Tomato Tumbling Tom Red Seeds, average packet contents :  12 seeds

Tomato Tumbling Tom Red gives amazing hanging basket performance with stems cascading around the entire container. It is an early, prolific producer of sweet, delicious cherry tomatoes, each measuring 2 - 3cm in diameter that are ideal for salads, or straight onto the barbecue.

Plant in containers as well as Hanging Baskets. For planting outdoors, but just as good in the greenhouse.

Growing Tomatoes in hanging baskets - growing tips for trailing tomato plants.

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A crop of tumbling tom red tomatoes takes around 13 - 14 weeks from seed to first harvest, this variety being one of the earliest to fruit. Although you can sow seed from as early as late December for growing in a heated greenhouse, it is more usual to sow this variety in a unheated greenhouse or on the kitchen windowsill in March - April for planting outside in containers in May.

Sowing

• Sow the tomato seed individually in cell trays, using a good quality seed compost. Lightly cover over and keep moist at a temperature of 18 degrees. Seedlings should start showing around 7 days if you have the right temperature.


• Pot into 9cm pots once the seedlings are big enough.


• When the plants have reached 2 trues leaves, begin feeding weekly with a weak tomato feed.

Growing On

• Once the plants are 10cm tall, they can be planted in the hanging basket or container. Use 1 plant for a 25cm basket or 3 in a 35cm basket. Because tomatoes like the warmth you will always get a earlier and bigger crop from greenhouse grown plants.


• Greenhouse grown plants can be planted April onwards. Plants for outside should be hardened off, before planting out. Plants placed out in early May will need to be protected against any frosts, otherwise leave a few weeks ad plant out then. Again this will all depend on weather and risk of frost!


• Carry on feeding weekly. Increase the strenght of the feed as the plant grows. We believe lack of feed is the main reason that people fail in growing a decent crop of tomatoes. The feed should include a balance of Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus (NPK) and ideally should include Trace Elements as well.


• Being a trailing variety Tomato tumbling tom red does not need any support as it grows.



• Pests & Diseases.

  The worst pest for many will be White Fly and Green Fly. Many sprays are sold but the pest is not easy to control. SB Plant Invigorator is one of the best and tends to reduce White Fly and aphids, whilst at the same time giving a light feed of nitrogen.

  The major disease under glass is Botrytis or Grey Mould. The spores are everywhere so there is no way to keep it out, but it needs a film of moisture and warmth to develop. Good ventilation and good hygiene can do a great deal to keep it at bay. A fungicide can be used if needed.

  Although largely a disease of outdoor tomatoes, Potato Blight can be a problem under glass in some years.

Harvesting

• Tomato fruits ripen in response to warmth, so during cold weather or late in the season they will ripen very slowly. At the end of the season green fruit may be ripened indoors; keep them warm. Direct sunlight contributes little to ripening and too much may well damage the fruit.


• Ethylene is involved in ripening and this is given off by ripening Bananas, and the tale that keeping unripe Tomatoes next to ripening Bananas will help, is true- up to a point.

Remember! Beware of frost - Tumbling Tom tomato plants are not hardy.