A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 My tomatoes are getting "leggy"

This always seems to happen around this time. It's my own fault. I'm always too hasty and end up starting them too early. They want outside! Poor things. I'm going to start hardening them off as soon as this rain stops. I'm not concerned about them. I'm just always sure to plant them good and deep and in no time they fill right out.
Please people...next year, don't let me start them so early...double dare me not to or something...don't let me do it.

Here's my 2nd batch of tomatoes. I have these ones in the kitchen. The light isn't as strong, it's warmer in there and the air circulation is poor compared to my plant room. They never do too well in my kitchen...but again, they'll be fine once I get them outside.

Very nice, Christina! Care to tell us all the varieties? Or have you posted that before?

A little on the leggy side but not too bad. Next year just invest in another broom handle.

...and maybe another shoplight too, lol.

My gosh you guys/gals have a lot of tomoate plants. I only started with 2 and one died already because of the heavy rain/hell and wind, but for some strange reason it does not look dead even after I put dirt on top of it and replanted some other plants (veggie).

All of those plants look very nice.

Do you mine me asking why do you'll plant so many?
Nicky

Nicky...some of us are totally obsessed with tomatoes! I started 19 varieties this year, and have had at least 6 varieties every year for the last 6 years, and never less than 2 any year I've grown them. A lot of it is to try different varieties for taste, or to see how well they do in a given climate, or a given year. In my case, it's all that, plus hoping to get plenty to sprout, and then survive to the fruiting stage and beyond. I tend to plant 6 seeds of each thing I'm growing, I generally have 4 to 6 seedlings, and always put at least 2 in the garden, in case one dies. This year, for instance, a neighbor's dog stepped on and dug up 3 or 4 plants that I had taken great care to get seeds for and grow out under lights indoors...if I hadn't had several of each, I would not get to see the results of all my hopes and efforts. I'll probably grow at the very least 40 plants this year, 60 if I can get enough spots prepared, and much of that is just so that I will have lots for my wife and myself. We have a very harsh and unpredictable environment here in central Oklahoma, and I've had near total failure, the year of the locust plague, in particular. In my case, though, also, I'm trying to becaome expert enough to begin selling plants, fruits and seeds someday as a profession...that's because I love tomatoes and tomato growing so much that I want to do what I most love as a profession. Try a few of the OP, (Open Pollenated aka Heirloom) tomatoes and see if you don't became a fanatic, as well! Even growing the hybrids from scratch is more rewarding than you could ever imagine!
Gee, I kind of got excited, didn't I?
growing tomatoes consumes a lot of my life, I'll do it till the day I die! I gave up most of the garden space I could have used for other crops this year so I could grow more tomatoes, and I consider it a successful growing season if I get even a few dozen "home growns" and nothing else from the garden!

Don't mind Dave...he loves to talk! (Just teasin' ya Dave)
I grow them to eat them!! I could live off tomatoes. I can them, freeze them..and still they don't last me long. If I had more room, I'd grow more!! Unlike John and Dave, I stick to the basic varieties. I'm growing Bush Beefsteak, Better Boys, T&T Monster Tomatoes (a beefsteak variety) and San Marzano Gigante (a huge plum variety). Looking very forward to the season! Like Dave said, it is extremely rewarding and he's also right about some of us being obsessed with tomatoes!!

Hi. I'm John and I'm a tomatoholic.

Let me give you an idea of just how obsessed I am! Here's a sequence of pics of the same area that started as completely wooded on my property that I am now almost done clearing and removing about a dozen or more large trees JUST FOR MORE TOMATO BEDS!!! Some rough measurements put it at around 4000 sq ft of more garden space.

Does that mean you're coming over to help me dig a larger garden?

You can see in my first pic (above), my green peppers. Below is a pic of my Jalapenos and my Thai Chilis. I have my marigolds (I plant those around my tomatoes) and my herbs in my window because I ran out of room.

Christina, I do love to talk!
And i agree with John, just wait until next year!
Although, that sounds like a pretty good list...

I am growing 6 varieties also... I can't tell you how many plants I have or have grown, I have 27 already planted and 2 flats full outdoors waiting to be planted, plus I grew 23 plants for other people who already have them, If I had to guess I would say I grew around 80+ tomato plants this year, But I have been known to grow and plant 150 tomato plants in my own garden and 175 pepper plants... I also can alot of my tomatoes and make tomato juice, plus salsa. I like growing different varieties for the same reason Dave said he was trying new varieties, Always looking for the just the perfect tomato to suit your taste growing conditions and also for your use. DH will eat a plant of sliced tomatoes for his supper, instead of a cooked meal in the summer, So we need to have enough to be able to eat tons of them fresh and also have plenty to can, plus all of our friends and family always expect to get a few from us.

My gosh! This is my first year doing my garden and I figured something was wrong with me wanting to plant extra plants so I tried to only do a couple of each. John, I love your yard in those first 2 pic's.

And peppereater, I think that is cool you want to start selling them and it's also a good idea. I really did not know there were so many different kinds until I asked my first tomatoe question on this forum. By that time I had already planted to and I had the no idea there was a difference in them. It's kind of funny I see all alot of people with big nice gardens and mines looks all skimpy. I never knew why now I know that plant a certain amount of different kinds of veggies. Hopefully next year mine will be bigger now that I have a lot of nice and friendly new friends on this site to ask for help.

Christina,
What are Thai Chilis used for? I saw them the other day and wanted to get some, but I was not sure about them. I love jalepenos only if they are hot. Your plants look very nice. My peppers are being eaten by something. So I decided to put plastic jugs around them they are looking alot better I will take pic's tomorrow. So I can show you.

Comfrey,
That is alot of tomatoes! What kind of salsa do you make hot or mild? If you don't mind me asking. That is one of my reasons for wanting to grow them the other is I want to learn how to make Italian sauce from scratch.

Thank you for explaining that to me.
Nicky

Nicky the others pretty much summed up the reasons I grow 40 or more each year. I will have out at least 16 different varieties this year. I make lots of salsa and can for stew and chili in the winter. Also love those BLT's in the summer. I hope to grow tomatoes also later. But as my friends say you will have to start charging first. I grow about everything for my salsa. And start most of it. I'm planning on building a small greenhouse for my plants in the spring before I can put them out. I have been gardening for almost 50 years. Not near as knowledgable as some on here but have learned what works for me. Best of luck with your garden. Jay

Thank you elkwc36,

I am planning on making salsa also and sauces.