Growing Tomatoes in a Greenhouse Successfully
82Kinds Of Tomatoes
It`s not difficult growing tomatoes in a greenhouse (toshkel) which taste delicious and provide you with a supply of healthy nutritious vegetables throughout the summer and early fall months. But before you start on this exciting adventure, just take a little time to choose the kinds of tomatoes you would like to feast on when harvesting. Here are some:
- Cherry Tomatoes - small fruits packed with flavour
- Plum Tomatoes - shaped like plum :0)
- Beefstake Tomatoes - biiiiiiig toms sometimes lacking flavour
- Yellow Tomaoes - sweet and gives colour variety in cooking
- Grape Tomatoes - sweet and very small
- Pear Tomatoes - pear shaped
In the photo below you will be able to pick out examples of cherry, plum, pear and yellow tomatoes.
A Selction of Tomato Kinds
Starting Tomatoes From Seed
All that is needed is a 15cm(6") seed tray or 7cm(3")plant pot.
Fill either with seed/potting compost - preferably bought from your local garden center as it will be free from pests and diseases.
Starting tomatoes from seed is easy... yes it really is! Sow the seed thinly onto the compost in your seed tray or plant pot then cover with a thin layer of compost.
Water in using a watering can fitted with a fine rose - you don`t want to wash out the seeds as you water.
Keep the compost moist but not wet and in a temperature of about 65F. A warm window ledge (not direct sun) or propagator is ideal.
When the first true leaves appear prick them out into a 7cm(3") plant pot filled with potting compost - planting them deeper than they where in the seed tray... this encourages more roots to grow from the stem.
If starting tomatoes from seed isn`t what you want to do - I know, you don`t want to get your hands dirty, then you can purchase plants from your garden center which will already be 15-20cms(6-8") tall. This is an even easier way to start growing tomatoes... but you will miss out on the satisfaction of starting from scratch.
Soil Requirements
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse gives you lots of flexability. Planting tomatoes in the border soil will mean doing a little preparation during the autumn or fall months - Top Tip: making raised beds out of the border soil will give even better results.
Dig in peat or a small amount of compost or well rotted manure. Apply a general fertilizer just before transplanting your tomatoes into the soil.
Unfortunately border soil can become infested with soil and plant pests/diseases after 3 or 4 seasons and will need to be sterilized or changed.
Growing Greenhouse Tomatoes in Containers
Because of the difficulties with growing tomatoes in the border soil, other systems have become popular.
One way is to plant tomatoes into 23cm(9") pots filled with soiless compost - it`s good way of growing greenhouse tomatoes without the problems of pests and diseases building up.
But growing bags have now become the most popular growing system - used by the professional and amateur vegetable grower alike. They are both good and reliable but watering balance can be a little tricky.
I personally only ever use growing bags and to `master` the tricky watering problem I cut a long slit in the underside of the bag then turn it over onto the border soil.
The possibility of overwatering and getting the bag waterlogged because of minimum drainage holes has never been a problem - excess water drains easily into the border soil.
The growing bags are changed each year of course and in 25yrs of growing greenhouse tomatoes I haven`t had any serious problems.
Transplanting Greenhouse Tomatoes
Plant out your young tomato plants into growing bags, border soil 23cm(9") plant pots when the seedlings are about 15-20cms(6-8") tall and the flowers of the first truss are forming.
Water in thoroughly - spacing the plants 45cm(18") apart if they are planted into the border soil.
Feeding and Watering Your Growing Tomatoes
Water the growing tomatoes regularly to keep the soil moist - irregular watering can cause the fruit to split or to develop blossom end rot.
Feed with a soluble tomato fertilizer about once per week. Some commentators recommend feeding every time you water. In the summer with lots of growth that could be once a day... I have always had successful crops feeding once a week and certainly no more than twice a week - it`s cheaper too.
Tomatoes Starting To Swell
Staking Your Terrific Tomatoes
The tomato plant is a vine so the stem will not remain upright on its own.
Push a stake - I use a 2.5m (approx. 8ft) bamboo cane into the growing bag adjacent to the stem. At intervals loosely tie the stem to the stake as the plant grows.
Alternatively, wind the stem up a well anchored but slack length of twine.
Pruning Tomatoes
Thereis very little pruning to do to your tomato plants. Where the leaves grow out from the main stem a side shoot will grow - pinch this out from each leaf joint as they when they are about 5cm(2") long.
When the plants are about 1.2m(4ft) remove the leaves from below the first truss. Remove yellowing leaves as the season progresses. Don`t overdo this deleafing process.
Growing Tomatoes Now Ready To Eat
Harvesting Tomatoes
The time has now come to reap your rewards for growing greenhouse tomatoes. Pick them when they are ripe and fully coloured.
Holding the fruit in your palm, break it off at the 'knuckle' using your thumb. The knuckle is the swelling on the flower stalk just above the fruit.
And now stop for a moment and survey your growing tomatoes then pop one in your mouth - savour that fantastic flavour ... you`ll never get a store bought one to taste like that and you also know whats gone into them mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Even More Vegetables to Grow - Visit....
- Planting a vegetable garden
One family`s experience of planting a vegetable garden. Learn how to prepare, plant and harvest safe, nutritious vegetables. Taste the good life - be healthier and more content
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Comments
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your comment.
Just leave them alone as far as pollination is concerned - insects will do the biz.
Slamjunk
Hi Micheal,
This may be coming late but I pollinate may tomatoe plants with a vibrating toothbrush. Turn it on and touch it to the flowers you will see the pollen shoot out. Every flower I 've had has turn in to a tomatoe. Good luck
Hi Michael,
I have never had a greenhouse before, but I am thinking of buying a very old (30 yr old) delapidated metal glass house (6' x 4') quite cheap. As over half the glass panels are broken or missing, (and need replacing), I have the chance to change this to either all polythene or glass. I intend to grow vegetables hydroponically, and are not quite sure which would work best for this type of growing. Could you please advise me.
Hi Julie,
If you can then re-fit with glass. This will allow the maximum light through as light is very important.
Plastic replacements will not allow the same amount of light and will over a relatively short period of time be affected by ultra violet which is part of light`s spectrum, this causes it to break down and allow even less light through.
You will then have to replace it. You wont have to replace glass - unless you break it :0( - just hose and brush it once a year.
Laurence
Hi Jesse,
I live in the UK so not much experience concerning the `lone star` state. I presume your temperatures are given in fahrenheit.
It is quite cool for night temperatures but day temps should be fine. If there is strong sunlight you may need to shade the glass.
As with anything gardening there is ample space to experiment so just go ahead and give it a go. Try finding a variety that does better in cooler climates.
Good luck
Laurence
nice informative hub! thx
Smashing site and informative, just moved into a new house with garden and greenhouse, I've planted some tuscan and provence salad seeds and a range of tomatoes (artic, gardeners delight etc) and a few chillie seeds. Is it to late to expect any good results? The ready done plants for less than a dollar are tempting, is that the best thing to do when you are starting so late into the growing season?
Thanks
Christian
Hi Christian,
Thanks for your kind words.
No, it's not to late at all... and yes it might be a good idea to purchase some `ready to grow` plants to get started.
You can get more info at my site at http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com . Show our visitors what you are doing by going to the `Grow and Tell` section (see navigation link in left column on the website under `Grow and Tell` or click the link http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/starting-a-v ) and make sure you post a photo.
Laurence
I'm thinking of growing tomatoes in my greenhouse in the fall here in MD. I have a concrete floor - do you think the grow bags will be fine just laying on the concrete? Also, where do you buy the grow bags? Is there special grow bags just for tomatoes or are you just buying regular "potting mix"?
Thanks! Great info!
Hi Slumjunk, thanks for the insights, I'm a young aspiring farmer in Kenya, surrently constructing a greenhouse using polythene and wood, locally available materials, intending to do it commercially. Your insights will go a long way as I strive to revolutionize the practice around where I come from. God bless you.
I live in Hope BC. I have loads of tomatoes in my greenhouse, but they are not ripening, any ideas
Tomatoes need sun to ripen. I`m in the UK so I don't know what your climate is like. But days are getting shorter and colder so this will certainly affect them.
Try picking them and placing them indoors on a window ledge or place in a brown paper bag and place in a draw for several days. The gas they give off helps with the ripening process because it is being contained.
There are many things you can do with green tomatoes from making chutney to frying them.
Peter Re Grow Bags.
Growbags will do fine on concrete flooring but I would double up on them - one on top of the other. For mor details about this go to my site and read under `Planting Tomatoes In GrowBags`. http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/how-to-grow-
I purchase my growbags from my local nursery, plant center or Garden Center.
Ordinary potting compost will suffice but remember you will need to feed weekly with a Tomato fertilizer.
I'm building a greenhouse and would like to grow heirloom tomatoes. Would a three gal. container work? Some of the variety are large or should i use larger ones? Thanks
HiTim,
That will be plenty large enough, just make sure after planting you don't let the compost dry out and feed with a liquid tomato fertilizer once a week. After the first truss has set and the fruits begin to grow then increase feeding to twice a week.
More at http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com
To your success.
Laurence
My greenhouse tomatoes have a problen with the leaves turning yellow, and eventually dying. Please,,Why is this and what may I do about it.
please sirs
am in Uganda East Africa please i need to start green house tomato growing what do i need email kakoooza@gmail.com












Michael says:
17 months ago
My greenhouse is actually a glass house. I have a heater that is set to 20'C and he exhaust comes on at 25'C. I want to start growing veggies for the first time in the glass house instead of only growing my seeds to seedlings and then into the garden. Regarding the tomatoes, do you have to hand pollinate the tomatoes, or do you just leave them alone to self pollinate?
Regards