Tomatoes!

Hi Andrea,

I had a very disapointing crop last year with toms no matter how i tried they wouldn't ripen. In the end i just made green chutney.

Good luck with your toms let us know how they get on.

Best Wishes

Libby

Best trick is to put your unripe toms in a drawer with either one red one or a banana - it works!

I remember the banana theory being mentioned last year and someone found the scientific explanation for bananas helping tomatoes ripen.

Update: found it :)
http://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/146-are-my-tomatoes-ok

Guys, thanks for all of the advice about ripening tomatoes, but my problem is actually getting the seeds to survive!! I don't have any luck with growing plants from seeds at all, even scattering california poppy in the soil outside - nothing - very rubbish!

Hello, I don't claim to know anything about growing from seed, I have grown tomatoes from seed for the past few years. I start them off inside. I have a south facing windowsill I sow 2 seeds in each 3 inch pot and when they have 2 seed leaves pull out the smallest, I gow the remaining seedling on untill it resembles a tomatoe. As the weather warms up I transfer to my greenhouse where they grow on until ready to plant either outside in pots or in the greenhouse. Try to sow more than you need you will always get a few that don't do anything .
I try not to overwater as I think this can do more harm than good. Don't give up, if you only get one plant it will be worth the effort.

Thanks Holly, I have mine in the garden shed in a window in a heated propagater. I put the seed compost in, watered it, put it in the propagters overnight to warm the soil and then put one seed in each of the sections. I bought the seed trays that have the sections that are about 1 inch square and as I only had about 25 seeds of each variety I only put one seed in each section. I am just going to keep my fingers crossed, if I fail this time I will have to buy some plug plants as they are for a pre-school garden.