I sowed the seeds on the 8th of March and they germinated in no time. They were pricked out on the 26th of March after which time I let them settle in their pots before eventually moving them outdoors in to the mini greenhouse which is inside the larger greenhouse. I've always dealt with my tomatoes the same way and have never had any issues, but this year, the seedlings just haven't grown at all and they're looking very yellow rather than a lush green.
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I think it may be down to the compost, I've got some other seedlings which aren't looking too healthy either, so I've bought fresh compost, repotted them, and they're now being mollycoddled on a bedroom windowsill where I can see a very slight improvement since these photos were taken.
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The seedlings are quite sturdy little things so I'm hoping that this will do the trick and that they'll recover, but I've sown some more seeds just in case they don't. I may be too late sowing seeds now though, so I might have to resort to buying some plants this year. I'm hoping that I won't have to do that, but I shall make sure I've got some tomatoes to harvest later in the year come what may.
One of my favourites to grow. Love to pick my own.
ReplyDeleteI do hope your repotting works......I don't know about you but I always feel so disappointed when seedlings fail. I have to say apart from the colour your plants do look strong.
I don't think you ever get the same taste from shop bought tomatoes as you do from ones you've grown yourself. They do seem like strong little seedlings so I hope they recover.
DeleteCertainly looks like a deficiency doesn't it? Sounds like you have done the right thing repotting in a different compost. Good Luck with them, we can't be without home grown tomatoes whatever else we go without can we?!
ReplyDeleteGill
I would certainly miss the taste if I didn't have home grown tomatoes. I'm hoping this new compost will do the trick, fingers crossed.
DeleteI have no luck with tomatoes, Jo, and decided not to grow any this year. We have a wonderful, organic farmer nearby who can supply all our needs. I admire your persistence and wish you luck. I'm sure your plants will be successful. P. x
ReplyDeleteIf I could only grow one thing, it would have to be tomatoes. They can be fussy things, and with blight to contend with they're sometimes not the easiest things to grow, but I've never had a problem before, it makes it even more annoying now I've got this problem. I'm hoping they'll recover.
DeleteHow very odd, I've never seen this before, maybe it was the compost if they are improving, I'd be taking it back and complaining. Here's to a swift recovery!!!xxx
ReplyDeleteI think it's definitely down to the compost. I haven't found one brand that I can rely on yet, I get good results one year and then when I buy the same compost the following year it seems to have changed. So annoying.
DeleteI hope that they''ll be okay. It seems that plenty of people have been unhappy with come composts recently and had similar problems. At least you can sow some more, and buy plants later on if need be. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI think compost is very hit and miss these days, even different bags of the same brand can differ greatly. I'm hoping that they'll recover but if not, I'll buy some plants.
DeleteSuch a shame after all your hard work that they are struggling. My seeds didn't even germinate this year. our favorites here are the plum and campo varieties. The campo toms are large, lots of flavour, you often see people with one the size of an orange+in one hand and a knife in the other
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to grow a beefsteak tomato, Costoluto Fiorentino. I grew this variety last year and they're so tasty, huge too. If I end up having to buy plants, I won't find such a huge variety, it's usually the usual suspects in the garden centres, Moneymaker and such like.
DeleteIt's a pain when the compost lets you down, it's not cheap too & it can set you back a few weeks when something like this happens. I hope your re potting works for you. xx
ReplyDeleteThose few weeks can mean the difference between having a successful crop and not. I wish I could find a compost I was happy with, but even different bags of the same variety can vary so much. As you say, it isn't cheap either. I fear I'm going to have to buy some plants in this year.
DeleteThey certainly look like sturdy seedlings Jo albeit on the anaemic side. Hopefully fresh compost might do the trick. You say that they have not grown at all - presumably that is since you pricked them out. Were they exposed to a drop in temperature or draught at that stage. Did you prick them out in a hurry? Whatever has happened hope that it's just a blip as I know that you like your home grown tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteThey're very sturdy, they'd make decent plants if only they'd grow. They were pricked out and kept in the same conditions to which they were accustomed until they'd settled in, then I moved them in to the plastic greenhouse inside the bigger greenhouse when we had some nice weather. I know the nights were still cold at that time, and still, so I gave them added protection, but it's nothing different to what I've done before. I'm convinced it's the compost which is to blame as I've got some other seedlings which seem to be struggling so they've had the same treatment as the tomatoes.
DeleteI hope it's not too late to sow tomatoes, Jo, as I'm only just getting round to it now! :0 All the comments about compost make interesting reading; I follow Which? gardening mag and they always trial different composts, printing the results early in the year. This year they did a feature on what a huge difference getting the right compost can make - including different types of compost from the same manufacturer! I always use one with John Innes No2 for potting on but am about to try a New Horizon peat free this year. Fingers crossed! Hope your toms recover, it seems hopeful that you've caught it in time!
ReplyDeleteI suppose it will depend on this year's weather. Sometimes, plants will catch up with those sown earlier, but if we don't get much sunshine, they possibly won't. I've heard good things about the New Horizon peat free in previous years so I hope it does well for you. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for my tomatoes, I do hope they recover.
DeleteFingers crossed that your re-potting works and you won't have to buy any plants!!
ReplyDeleteI do hope it does. I don't think you can get the variety from plants being sold in a garden centre compared to the amount of variety you get in seeds.
DeleteIt could have been the compost, I haven't been lucky with the compost either and only few seeds from a wide selection of veggies germinated. Attempted three times!
ReplyDeleteI hear so many complaints about compost these days, you'd think there'd be one brand you could trust but there doesn't seem to be any. I suppose it's just a case of trial and error each year. I hope you manage to get your seeds to germinate.
DeleteWhat time of year do you usually start getting ripe tomatoes? I'm just wondering as you said you wondered if it was to late to sow seeds now but I have just done mine as I was late last year and only decided to grow them at the end of may, however my Aunt planted hers earlier but they all ripened at the same time so was just wondering. It had been a couple of years since I had grown them before that so I can't remember from before. Hope yours do well.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the weather really. If we get a good summer, later sowings catch up with earlier ones. We had lovely weather last year and I was getting ripe tomatoes from August onwards, whereas the year before when we hardly got any summer, I removed all the fruit towards the end of September to ripen on the windowsills as I hadn't had one ripe tomato up to that point. I like to get my seeds sown quite early so that they have plenty of time to produce some ripe fruit.
DeleteI'm having the same problems with mine but it's my first year growing anything so I'm glad I read this!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear you're having problems too, I hope they come good for us both in the end. I think there's always something which doesn't do very well each year, I just wish it wasn't my tomatoes as it's the thing I love growing the most.
DeleteIt's disappointing after going through the initial stages of growing to see this happen. When I started reading your post I thought perhaps it might be the compost that was the problem? I hope they recover after re-potting.
ReplyDeleteIt is disappointing, especially when they get off to a good start. I think people have lots of problems with compost these days, though I've never suffered quite so badly as this before. The plants are showing signs of greening up a little now, so I just hope they start putting on some growth too.
DeleteI don't grow tomatoes either, I find the tomatoes never ripen :( just never enough sun, even last year they were still green come the autumn! It is very frustrating to buy compost that does not do a proper job, hope the seedlings do better in their new compost :)
ReplyDeleteThe seedlings seem to be picking up, so fingers crossed. My outdoor tomatoes did much better than the ones in the greenhouse last year, but I had to ripen all my tomatoes on the windowsill the year before.
DeleteI had all sorts of problems with compost last year and my tomatoes suffered the most. They were dreadful and in the end died. I thought it was something I had done but then I asked around and a few other people had had the same problem and used the same compost. I complained to the compost company and they asked me to send some samples of the compost. It appeared the compost was lacking in certain nutrients and they ended up refunding me some of the cost. It's certainly worth complaining. Hopefully they'll grow through it now you've repotted them. Have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a shame that we can't rely on the compost we buy, it's not as though it's cheap either. I'm glad you got some of your money back last year from the compost company, though it's no consolation if you're left without the plants you wanted. I'm hoping that my plants will pick up now that I've repotted them, we'll just have to wait and see.
DeleteHoping your seedlings pull through for you after all your hard work fingers crossed
ReplyDeleteI'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed, it would be a shame if they didn't pull through and I had to start again.
DeleteHi, just catching up with my blogging! Sorry to hear about your seedling troubles, I hope that they are looking up by now! The second part of your garden visit was beautiful, and a real contrast to the botanical garden, very pretty indeed. Hope that you have a good weekend. xx
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that they come good now that I've repotted them, but I'm still not convinced, I may end up having to buy plants this year. The two gardens in Lister Park are so different from each other, a total contrast.
DeleteI hope that with your tlc they'll recover fine and catch up. If you need any replacement plants give me a shout and I'll post you some as I seem to have rather a lot in my conservatory (eyes bigger than greenhouse moment!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind offer. Isn't it always the case that we sow more than we need. I'm hoping that my seedlings will recover now that I've repotted them, but it's still early days.
DeleteI'm sure it will be the compost Jo. I'm not sure which brands are the best. I've tried to overcome some of the deficiencies in composts by watering my seedlings with a liquid fertiliser. I've used Maxicrop organic seaweed plant food which seems to have helped.
ReplyDeleteI'm so annoyed that we buy compost and put our trust in it, yet this can happen. It's supposed to be able to feed plants with what they need for a number of weeks, yet we're having to think of ways to overcome deficiencies. I'm glad you seem to have found a way to overcome the problems, I think I may have to take your lead and do the same.
DeleteI have had this happen in the past, and again this year. I have added some organic fertilizer; it's worked in the past, fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteIt looks as though lots of people either add things to the compost they buy or they water in some added nutrients. I think it's something I'm going to have to start doing if I want my seedlings to do well.
DeleteOoh how frustrating Jo, as people have commented they look a reasonable size just a bit anaemic, I hope they pick up soon. Has it only affected your tomatoes?
ReplyDeleteThey got off to a good start but stopped growing completely and turned such a pale shade. It's affected other things too, but not as bad and I've caught them in time.
DeleteHow interesting to read this. I looked at some of my seedlings last week and thought they too seemed a bit pale and growing less strongly than I would expect.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if the compost (same as I always use, B&Q multi-purpose) had less nutrients in it than previous years.
Hope your toms have picked up/recovered.
It's annoying that compost changes from one year to the next. I find a compost I'm happy with and then when I buy it again the following year, it's changed completely. I hope your seedlings pick up, I shall be doing an update post on my tomatoes soon.
DeleteJo, I missed this post first time round, but I've read it now after what you said on my post today. I think you are right about the problem being with the compost. It is hard to get consistently good commercial compost these days. Even when you buy the same brand it is often completely different to what you have had before. I hope your toms recover, because I know how important these are to you! (and me...)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could go through a growing season without tomatoes, even if it meant buying some plants, they're the things I enjoy growing the most. It's true what you say about compost, I think I've found a good one and then when I open a new bag, it's completely different.
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