Potted Tomato Plants

Tomato plants have been potted out, over 10 days ago, into 30 cm (12 inch) pots of multi-purpose compost to which vermiculite has been added to increase porosity.

They have hardly made progress since purchase, mainly because it has been too cold. The suspected root rot has not materialised. But it takes plants quite some time to get over a bad start (they had been neglected).

As you can see, there is not much leaf. And it is apparently dangerous to give feed too early (which would develop the leaves) in case it stops flowering. Problems, problems.

I have not watered them since planting, although there has been considerable rain. I want to keep them dry to develop the roots. These should go searching for feed and water (there is some feed in the multi-purpose compost). I intend to leave them until they are wilting before watering with 'Phostrogen'. Well, maybe till just before wilting, if I can judge that.

In other words, I am treating them just the same as I would a flowering plant, which, of course, is what they are. We still want lots of flowers. The only difference is that we also want juicy fruits. All this is controlled by watering, as we shall no doubt later discover.