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[kerrieann]

our first attempt at growing tomatoes we have had the plants in one of those plastic zip up tents and they have been in for about 4 weeks now, they look healthy but iam a bit confused as i have read that you need to remove the side shoots, well ours now have the flowers on and some of them are on the side shoots, surely i dont remove those do i ?  any advice would be great  kerrie

[honeybun]

You should have one strong stem with large branches coming on from the sides. The little sprouts that come from the main stem that will give you a cluster of branches should be removed.noh heck it's difficult to explain. There are YouTube clips though.
I would leave what you have now but remove any other side shoots from now on and give the plant support by tying it to a cane.

When you have two trusses that have set then you need to start to feed once a week.

I love my tomatoes but mine are still quite small.....being in Scotland we are at least three weeks behind the south.

Nothing nicer than a warm tomatoe.

Honeybun
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[kerrieann]

thanks honeybun, i think i know what you mean, we 3 plants in and have a cane for each 1
they smell scrumptious, i love tomatoes but so often when you buy them you just dont seem to get that taste, so we though we would have a go
we have also bought 3 grow sacks for potatoes and they are lovely and green and bushy, so we are looking forward to some nice spuds as well 
i grew up with parents and grandparents that grew almost everything and it was wonderful, but our garden is mainly slabbed now with pots, but we are still having a go with whatever we think we can grow in pots or growbags, if you can suggest anything else thats fairly easy it would be  great 

[honeybun]

You can grow parsnips in deep pots as well as carrots. Smaller pots can be used for cut and come again lettuce. Radishes and spring onions are good in pots too. Ooo what else. Rainbow chard and spinach are easy too. You could try chilli plants in your little greenhouse and pepper plants.

We have a small back garden but we are members of a community garden and we grow all sorts of things in raised beds and poly tunnels.

Most of the supermarkets sell seeds now so you can have a browse there or a garden center. It's early enough to get all on the go.

Don't forget to keep adding soil to your potato bags as they grow and water them well in dry weather.

Happy growing.

Honeybun
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[kerrieann]

oh thanks honeybun, i love parsnips could we grow parsnips and carrots in 1 big pot together ?

[bramble]

You only need to remove the side shoots if they are not bush tomatoes. Check the label. Side shoots arise from between a leaf and the main stem. Those are the ones to remove. They will look like a little tomato plant. The shoots with flowers on you leave. Time you were watching the Beechgrove Garden methinks. They do lots on tomatoes and veg in pots.

Bramble

[kerrieann]

oops didnt keep the label    but i know 1 plant is moneymaker and the other were called something cherry do you know if they are bush tomatoes ?

[honeybun]

The bush varieties are smaller and well more bushy 

Bramble describes what part to remove really well.

I wouldn't grow parsnips and carrots together as your parsnips take much longer to grow and can be left in until Christmas if you wanted. Pulling carrots up would just disturb them so seperate pots would be better.


Honeybun
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[kerrieann]

hb, thanks will get some parsnips and carrots and plant them seperate
Bramble, beechgrove garden, which channel is this on please as i havent heard of it

[honeybun]

It's on BBC1 but I don't think you can get it down south as it's very much a Scottish gardening programme. Maybe try BBC iplayer.


Honeybun
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[Jenna]

Beechgrove Garden is on early Sunday mornings on BBC2 in the West Mids.

[kerrieann]

jenna we are in staffordshire so will have a look for that and put it on my planner 

[bramble]

Moneymaker isn't a bush tomato so you need to remove the side shoots. Some cherry tomatoes are bush type but if you have no label then I would remove the side shoots on them as well.

Bramble

[bramble]

The Beechgrove Garden is available down south. They started showing it there when Chris Beardshaw joined so that must be 2 years now. I think CB was brought in to make it less of a parochial Scottish programme - someone must think he will appeal to the English viewers. But it has good gardening advice and I think much more geared towards a 'normal' family garden than Gardener's World.

Bramble

[Dulciana]

My parents had someone renting the granny-flat adjoining their house, years ago.  This lady decided to grow tomato plants one year.  The plants didn't quite make it to full fruit-hood (or whatever you call it!) because Mum and Dad's dog had the lot!  That's all I know about tomato plants...........