hardly any of our tomatoes are ripe yet, but we've just returned from holiday to find a fine crop of cucumbers in the garden. I can hear those sandwiches calling.

Gardeners' World Web User

I had blight on my toms inside and out 2 yrs ago and decided I would only grow them in the greenhouse. I didn't want to plant them in the soil because of the blight so I planted them in tall pots with the bottom cut out into grow bags that way they have plenty of soil. My toms are only now turning red because the first lot of seeds I sowed didn't germinate, I think it may have been the very hot weather we had in Spring? Hopefully we will have some more sunny days throughout September, if not I too will be looking at green tomato chutney recipes.

I am also growing sweet peppers in the greenhouse, but we only like them red. They grow huge and green and some have dark patches, but before turning red they rot. Please can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?

Gardeners' World Web User

Can I recommend Tomatoberry, small uniform, perfectly formed baby tomatoes with delicious sweet flavour. Marmande excellent but not ripe yet even doing well outside, due to a glut of plants as all of the seeds I planted germinated but I made the mistake of growing these in front of courgette and squash who are both fighting to see some sunlight (when we get some!). Cucumbers have been plentiful, plants looked a bit sorry for themselves last week but a good feed and they've bounced back with about 20 flowers so hopefully plenty of fruits to come.

Gardeners' World Web User

I agree, I have been growing tomatoes for the four years I have had a garden and this year has been the best for me too. I grow tumbling Tom in a hanging basket and have tried Money maker this year. These I have grown in pots on my patio,both types have done really well.

Gardeners' World Web User

I am loving my tomato crop. I grew garden pearl and alicante in the garden and they have done really well. grew some more alicante inside and they ahve not produced as much tomatoes as the ones' outside. I will never grow them inside again.