We weeded yesterday, of course but we also did a big job in the greenhouse. It was high time to perform the first big “treatment”, if you want to call it that. We have already suckered and lightly trimmed a couple of times and then left the plants alone to go on ahead and develop further. Now that the first blooms and little fruits have begun showing themselves, it is time to start feeding them the comfrey tea and doing some serious clip-work. My Bride waded into the jungle to remove branches, suckers and tie-up and clip-up the thickening and growing stems. Here is a piccy after the work was done and the extra things on the ground replaced. We have again allowed a few plants to develop their “King Shoots”. Here are a couple: There were others, but they either faced the wrong direction or simply posed too large a problem in terms of space available. We cannot have a greenhouse over-full with foliage. You can see some iceberg lettuce plants back behind the toms. After the sècateur work, a cutworm’s view behind the scenes. One of the Ox Forehead tom plants broke off with handling during the planting. We set it aside and it looks as if it wants to do a phoenix re-enactment. I am hoping that I will be able to plant it in time to get at least one truss. It is still coolish here, it will need more heat if it is to grow up to be a big boy. Fingers crossed.
That wee plant wants a chance to grow with the big boys This looks great. Thank you for showing the pictures. It was very good timing for me to see. You both do such a wonderful job. I wish that I could grow ice berg lettuce - just for fun. It's romaine and simpson elite ( as cut and come again) that are my reliables. I was eyeing my tomatoes up today, and wondering about foliage. I too eagerly planted some too close together, and it is difficult to see who is who at times. Primarily in their lower branches/leaves. Do you notice any difference in the slowing of growth or development when they get groomed? I've read so much about to prune or not prune leaves, pinch or not pinch suckers....some of mine are not allowed to hear the debate and must be trimmed of some of their larger lower leaves regardelss. Others, the bush varieties, I may be able to leave to themselves. Everone has flowers, a few have fruits, but they are all still very grumpy about the cool temps and just beginning to relax a bit with their new growth. I worry a bit about stressing them out too much if I trim them now.
Melody, here we plant tomatoes closer together than advised, because the foliage keeps the roots cooler during our really hot weather. We don't prune our tomatoes but that is because we have so many, and I just don't want to spend a day removing suckers and lower leaves (I'm basically lazy). Considering where your are, and your temperatures, perhaps you can wait on the trimming for a week or 10 days. Just a guess, since our growing conditions are so very different from yours.
Melody— where I live growing lettuce is always a challenge. In the greenhouse we can usually get five very nice heads. Then there is no room for a re-planting. Outside has been disappointing for me because of the slug and snail onslaught, the weather / rotting and all the dirt that got into the leaves. Cut and come again varieties are commonly grown here with success—the reds and greens. They have their own flavours and are good for a change. You know Mel, it gets down to time during these months. The extra time that lettuce requires gets a bit in the way of our summer schedule. I know, that sounds a bit crazy, but it is true that we have it intensely busy during the Season. Your question— I do not notice any negative change with the periodic sucker and leaf removal, in fact I notice more vertical growth, better fruit development and better aeration around and through my plants that are also planted too close together. They have to be, in a greenhouse…but I feed them regularly with the comfrey tea. Some of my toms are the bush variety, but I trim and remove suckers from them as well. You are right, coolness is not a tom’s friend and has a great effect on their development. You have such unusual conditions there that anyone not living where you do would have difficulty advising you. Jane said it well.
Thank you Jane and Sjoerd. You both offer excellent points to ponder and I really appreciate it. When in doubt, I mess around with it....I'll prune some and not others and see how we fare. I think you are right @marlingardener I will hit pause for full on pruning trials until the weather warms a bit. The first week of June historically can see +32 C , so a little shade may be welcome on their roots. And Sjoerd, I have a large big beefy guy in the corner full of promise and hope. I think I'll take some off of him and see if he hits his stride, instead of taking over his corner of the whole bed he can share a little with his friends. Air flow is always a problem in the greenhouse once everyone starts to grow and I think if I clean him up a bit it will help others along as well. Very interesting about your lettuce - I love hearing about others growing challenges and successes. I don't envy you at all with the slugs and snails.
Melody do you move your plant out once the weather has warmed. I can’t keep anything in my greenhouse once summer temps arrive. It’s to hot and even with fans , doors open and shade cloth the greenhouse just cooks.
Your toms look great! I'm trying to get as much info as I can into my head to prepare for my own tomatoes, whenever that may be.
I am fortunate in my micro climate that mountain night airs are rarely above 10 C. I close my greenhouse at night usually all summer. Last year with the "heat dome", it was a real challenge. I watered roots daily with cold well water, to keep things cool. I had shade clothes/remay draped over everyone during the heat of the day. My green house has sliding glass doors on the front, a large window at the back and two side windows. I am rarely without a breeze fortunately. One year I needed a fan. My tomatoes and cukes live in the greenhouse all year. My first frost is often in August. I have learned over the years, that the smaller the greenhouse, the more difficult to control the temperatures. My neighbour, about 14 km away, has commercial greenhouses. They are VERY large, have heaters for winter and fans. She has a crank system on the side of her greenhouse to roll up the sides of the plastic to whatever heights she needs. That is how she regulates her heat. My Dad built my first greenhouse for me, and it was tiny. Half way through summer I had to cut all of the plastic off of the sides, and just leave the roof. My greenhouse has raised beds, but only about 8 inches. The rest is in the earth. That does help my roots a bit. Sometimes to a hinderance. There is a device that I would really like for my next greenhouse. It is a thermostatically controlled piston that opens to expell heat. I would love to have large side panels ( dare to dream....a roof panel) that responds to the heat and adjusts/vents the greenhouse. That sounds amazing. Sjoerd has this incredible ( INCREDIBLE) paint that stays white during the heat and turns clear with rain. I can only import it hear in Canada. You may have more luck in the USA?? If I had a choice I'd have that magic potion on my front glass doors. I hope that helps
