tomatos

This year we have grown a few tomatoes. I planted some seeds in the heated propagator at the end of March, although they germinated quite quickly, they didn't grow much.



One day, outside a house on the way to Manningtree, there was a box of tomato plants with a sign saying please help yourself to one or two plants. So I did ( I left a note saying thank you). These plants were much bigger and stronger than mine.



A few weeks later it was my birthday and I was given some more plants, all different varieties, then my Mum gave me some plants. A couple more weeks and my plants started to grow - so we ended up with loads more than planned.

We decided to grow them in grow bags, placed along the path beside the garage where they would get full sun. As grow bags are not very attractive I persuaded Lukey to build some wood surrounds and then cover the bags with wood chips to hide them. I think that this worked very well.


Many leaves and green tomatoes later we actually picked the first two.

Lukey is in charge of the tomatoes, he picks off the side shoots and leaves, puts up the supports and ties them up with string. He also waters them most days and feeds them with tomato feed when he remembers. Alice advises on all of this as she is the expert (!) as she has spent 7 summers picking in the greenhouses.





This week I picked a whole bowl full and today there are more to pick.

I hope to make some more tomato ketchup. Make some sauce for cooking and freeze it, maybe make some chutney and some more dried tomatoes. I already have lots of green tomato chutney left from last year so don't really want to make any more of it this year. Lets hope that they all ripen.