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4:48 pm
Enthusiast
New members
Wed 19-Jan-11
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Growing Romas if and at the moment finding it is hard to move round my conservatory (a glorified greenhouse). Also some of them are getting a bit leggy as they are fighting for light. Now once the night time temperature is high enough a lot of them are going out can't seem to do so at the moment as those that are out the leaves are going a bit white and they are not really growing I assume temperature and wind not conducive. But even when I take them out those left in conservatory will still be getting less light than they could. These Romas (I am growing them mainly for dehydrating) have to long a branch on them and the leaves are too big. Any reason why I can't remove a bit of the foliage? Not just so they get more light but so I can find my walking boots and trainers.
10:02 pm
Supreme Being
New members
Tue 22-Sep-09
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The folaige helps them photosynthesise, but you could remove a few bits here and there, I often remove lower leaves as they get in the way when watering and end up going yellow and manky anyway. As long as you leave a decent number on, then they should still be fine.
2:24 pm
I removed about 50 % of the leaves on all my tom plants last year once they were fruiting well: I found it had little negative effect on the plant and helped the fruits to ripen well.
2:27 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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shelley said:
I removed about 50 % of the leaves on all my tom plants last year once they were fruiting well: I found it had little negative effect on the plant and helped the fruits to ripen well.
I believe that's a recognised technique, Shelley. Obviously, only after the fruit has started to ripen.
Never knowingly underfed
6:37 pm
PHEW! I am doing something right then! Trying to grow in grow bags this year... not easy in the 35° heat we have had and the drought, but they seem to be coping ok!
12:41 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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You need an unglaxed earthenware pot Shelley, that will hold water and let it slowly leach out for the tomatoes. We tried the technique out on lettuces and it certainly cut down on the watering needed, top up and leave. This year we are going to try some with the tomatoes.
2:20 pm
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
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I think everyone else's tomatoes seem to be much further on than mine. I think it may have something to to do with the sh***y weather we have had for all of May. Roll on June and some improvement. 
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
4:35 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Mine maybe further on but suffering badly as they need to be in bigger pots but we keep thinking the greenhouse will be ready. 
They are trying their best bless 'em but they have studies too which doesn't help
4:38 pm
thanks for the idea for the pots Joanna; will try it out next year!
5:52 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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7:06 pm
Oh , very interesting; not what I had understood but certainly worth thinking about next year when I dig a real plot and am not growing in bags! Thanks again
11:48 am
Enthusiast
New members
Wed 19-Jan-11
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I use chainsaw chipping in the soil and in my hanging baskets etc. It seems to hold the moisture really well and rots down quickly. I put my toms out yesterday as I have been keeping an eye on the forecast and yesterday was normal night tempretures so expect I will have about 10 kilos of toms to dehydrate. One large tom (Roma) plant I put out looked like it wouldn't make it as I lost most of the root ball planting it but today it looks like will recover.
I left 4 Roma and 3 or 4 of the smaller garden pearl in the conservatory and put lots of tumbling toms in hanging baskets........I hope i did as I think I mixed the two up.
Will it make a differance ie the pearls in the hanging baskets unsupported and the tumbling toms in pots supported?????
) pearl are smaller tomatoes then the tumbler.
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