I’m here! 8 weeks on from sowing my first seeds and just past the last local frost date. It feels quite momentous!
The past week I’ve felt like a florist shop (no, not as in an overabundance of tomato flowers!) but as in taking plants out every morning and back in at night.
Some days I’ve cheated, leaving some indoors by an open window for breeze and light. For this I commandeered the bath and wrong sized IKEA kitchen shelves (finally justifying the guilt over not returning them for a refund…. have you ever waited … and waited… and waited in their returns queue!)
And yes I do have a lovely separate shower in case you were sniffing to see if this was now a less than sweetly scented blog!
Some plants were moved to the grow house. Zipped in at night but taken out during the day as they looked a bit hugga mugga to be in it all the time.
Plus a brave pair picked to stay out all night long in a snug corner up against the house. They were fine so I will keep an eye on the forecast but all seems well for planting out this week.
As well as looking after my own plants I have also been having a good nose round at how other growers are getting on. Who’s growing what? What stage are their plants at? How are they looking after them?
One of the joys of being an allotment holder must be doing this in person. After working your own plot to tread the grass borders and see what’s happening else where. So in the absence of a real set of allotments I’ve done a little virtual border wandering.
Experiments are going on in East Yorkshire. It’s beyond me but I enjoy reading about it at Vegetable Heaven. ‘Own brand’ tomatoes are being grown and there’s lots of talk of cross breeding/cross pollinations and F3s. However Vegetable Heaven is also growing Tigerella (as I am) and Brandywine. (Tomato referencing entries are May 5th & 4th, April 30th, 13th & 6th, March 22nd and February 20th). This is confident growing and a great source of expert know-how.
My Tiny Plot has drawn up a plan of attack for warding off the curse of late blight (looking at last September’s photo I can see why, devastating). My Tiny Plot is growing Ferline (good resistance to blight, Verticillium and Fusarium) as part of the plan. Plus beautiful terracotta pots !
Passports to hand for a little cross channel comparing. Down to the Loire Valley where Living the life in Saint-Aignan has an enviable tilled bed dedicated to heirloom and standard tomatoes, staked on curlicues, tended the French way.
I hope you enjoyed today’s tomato tour. Tomorrow I’ll be showing you 2 new additions to my tomato plantation!
