The instructions :
‘Use 10cm/4″ pots, good quality moist compost and set the plants so the top of the rootball is level with the compost surface’.
So I did as I was told – tricky, given I normally ‘plunge’ plant my tomatoes – popping them deep down into the compost, right up to the seed leaves. Whereas here the seed leaves are flying at half mast. However it makes sense. If the upper plant (scion) were to be in contact with the soil it’ll root which is not what’s wanted ! And it’s important to keep the graft ‘wound’ clean and above the compost.
Further instructions are to: wait for a few weeks and when the roots have filled these pots – then the plants will be ready for planting into their final postions. Their final planting place should be border soil or a deep pot no smaller than 30cm/12″ . ( is this measurement referring to depth or diameter ? I wish these folks would get their instructions proof read by us ignoramuses first !) Or outside in soil – 60cm apart.
Emphasis is placed on the vigorous root system of these plants. To give them their head – you need to give them plenty of root space - so to speak ! For this reason - most growbags are unlikey to afford the root space for best results.
And what will the best results be: 6-8 trusses in a greenhouse (in commercial greenhouses they produce in excess of 20 trusses). Outdoors I guess the number of trusses may be fewer.
Still, I’ve great expectations of these patched up, parachuted-in Turbo Tomatoes ! I hope they’re revved and ready.
