Tomatoes can be grown in many different types of greenhouses, as a visit to any large allotment area near any big city will prove. I have known, for instance, that tomatoes grow successfully in only 6 inches of soil placed for the purpose of the permanent staging of the greenhouse. I have seen them carry heavy crops when growing in pots or boxes placed on the floor or staging of a glass house. There is a lot to be said for root restriction.
Generally speaking, the ideal house for the tomato is what is known as the “aeroplane” type, where the glass goes down almost to the ground, and where there are ventilators above the door or doors, and on either side of the ends of the houses to ensure perfect end-on ventilation. The ideal height would probably be 4 feet to the gutter and 12 feet to the ridge, though the aeroplane type of house is usually 6 feet to the gutter and 12 feet to the ridge. The plants are grown directly in the border and are trained up fillis or string, provided for the purpose.
Tomatoes are usually grown with the idea of covering a whole season—spring and summer. For instance, many • gardeners aim to sow the seed in January, to plant out in March, and so to start picking at the end of April or early in May, and, with care, to keep the plants cropping heavily until the end of September. On the other hand, there are some who like to carry on with their chrysanthemums as late as possible in the greenhouse, or who like to start using their house in the first few months of the year for cucumbers or French beans. In this case, the tomatoes may not be planted, say, until mid- July and the cropping then proceeds until December. Under these late conditions, it is only possible to get about four trusses per plant.
I have found it possible to grow two rows of tomatoes on either side of the main pathway (in pots, of course) in a house of cucumbers. The tomatoes were set out in their pots in February and stopped at two or three trusses. By the time the crop had been picked and the pots whipped out, the cucumbers needed the extra room.
Raising the Plants
Every care must be taken at the “beginning of the story”. The best seed must be obtained, the compost must be perfect, and the boxes must be steamed or dipped in boiling water some time beforehand so that they cannot possibly convey disease or pests. The temperature of the greenhouse should be just right, i.e., about 6o degrees F., while the water used for watering should be absolutely clean and will be around about the same temperature as the house.
The compost used should be the John Innes Seed Compost or the “No-Soil” Compost. Stand the soil mixture or compost on the staging of the greenhouse for a few days so that it can warm up before it is used to fill the seed trays.
Use seed trays at least 2i inches deep; see that they have the necessary drainage holes or slits at the base, cover these with crocks and a little “rough stuff” and fill the trays in such a manner as to get the same firnness of soil throughout. This ensures that the moisture-holding capacity of the soil is even right through. Always commence firming around the edges and corners, and then level the soil in the centre, and firm. When level, and equally firm right through, there should be a space of 1 inch from the top of the box. Another inch of compost should then be sieved over the top, using a fine meshed sieve, so as to make certain that the top 1 inch in which the seed will go is of the right tilth. This will be lightly firmed in its turn. It is quite simple to make a sieve at home, by fixing a piece of perforated zinc onto a bottomless seed tray.
Space the tomato seeds out individually, making six rows of nine seeds in a row. It is a good idea to have a template of aluminum cut to fit exactly inside the box and bored with holes at exactly the right distance apart. It is then an easy matter to push one seed into each hole. Sieve a further 1 inch fine compost over the top, and light firm with a firming board. Water through the fine rose of a can, cover the boxes with a sheet of glass and a piece of brown paper or newspaper and stand on the staging of the house at a temperature of 6o degrees F. Turn the glass each morning so that the moisture that has accumulated on the underside gets an opportunity of drying out.
Remove the glass as soon as the seedlings appear, but leave the paper on for a day or two. Then expose the seedlings to full light. Germination should take place within one week, and seeds that do not grow in that time, generally produce useless plants Keep the atmosphere of the house on the damp side, so syringe the pathways and walls once or twice a day.
If a dull, somewhat coolish period prevails at this time of the year, it may be necessary to keep the seedlings on the dry side. The whole point is that the baby plants should not be over- or under-watered. It is no use, therefore, watering if the soil is sufficiently moist and the plants do not need it It is largely a question of evaporation. When the house is dry and the weather warm, the leaves of the plants give off a lot of moisture and then the roots need more to take in.
Partial Soil Sterilisation
Gardeners always talk about soil sterilization, whereas, of course, one should really refer to partial sterilization. The object of such sterilization is to kill all diseases and pests and render the weed seeds inactive. The soil should be raised to between 18 and 210 degrees F. and kept at that temperature for about fifteen minutes, then allowed to cool.
- Electricity
A gardener can sterilize soil by electricity, and those who light or heat their houses electrically can apply to the Regional Offices of The Electricity Board, which will give them full details as to the cost of a soil sterilizing outfit.
- The Bucket Method
A very simple way of sterilizing a small quantity of soil is to fill a bucket with the earth to be treated and hang it from a crossbar, and put it over a copper of boiling water. A lift of some sort should be fitted to the bucket and a potato the size of an egg should be buried in the soil 1 inch down. The bucket should be suspended so that the water reaches to within 1 inch of the top and heat should be applied to the water so that it constantly boils, until the potato is cooked. This is somewhat of a rule-ofthumb method, but it does work. Those whose wives still boil their clothes in a copper will find it a useful method of using up the soap-sud water towards the end of a “washing morning”.
- Another Bucket Method
Another method of using a gas, or other copper, is to pour two gallons of water into the bottom and then to put a perforated wooden or steel framework, 2 inches above the water level, which will allow the steam to penetrate On to this framework should be stood a bucket filled with the soil it is desired to sterilize. The bucket should be perforated all over with holes 1/8 inch in diameter and 3 inches apart. The heat should be applied to the water and it should be possible to cause it to boil in ten minutes or so and thus to cause the soil in the bucket to read a temperature of 210 degrees F. in half an hour. Ten minutes after this, the soil should be sterilized and may be tipped out and used. A further charge may then be put in, and the operation may be repeated. The lid of the copper should always be kept in position to prevent the steam from escaping.
Potting Up
The seedlings may be allowed to grow in the boxes or seed trays until two true leaves have developed, for by then, they will have started a really good root system. Therefore, they should be potted up as early as possible into 3 inch pots or soil blocks, the compost on this occasion being that known as the John Innes Potting Compost, or if in pots, the “No-Soil” Potting Compost.
Put this compost into the house for a day or two to warm up so that it is at the same temperature as the soil in the seed trays, where the little tomatoes are growing. See that the pots are clean. If they are old, wash them and scrub them well in plenty of hot water and then set them in the sunshine to dry. Crock the holes at the bottom and put a little rough material like old leaves, bits of turf, over the crock. Hold the seedling in position in the centre of the pot with one hand, and fill the pot up with the compost with the other. Remember that you must only handle the leaves and never grip the stem: When the pot is full of compost, you can use both hands to firm the soil into the pot without actually touching the seedling. Apply pressure to the soil just inside the rim of the pot, tapping slightly on the bench. Then add a little more compost if necessary, tap and firm again until the soil is level to within 1/4 inch of the top of the pot. This leaves just the right amount of room for watering.
When you have finished the job, the plant should be right in the middle of the pot. The seed leaves should be resting 00 the soil which should be absolutely level. The compost in the pots should be moderately firm and it should not be possible to see any finger or thumb depressions on the surface of the soil. If you are a novice at this job, it is always worth while taking time. Practice makes perfect. When you become really good at this work, you will be able to pot up over 100 in 1/2 an hour!
Stand the pots on the greenhouse staging, touching one another, and then give them a good watering through the fine rose of a can. It has always been thought necessary to have the water at the same temperature as the house, but experiments are proceeding that seem to show that colder water does no harm. Keep the temperature of the house, if possible, at 65 degrees F. at night time and allow the house to rise to 70 degrees F. during the day. This always helps to overcome the disturbance the plants receive during potting. At the same time, carry out efficient syringing of the walls and paths, so as to charge the house with moisture. In a week’s time, the temperature may be reduced and so may the syringings.
The plants should start to grow quite quickly and when it is seen that growth is starting, ventilation should be given during the middle of the day, starting with hour then 1 hour and then, as the plants continue to grow, ventilation may be given from, say, 10 a.m. until 3.30 p.m. The great thing is to keep the plants short jointed and not to allow them to become long and leggy. To ensure this, space the plants out with 3 inches between them, after they have been in the house a fortnight or three weeks. Try to keep the pots on the staging of the house so that they are near the light all the time. If you have to stand the pots on the floor of the house, sift plenty of sand or fine ashes over the soil first to discourage the plants rooting through the drainage hole into the soil below.
The new plastic pots are first-class at this stage. Some growers prefer to plant the baby tomatoes in trays 3 inches apart, and they grow them on in these receptacles until they are about 8 inches high. It is possible then to use a long-bladed knife and to cut through the compost and matted roots so as to leave a nice square of soil to each plant. If this is done a week before planting, the plants will appreciate it tremendously.
As I have said on another page, it pays to keep a sharp lookout during this stage for the rogues as they are called. Some plants grow more like ferns, or are “feather headed” ; some are dwarfed and the leaves seem to form a little rosette. Some seem to grow more like little fir trees. All these abnormal-looking plants should be removed immediately they are seen. Gardeners often call these rogues “Jacks” or “Christmas Trees”.
Preparing the Border
It usually takes two months from sowing for the plants to be ready to put out. Directly, therefore, the previous crop in a tomato house has been harvested, the ground should be prepared by bastard trenching, as it is sometimes called.
During the digging, properly composted vegetable waste will be incorporated at one 2-gallon bucketful to the square yard. In addition, if tomatoes have been grown in the same ground for a great many years and sufficient compost has not been given each season, it is advisable to see that the physical condition of the soil is perfect by digging in straw put in vertically (Please note that). The straws act as air tubes and aerate the lower soil, the bacteria are kept working, and watering is assisted.
Naturally, this putting in of layers of straw upright in the trench, takes longer than ordinary digging, but the results are so much better that it is worth it. Don’t use straw that has been baled, because during the baling the air tubes are squashed. The straw is always used in addition to compost manure and not instead of it, and only in cases where the soil in tomato houses has been used for a great number of years for tomato growing.
While doing this digging, it is necessary to flood the trenches to get the subsoil thoroughly wet. I have heard it said that if it is not made too wet beforehand, then it never will be wet. The time at which flooding should take place, naturally, depends on the surface soil and the subsoil. Generally speaking, a heavy clay soil doesn’t require much water, whereas a light sandy soil needs a lot.
The aim should be to give about 25 gallons to 50o square yards. The flooding should always be done after the straw has been laid in position, because it does require wetting.
It is usually only necessary to add lime to heavy soils in order to improve their physical condition. Experiments, however, do seem to show that in normal cases under glass, lime is not necessary because tomatoes prefer a slightly acid soil. Sedge peat is very useful and is used to improve the physical condition, and when used, is generally applied at the rate of 5 bales to 300 square yards. In very sandy soils, sedge peat is damped first and this helps to hold the moisture. It is normally only used on heavy clays, however, for the purpose of improving its workability.
As to fertilisers, these should always be as far as possible, organic in character. A fish fertiliser is usually used at the rate of 1/4 lb. per square yard—one with a 10 percent potash content.
After Planting
See that the plants are watered two or three days after planting and again seven days later. Do this with a fine rose attached to a watering can. After this, it shouldn’t be necessary to water the plants for some considerable time—probably not till the flowers of the second truss are opening, i.e. about six weeks. If you water too much, there is a tendency for the plants to make too much foliage and not to fruit as they should. Keep the temperature of the house at about 6o degrees F. at night time, and on bright mornings, water the pathways through the fine rose of a can and damp the hot-water pipes at the same time.
Supporting the Plants
It will be necessary to support the plants in some way. The old-fashioned method was to give each plant a good bamboo, but unfortunately (a) bamboos are expensive and (b) they provide hibernating quarters for red spiders, thus becoming a source of infection the next year. The cheapest method, however, and the one most commonly used, is to run a length of wire, say, 14 gauge, at soil level, anchoring it tightly at both ends, and keeping it at soil level by using similar wire, bent to form hairpins, 2 feet long, and pushing these into the ground every 10 feet. Another wire of similar gauge is then fixed overhead at the top of the house, and 4-ply tomato string or fillis is then tied between the two wires. These “anchor” and overhead wires should, of course, be fixed to coincide with the rows of plants and the strings will be tied in such a way that there is one to each plant.
Some gardeners try to save by not having the wire at soil level and then they tie finis from the top wire to the base of each plant. The result is that the plants are often damaged during the season, for while working they may be pulled up.
At the end of the season it is advisable to burn the string to prevent an infection of Botrytis being “carried over”. It is always convenient to tie the strings to the wires with slip knots that can easily be untied at the end of the season. The plants are not actually tied up to the string, but as they grow the string is twisted around them in a spiral fashion. It is quite an easy job to do.
Training and Management
The training consists largely of removing the side shoots which will be found growing in the axils of the leaves. If side shooting is done in the early morning, the shoots snap out easily when given a sharp sideways pull. The great object is to leave no stump at their base which may become diseased. Many gardeners prefer to dis-shoot by using a knife blade and this is a very good method. If a knife blade is used, great care must be taken to see that it is never placed in a pocket where there is tobacco dust, or virus diseases will be spread. Some have found it necessary to sterilise the knife blade in a Formalin solution after treating any plants which look at all “under the weather”.
Hand twisting on the other hand, is always better done in the afternoon when the stems are more flaccid. If by any chance, the tip or growing point of a plant becomes injured, a good gardener will allow a side shoot to develop which can be trained up in its place.
Some gardeners like to leave four or five side shoots on a plant when it is first put into the ground, and they say this helps it to develop more quickly. They then remove the side growths when they are 6 to 7 inches long. If you find that the root system seems to be weakening owing to over-cropping, you can overcome this by leaving some of the side shoots to grow 7 inches long or so, thus encouraging further root development.
Don’t defoliate at all while the plants are green and healthy. Cut off the bottom leaves after they have turned yellow, which is usually when about five trusses have set. The scheme generally advocated, is to cut off all the leaves between the soil level and the bottom truss, when this is starting to ripen. A fortnight later, remove all the leaves up to the next truss and the simplest way of doing this is to hold the leaf stalk 2 inches from the main stem and then give a sharp pull upwards. The leaf comes away naturally, leaving no awkward wound. When this cannot be done, the sharp blade of a knife is necessary to cut the base of the leaf stem off close to the main stem.
Stopping or Timing
The pinching out, or cutting out of the growing point of a tomato plant is generally called stopping or timing. This is often done at the fourth or fifth truss. Experiments have shown, however, that there is no advantage in this method unless, of course, the plants have got to the top of a low house and there is no room for them to go further. Do not stop, therefore, until there is no further head-room for the plant, and even if it has reached its limit, see if you cannot train it along an overhead wire and so form an archway of growth, say over the path.
Pollen and Fertilisation
Syringing the plants undoubtedly helps to distribute pollen and so ensures perfect fertilisation. This work should be done early in the day so as to ensure that the plants are nice and dry before the house is closed down at night time. Some gardeners like to shut the house for two hours after syringing, because they say that if the temperature is increased, the setting of the fruit is assisted. A difficulty often occurs when the plants have got to the top of the house, because the flowers there, being more exposed to the sun, get dried up.
This is another reason why it is a good plan to allow side shoots to develop at the tip of the plant, for the leaves thus formed give greater shade to the flowers and so assist in the process of fertilisation. Furthermore, this extra foliage helps to keep the fruits from becoming too hard. Some gardeners jar the wires of a house, with the object of causing the pollen to fly out and thus they help with the operation of pollination.
Water and Mulches
It is very difficult indeed to give advice about watering. If too little is given, the plants may suffer, and if too much, then root action may stop. The great thing is to prepare the soil thoroughly with adequate water in the winter when the border is being prepared. Naturally, if soils are very well drained, it is seldom that over-watering is ever experienced. It is only on badly drained land that it may occur. Another trouble that is seldom realised is that the moment you water, the soil temperature falls, and this, of course, is a particularly difficult problem during the months of April and May, when it is difficult to keep the “heat” up.
When watering, apply the water on the surface of the ground so as not to splash, because if moisture does splash on the fruits then diseases may occur. Once the middle of June is over, it is usually necessary to water once a week, or on very dry soils, twice a week. If because a crust seems to form on the surface of the ground the water can’t get through, break it up first with a fork by plunging this into the ground every 3 feet or so and moving it backwards and forwards.
Mulching, i.e. top dressings of sedge peat, hop manure, plain straw, etc. may be done to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Some gardeners prefer to use wheat straw all over the surface of the soil to a depth of 8 or 9 inches, and this has given very good results. Remember, if some kind of dung is used it should be spread out in the open first of all to cool it and prevent fermentation. You must not put fresh dung into a house, for it will give off ammonia and damage the plants. Mulches not only help to keep the moisture down below, but they stop the soil splashing on the fruits when watering.
Ventilation
A good gardener is one who knows how to ventilate his house properly. In the early part of the year, the wind should never be allowed to blow on to the plants and so the ventilators should only be opened on the lee side. If the plants seem to flag a bit, then it is always possible to syringe them over, rather than to try to put on too much air. Of course, when it comes to the middle of June, it should be possible to give plenty of ventilation in the day-time if the weather is hot. Indeed, it is often advisable in mid-summer to leave some of the ventilation open at night time as well.
In addition during the hot weather, the doors at the end of the house should be left open if there isn’t a strong wind. Too much wind tends to dry out the border and causes the leaves to transpire over much. It is always possible to open the doors at the north end of the house and not at both ends.
Do not be tempted to cut off all the heat from June onwards, and then try to keep up the temperature by closing the ventilators early. The result of this particular system, is that invariably a bad attack of Cladosporium fulvum, the tomato mould, is experienced. Keep a little warmth on and you ensure a buoyant atmosphere plus a movement of air. Remember that your ventilators are there to help you prevent a rapid rise of temperature, and not to cool the air that is already in the house (Please read this sentence carefully). It is the sudden cooling of the air which causes moisture to condense, not only on the glass but on the plants and thus encourages the dreaded fungus disease.
The general aim should be to keep the night temperature of a tomato house at about 6o degrees F. and, of course, to allow the temperature to rise much higher than this during the day.
Summer Manuring
The first feeding is normally given after the second truss has set and should consist of a fish manure with a high potash content, waiting another three weeks before applying a further similar dressing
Where the houses are quite small, fine wood ashes may be used in addition, at lb. to the square yard. Many gardeners are finding that one of the modern proprietary liquid manures, like Bio-Humus, provides the desired results. These liquid feeds will be given when the watering is due, once a fortnight. The small gardener will, of course, put the right quantity of tomato Liquinure into his can from the bottle and water it on. The general plan under the liquid manure method will be to feed once a fortnight from the time the second truss has set onwards.
N.B.—Do not try to feed a plant that has not got adequate roots to absorb it. When the roots sustems are bad, the only way to help matters is to give a good mulching of sedge peat to a depth of, say, 3 inches all over the soil and thus encourage the plants to root higher up. When the new roots have formed, feeding may recommence.
Growing in Pots or Boxes
Sometimes for one reason or another, it is not convenient to grow tomatoes in the border of the house, and then they have to be grown in pots or boxes on the staging. The preliminary work, raising the plants and so on, is the same and all that has to be done is to set the plants out into the large pots, 8 or to inches or whatever they may be, or into the boxes like orange boxes, provided for the purpose. When transferring the plants, the ball of soil in the smaller pot should be kept intact and a hole of sufficient size dug out of the soil in the larger pot with a trowel.
When first planted, the to inch pots or large boxes should be filled with compost (John Innes Compost No. 2 or “No-Soir Potting Compost) to within 4 inches of the top, to allow top dressings to be added later. The plants should be pressed in firmly. Water should be given sparingly in the early stages, as it is not desired to encourage soft and rapid growth. Once, however, the first truss has set, regular waterings will be given, usually twice a week.
Dis-shoot the plants as advised for those growing in the border, and feed from the time the second truss has set, each week, using the Liquinure. Stop the plants when they get to the top of the space allotted and train them by means of wires and string as already suggested. When several clusters of fruit have set, a top dressing will be necessary. This should consist of 2 inches of John Iimes Potting Compost No. 2 or the “No- Soil” Potting Compost, and six weeks afterwards give another top dressing 1 inch deep. After each operation a good watering is necessary. As the weather gets warmer the plants will need watering more often, until by mid-June it will be necessary to water every day.
A Late Crop
Some people specialise in growing a crop of late tomatoes in pots or boxes, and to do this they sow seeds in boxes at the end of May to obtain the right size plants to pot-up during the first week of July. They usually grow the plants on during the summer out of doors, taking care to prevent them being attacked by the potato blight, by spraying the plants once a fortnight, from the third week of July onwards, with a good organic wash. They give a liquid manure feed from mid-August onwards and then lift the pots into the house about the third week of September and so ensure having tomatoes to pick until mid-December. The tip is to keep the house almost at the same temperature as that outside for the first two weeks after housing the plants and then to grow them on, so that the highest temperature is not more than about 50 degrees F.
Picking
It should be possible to pick, eighteen weeks after seed sowing, though with the very early sowings, it may be twenty-two weeks. For home consumption, it is always better to gather the fruit when the skin is red all over, and many people suggest that tomatoes have their highest flavour if picked in the early evening. Always pick so that the calyx remains attached to the fruits, so take hold of the tomato, lift it upwards slightly, and it should detach quite easily from its little footstalk. Some people like to keep the tomatoes in a cool pantry for at least 24 hours before using them, as they say they improve under this method.
When the Crop is Over
When the whole crop has been picked the tomato plants, or haulm as it is called, can be taken out and put onto the compost heap. It is curious, but true, that the tomatoes grown on tomato haulm compost, invariably crop very heavily indeed. The strings will be burnt and the house will be ready to be wash down.
The Compost or Soil Mixture
Give the plants the right start by preparing what may be called a scientific compost devised by the John Innes Horticultural Institution. This compost can be made up with any really good soil, plus good sedge peat, and coarse sand. The particles of the peat should grade evenly from * inch to I inch in size. The peat moss litter used by poultry keepers and for bedding horses is unsuitable for the purpose on hand. The sand should be clean and sharp and free from silt, powdered shells and organic matter. To get the best results the material should be sterilised separately, but this especially applies to the soil. Good horticultural peat and sharp sand seldom need sterilising.
The formula for the seed compost consists of :
2 parts by bulk good soil (sterilised)
1 part by bulk sedge peat
1 part by bulk coarse sand
Add to this compost 1 1/2 ounces of superphosphate and 3/4 ounce of ground chalk per bushel, or two pounds of superphosphate and 1 pound of ground chalk per cubic yard.
If the tomatoes are to be potted up into 3-inch pots later, the soil mixture used should be as follows:
7 parts by bulk good soil (sterilised)
3 parts by bulk sedge peat
2 parts by bulk coarse sand
If the loam is sandy and light, a slight modification is possible and the formula should then be:
8 parts by bulk sandy soil
2 1/2 parts by bulk sedge peat
1 1/2 parts by bulk coarse sand
To this potting compost should be added 1/4 lb. John Innes base and 3/4 ounce of ground chalk per bushel, or 5 lb. John Innes base and 1 lb. ground chalk per cubic yard.
The formula for John Innes base is :
2 parts hoof and horn, it inch grist (13 per cent nitrogen)
2 parts superphosphate of lime (16 per cent phosphoric acid)
1 part sulphate of potash (48 per cent pure potash)
All by weight
If the best results are to be achieved, the quantities of the fertilisers given should be exact. Don’t just guess. Try and measure carefully. If the soil used tends to be wet, spread it out to dry and get it down really fine, if possible passing it through a 3/8-inch sieve. Break the peat up by rubbing it through a sieve of the same size. Sprinkle it with water afterwards through the fine rose of a can. Spread the soil out on the bench or floor 2 to 3 inches deep, and then spread the peat out on top, and the sand on top of that. You will have no difficulty in mixing the three evenly together by turning them over and over again with a clean spade.
If you propose to mix the two composts at the same time so that the potting compost is ready for later use, then it is quite a good plan to mix red brick rubble dust in with the potting compost to add colour, and this will prevent confusion.
What is a Bushel of Soil?
A bushel equals 2,200 cubic inches. A box 22 inches long, 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep, holds exactly 1 bushel of soil.
How Much to Make Up?
Readers may want to know how much compost to make up and the following figures should help:
1 bushel of compost is sufficient for 100 plants in 3-inch pots or 45 plants in 4 1/2inch pots or 9 seed trays, 14 inches by 8 1/2 inches by 2 inches or 6 seed trays, 14 inches by 8 1/2 inches by 3 inches
If you are potting-on from smaller pots:
1 bushel of compost is sufficient for potting-on:
50 plants from 3-inch pots to 4-inch pots
25 plants from 3-inch pots to 6-inch pots
Those who are anxious not to use any artificial fertilisers at all, may use steamed bone flour instead of the Superphosphate and wood ashes instead of the Sulphate of Potash—using twice the quantities in each case.
The No-Soil Composts
The Compost contains NO LOAM OR SOIL. A specially selected and processed Peat has been produced, to do the work of both loam and peat in this Compost, more efficiently than the loam and peat together, in a traditional Compost. The processed peat is mixed with plant nutrients and a special type of sand. The John Innes Compost is likely to give inferior results, if the loam used in it is not a really good one.
Outstanding Advantages
No-Soil Composts have many outstanding advantages over John Innes and similar Composts. They are easier to use and store and they provide a standard growing medium, which has the same constant quality wherever it is bought. The problem of unsatisfactory Compost due to a sub-standard loam is eliminated. Eclipse “No-Soil” Composts have better aeration, moisture holding, and plant food retention and release properties. A better root action is obtained and the same size pot will carry a slightly larger plant. No sterilisation is necessary.
Instructions for Use
The Seedling Compost is ideal for raising seeds. Water should be added at the rate of 10 pints per bushel, or 1 1/4 pints per gallon of the Seedling Compost, and mixed very thoroughly. Fill the seed tray evenly and tamp down to get a level surface. Sow the seed and cover with Seedling Compost of the same thickness as the size of the seed. Very small seeds should be pressed into the compost, no further covering being necessary. If the seed tray is covered with glass or plastic, remember to turn the covering daily and wipe off condensation. Do NOT allow the plastic covering to touch the surface of the compost or the germinating seedling. Keep the compost moist but not waterlogged; watering, when necessary, should be done with a fine mist spray in the early stages and subsequently, a fine rose. If the seed tray dries out by mistake, place the tray in 2 inches of water and allow to soak until thoroughly moist.
Making Up Potting Compost
No. 1. Add 11 ounces Potting Base per bushel of Seedling Compost
No. 2. Add 22 ounces Potting Base per bushel of Seedling Compost
No. 3. Add 33 ounces Potting Base per bushel of Seedling Compost
Note—For small quantities remember 1 bushel equals 8 gallons, To convert 1 pint Seedling Compost to Potting Compost No. 1, add 3 level teaspoonsful of Potting Base and then half a teacup of water.
Mix the base and compost together very thoroughly, and then add 10 pints of water per bushel and mix thoroughly again.
Watering
Keep Eclipse Compost more moist than John Innes Compost, this gives the best results and reduces the total amount of watering necessary. If the Composts are allowed to dry out by mistake, allow the pots to stand in a deep saucer or bowl of water until thoroughly moist.
SEED SOWING AND TOMATOES
SOME gardeners like to save their own tomato seed year after year and many have done this with peat success. Very often better and quicker germination is obtained from home-saved seed, especially when the saving is done from healthy, sturdy plants. The great thing is to start thinking about saving seeds early in the season and to mark down a plant or plants which have all the right characteristics. The fruits should be of the desired shape. The leaves should be of the right space apart. The plants should be strong and sturdy. There should be no signs of disease or of virus trouble. These perfect plants should be watched. If one or more of them show signs of deterioration, the coloured stakes should be removed.
It is asserted that the best seed comes from the four fruits nearest the main stem of the plant, on the third or fourth truss. These fruits should be allowed to remain on the plants until they become soft through over-ripeness. They should then be picked and placed in a shallow box to complete the ripening process. Do not remove the seeds until the fruits are thoroughly ripe.
When completely ripe, open the fruits and put the pulp and the seeds in clean water in a vessel which can be kept at a temperature of about 65 degrees F. Fermentation takes place within 48 hours, and all that has to be done is to remove the scum floating from the top of the vessel and to drain off the liquid. The seeds are then tipped out, washed, and placed on sheets of blotting-paper or newspaper to dry.
Put the sheets containing the seeds in a warm room and within 48 hours the seeds may be loosened from the paper and mixed with a little silver sand. Rub the seed and the sand together through the hands, and so give the coats of the seeds . a clean finish. Separate any seeds that may have stuck together. Sieve through a household sieve to get rid of the sand, and packet the seeds and put away properly labelled.
Another method is known as the soda method; 1/4 lb. of soda is dissolved in 1 quart of water and an equal amount of pulp is added, the whole being heated to a temperature of 68 degrees F. In about 4 to 8 hours, the seeds will be ready to clean and dry out. If you soak the pulp and heat to a temperature of 140 degrees F. the whole process only takes about ro minutes and the seed can be dried off as in the method already described.
Those who propose to save their own seeds should know that from 3 lb. of good fruit, it is possible to obtain 1/4 ounce of excellent tomato seed; 1/4 ounce of good seed should produce 1,500 plants. Thus it will be seen that there should be very little difficulty for any keen grower to save his own seed, and in fact, it is possible to improve the strain year after year.