A Silly Tomato Question

[tigerlily]

Could someone please explain what a 'truss' is? Apart from a support for the nether regions!

Is it the bit that has the fruit on it?

Also, should I feed my other plants, being peas, beans, strawbs and Italian salad leaves? What do I feed those on for the best results, please?

[Tina Biscuit]

The truss (apart from the obvious) is the stem with flowers on the end, which should (hopefully.........slugs, snails, rain, plague and pestilence allowing) turn into tomatoes.

I guess it depends what sort of soil your other stuff is growing in whether it needs feeding or not. As a mostly container gardener my stuff all gets grown in compost so it doesn't need as much help as a veggie plot that's had things taking the nutrients out of the soil in previous years.

I've never bothered feeding salad leaves, I figure they don't stay in the ground long enough to warrant it. I grew strawberries for the first time last year and didn't bother feeding those either - runner beans and the like tend to get whatever I happen to be feeding the tomatoes with if there's some left in the watering can

[tigerlily]

Thanks, Bobcat!

I rather thought that that was what the truss was, but thought I'd best check.

Everything is looking pretty healthy so far, and the plants are in a mix of cheapo compost, organic compost with bits of straw or something in for water retention, and whatever Morrisons had on the shelf!

Nothing has died or been eaten yet, and the Italian salad leaves and the sunflowers are sprouting. I unearthed a bean last night and there was a inch and a half long sprout on it. It seemed to be growing downwards, though...not sure this is right? Is there a right and a wrong way up to plant broad beans? *worries*

[Tina Biscuit]

Don't worry about the beans, they sprout whichever way they happen to be pointing and then head for the light - they'll sort themselves out when we've had a bit more sunshine

[tigerlily]

Sunshine?

It's been persisting since lunchtime!

[smiffy]

Dont worry about the persisting! Saves the bucket/watering can run!

[tigerlily]

Well, the flower buds have started to appear! Do I feed them now, or wait till the flowers open?

[Fi]

Jun 18, 2008 16:15:43 GMT tigerlily said:

Well, the flower buds have started to appear! Do I feed them now, or wait till the flowers open?

Unless you put time release fertilizer granules in, or used a made up compost to plant them in, I'd start giving the tomatoes a weekly dose of weak tomato fertilizer - follow the instructions on the bottle. I would use time release fertilizer pellets for all of your other plants - they really do make short work of making sure the plants get all the nutrient they need. One application should last the whole of the growing season.