Main Crop Tomatoes

Question 1

Main crop tomatoes.

Answer 1

Alicante.

Moneymaker

Question 2

Sowing maincrop tomatoes in green house.

Timings

Answer 2

Heated greenhouse.
Sow late December.
Plant out late Feb/early March
Minimum temp. 10-12 degrees C

Cold greenhouse.
Sow early March.
Plant late April to early May

Question 3

Sowing main crop tomatoes.

Method.

Answer 3

Sow thinly in trays.
Use suitable seed compost.
Cover seeds lightly with compost.
Keep moist, not wet.
Temp 18 degrees C.
Small numbers can be sown in individual pots, two seeds per pot, discard weakest seedling.

Question 4

Sowing main crop tomatoes.

Pricking out.

Answer 4

Prick out tomatoes when seeds have a pair of true leaves.

Prick out into 8cm pots filled with suitable compost.

Question 5

Main crop tomatoes.

Planting out.

Answer 5

Can be planted in greenhouse border, 10 or 15 litre pots or grow bags.
Plant out when seedlings are 15 to 20 cm high and flowers on first truss are beginning to open.
Water before planting out.
In border plant 45cm apart.

Question 6

Maincrop tomatoes.

Care

Answer 6

Tie main stem loosely to cane or wind around well anchored but slack vertical string.
Pinch out side shoots at 3cm long.
Remove leaves below first truss when plants are about 1.2m tall.
Use sharp knife to remove yellowing leaves below fruit trusses as season progresses - don’t over do deleafing.
Remove tip at two leaves when 7 trusses have set.
Keep moist at all times, not saturated.
Feed with solvable tomato feed.
Tap support and mist occassionally to aid pollination.
Ventilate and shade glass in summer.