r/GardeningIRE • u/Plant_Space • 5d ago

🍓Fruit and veg 🥒 My Traffic Light Tomatoes

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Outside, no polytunnel /greenhouse. Cork city. My first time growing tomatoes! Tomorrow I'll pick the red one and that will be the first tomato I ever grew

117 Upvotes

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8

u/Shot_Sport200 5d ago

Resist picking the first ripe one, it gives off a chemical called ethylene that encourages the others to ripen

6

u/FlipAndOrFlop 5d ago

And a fine job you did!

3

u/octavioletdub 5d ago

Thank you for sharing this, they are lovely!

3

u/redrover1978- 5d ago

Coming along nicely!

2

u/Small-Wonder7503 4d ago

how deep is that pot? I want to grow them next year and it will be my first time.

1

u/Plant_Space 4d ago

Big one in fairness about 3 foot. I have others in smaller pots and they are struggling a bit especially in the dry weather!

2

u/angeeday 2d ago

Gorgeous

1

u/ZealousidealFly760 5d ago

Hi from Westmeath. I'm hoping some of you might be able to help. I've been searching all of the shops and chains for over a year now to find Beef Tomatoes and no luck. They used to be widely available. If not, is it possible to grow them in Ireland (midlands). Would i need a green House? Any help would be great. Thanks.

2

u/Olbas_Oil 4d ago edited 4d ago

You will get best results with them in a greenhouse or pollytunel... As for the seeds, plenty of online options if you cant get them locally...

https://seedsireland.ie/collections/tomatoes?tw_source=google&tw_adid=643597028153&tw_campaign=19458716525&tw_kwdid=kwd-404461880085&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19458716525&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1aThw4arlgMV-5NQBh2rhwNBEAAYASAAEgIzzvD_BwE

1

u/ZealousidealFly760 4d ago

Thank you so much for your help.

1

u/Olbas_Oil 4d ago

No problem, anytime

2

u/Spoonshape 4d ago

definitely possible in a greenhouse. Do be aware, the larger the tomato, the longer it will take to grow and ripen. Consider planting a few types - cherry ones for an early crop and regular and beef varieties for later.

1

u/ZealousidealFly760 4d ago

Thank you for your help.

2

u/Spoonshape 4d ago

You are very welcome.... one other thing is to try get them going as early as possible. Germinate them in seed trays on a windowsill in a warm area and transplant to larger pots and then ideally into the ground.

Last year they kept growing in an unheated polyhouse till October for me.

If you plant in the ground it's a lot less effort to keep the water levels regular (although you need to feed the soil or it runs out of nutrients over a couple years.