Tomato Problems

Q:  Tomato Problems

I planted about 24 plants in the polytunnel. They grew fine – in fact over grew – because I probably overfed them. Set loads of flowers- but no fruit for ages.

I read somewhere that fruit will not set if plants are too hot. So I started to open doors in tunnel. This produced some fruit- but missed most the season. Also got a type of rot on some of them – which I think is a fungal infection.

So this year plan is to:

1. Grow tomatoes in second poly tunnel  ( black Russian, Sun gold ? what else you suggest? max 24 plants  )

2. Remove about 3″ of soil from first tunnel & replace it with fresh soil

3. Manure ground in second polytunnel  now

4. Open doors once trusses are set on those plants

Tony

A:  

Yes it’s very important to open the doors during the day, even if it’s not hot, both for ventilation as well as pollination.

If your soil is over fed you may get too much leaf growth at the expense of fruiting.

Also the varieties make a difference:  Sungold F1 being the quickest to ripen nearly every year, while Indigo Rose may be the last to ripen.  We also have a new range of tomato seeds which you may enjoy – Rosella, Bite Size, Dark Opal.

Don’t worry about the disease at the end of the season.  It’s most likely grey mould (botrytis) and you’ll always get it at the end of the year.  Good ventilation is essential to delay it’s onset.

I’d be hesitant though to remove the topsoil though.

Klaus