winter tomatoes

[leafminer]

I've got three tomatoes in flower - at this time of year!
The plants are nearly three feet high now. In my ghetto lean-to greenhouse. I don't know if I will get a crop, but it's interesting to see that they can apparently grow fairly normally this late and with such restricted sunshine hours.

 

[2Dog]

I am still eating off mine bring them in green to the warm house and they ripen perfectly.....they are monsters I need to trim them and wrap the bottoms..pic taken 11-16

 

[ozzydiodude]

It is my understanding that Tomatoes are not a light driven flowerer like MJ and will produce year round as long as the plants are kept warm, roots and veg has to both be warm.

 

[leafminer]

Yeah, it seems that way! The tomatoes are the size of cherries now and the plants are doing well.
I've decided to build a better greenhouse using 12ft lengths of white PVC pipe and fittings. It will be against a white-painted wall, so 7ft high x 7 ft. wide. I should be able to use that for all sorts of plants!

 

[ozzydiodude]

Good eating Mojo for your tomatoes

 

[leafminer]

I've started some lettuce as well! The tomatoes are doing great, I've cloned two more . . . greenhouse is a lot of work but it will be worth it.

 

[leafminer]

Winter tomatoes are doing great! Got about 8 toms on the plants now and the biggest is the size of a small apple. Lettuce also doing well but still little. I broke off a sucker and just stuck it in the soil in the same pot and up came a new tomato. I tried cloning just like MJ and it failed uselessly.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

NICE...

There's nothing like a fresh tomato from the garden... especially this time of year. Glad to hear it Leafminer and it's good to see 2dog in the land of no winter keeping the harvest going... Tomatoes love direct sun... the few times I tried to grow them in my yard all I get is MONSTER plants with very little tomato production due to all the huge trees shading my yard and not having an area that has good southern sun exposure...

Rock ON!

 

[monkeybusiness]

Wow, can't believe i missed this thread. As an extreme tomato addict (very few make it out of my garden, into the house) i have always debated growing some indoors.

I'm curious who grows tomatoes indoors starting from seed and who moves there summer crops inside to keep em growing. I only ask because i've read the tricky part is pollinating them when they are indoors.

edit: i just realized we're talking about in a greenhouse, off season. Oh well, my questions still stand if anyone has experience..

 

[leafminer]

Actually I tried them in the grow room and they didn't seem to like it. I am really surprised at how well things are going. The big test is tomorrow night, it is supposed to be going down to -1C and I have no heating in the greenhouse.
In another 5 years maybe I am going to sell this house and buy 10,000 sq.m of land next to a lake, permanent springtime climate, fertile soil, and I am going to plant and plant and plant. Everything. Orchard, polytunnel, greenhouses.

 

[2Dog]

monkey I would be worried about pests either from briging them in from outside or the sweetness of the tomatos drawing them..pests are a big reason I dont use my lights for food grows..too paranoid.

 

[cubby]

monkey I would be worried about pests either from briging them in from outside or the sweetness of the tomatos drawing them..pests are a big reason I dont use my lights for food grows..too paranoid.

You hit the nail on the head 2Dog. Years ago I tried to bring tomato transplants into the house and was freaked out by the number of bugs that came in with them.
I too tried growing under lights, what a waste of time. In the middle of winter, 2 feet of snow on the ground, and still somehow bugs. If I were to try it again I would go totaly hydro, I think the soil is where all the bugs come from.

 

[ozzydiodude]

I read somewhere that our worst enemy "spidermites" are tomatoes #1 bug infestation. If you are going to bring toms in from outside I would treat them real good before putting in the grow areas. If starting from seeds I don't think you would have a bug problem

 

[leafminer]

It's fortunate for me I have never seen spidermites in my area. My main problems are always at seedling stage. I always have to use fresh coco because there is some pest that gets into old stuff outside and it's a worm that bites the tops of seedlings. Lost quite a few that way before I clued up.
Oh well. Gotta brave the outside temps and get the lettuce seedlings into the greenhouse . . . going to leave the three dominas in the grow room today.

 

[cubby]

The insects that come in with tomatos are'nt from the plant but rather the soil. I think if you grew tomatos in an innert medium such lava rock or Hydroton you would avoid bugs alltogether.

 

[leafminer]

I use coco for the toms as well. And the lettuce.

 

[monkeybusiness]

sweet, great info!
If i do some inside they will be from seed and not even in the same building as my grow so might work out well.

 

[leafminer]

My first is turning yellow and it's the size of a large apple. Got about 15 or more on the plants now. Seems to me that winter tomatoes are easier than summer tomatoes. I'll have to try some peppers too.

 

[cubby]

My first is turning yellow and it's the size of a large apple. Got about 15 or more on the plants now. Seems to me that winter tomatoes are easier than summer tomatoes. I'll have to try some peppers too.

Congrats on the the tomatos leaf, home grown is always better tasting, wether it be weed or veggies or what ever.

 

[leafminer]

Update:
The same too-humid conditions that caused bud rot on the Domina also ruined the monster tomato that was nearly ripe, with sooty mould. Fortunately the rest of the crop is going well and although they are all still green, I must have at least 6 or 7 kilos of tomatoes on there.
The lettuce is going great and I should be able to start harvesting the Cos in another 2 weeks or so. I have some more seedlings in.