![]() ![]() Feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser (according to manufacturer’s directions) after 2-3 weeks, or if leaves appear pale or discoloured.This avoids damage to the stem which could result in loss of the plant. When handling the seedling, hold plant by the seed leaf, not by the stem. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick out into individual 10cm pots.After germination, seedlings should be grown on at 21-24 oC. When seedlings emerge, transfer to a bright greenhouse or sunny windowsill.The enclosed atmosphere will maintain a high humidity during germination. ![]() Use a heated propagator for best results.Warm conditions (15-25 oC) are needed for germination. Cover lightly with a layer of fine compost and water in with a fine rose to avoid disturbing the seeds.Sprinkle about 10 seeds per pot onto the moist compost surface. Water up carefully with clean water using a fine rose on the watering can. Slightly firm the compost to 1 cm below lip of the pot. Loosely fill a 10cm pot with fine ‘seed and potting’ compost.Sow mid-March to early April to plant out mid to late May.Poor light will lead to weak seedlings and spindly growth and your plants may be ready to plant before weather conditions are suitable. Don’t be tempted to sow seeds too early in the year.The compost in the growbags will contain enough nutrients to carry the crop for 2-3 weeks after planting.Three plants per standard growbag would be suitable.The pH of the growing medium will already be adjusted so no extra lime will be needed. Growing in good quality compost or in specially produced growbags will cut out the chore of moving soil.At a pH below 5.5, plant growth will be affected. The pH of your soil should be in the range from 5-7 for best growth.Tomatoes grow best in high organic matter soils, so digging some good compost into the soil beforehand would be beneficial.If growing in the border soil, old soil will need to be replaced at the beginning of each new crop to avoid build- up of soil borne.Try not to plant your tomatoes in the same area as potatoes as they are from the same family and are prone to similar.Consider using a cloche to protect small plants early in the.If necessary, before planting add a general-purpose fertilizer at a rate of 100g per m2, or pelleted poultry manure at 150g per m2.Any fertile, well-drained soil is suitable, if plenty of organic matter has been incorporated in the top.To avoid a build-up of soil borne disease, fresh soil is recommended for each new.If cropping outside consider planting bush types in containers or hanging baskets in a bright sheltered If planting directly into the soil it may be best to plant through black plastic mulch.In the Irish climate, tomatoes will generally require some form of protection, such as a greenhouse or polythene tunnel or cloche to produce successful crops.They are generally shorter season plants and are often used outdoors in the ground or in containers or baskets where they are allowed to trail over the edge.Flowers appear at the end of each stem and develop into fruits.Are not trained and all shoots are allowed to grow.Fruits develop on trusses that grow at intervals on the main Vine plants are more suited to indoor production.This keeps the fruit clean and the plant off the ground where it would otherwise lie on the soil surface. Are produced on a single stem with all sideshoots removed and supported by twisting the new growth clockwise around a string (tied at the base of the plant and secured on a strong overhead wire).It is important to know which type you have as the method of supporting the plants is different.Tomato plants are grown as either: vine (indeterminate) plants or bush (determinate).Grown from seed in a propagator, or from plants purchased in the garden centre, different types of tomato suit different methods of use. ![]() F1 hybrids tend to be heavier croppers and have stronger disease resistance. Seed catalogues list many varieties from the traditional Heirloom cultivars to the modern F1 hybrid cultivars. ![]() They come in many shapes from traditional round, to oblong or elongated and the colour range includes red, yellow and orange or striped. A great range of tomato fruit types are now available from seed suppliers with fruits ranging from Cherry and Plum to over-sized Beefsteak cultivars. Tomatoes are tenderperennial plants which are treated as annuals and cropped in one season after which the plants are discarded or killed off by frost.
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