sebyc
New Gardener
Posts: 2 
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Post by sebyc on Jan 20, 2013 17:03:48 GMT
Dear all,
I´m a newbie to this. I´ve decided I want to grow my own vegetables now and am just learning how to go about it. Last year I planted 6 lettuces, 5 of which were eaten, the other one failed! So that´s the extent of my knoweldge.
This year I want to continue with this on a slightly larger scale and have just started to research growing my own tomatoes.
I live in Pamplona in Northern Spain and yes the climate is different, but not as much as one might imagine. The seasons are the same, the winters are often colder, however we do get a lot of sunlight between April and September. I have a terrace which receives direct sunlight from the hours of 0800 until 1530, and it can get very hot between June and August. This is where I´d like to grow these tomatoes (and much more!)
Through the research I´ve done it seems the process must be started indoors, before repotting your tomatoes and taking them outside. The process in general seems very long and complicated. I want to ask you all if there may be a simpler way, starting outside from day one (with tomatoes from seed)? And just general advice about how to go about this, or links to a good website which has good advice for an amateur like me!
My sincerest thanks in advance
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Post by Rosefriend on Jan 20, 2013 17:26:33 GMT
Welcome to GWD Sebyc and lovely to have a budding tomato grower here...I love growing toms..
What kind of temperatures are you getting on the terrace during the day especially in summer....you will be watering possibly 3 times a day if it gets really hot or can you shade should it become unbearable??
RF
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Post by andy on Jan 20, 2013 18:50:19 GMT
Welcome Sebyc.
Tomatoes germinate fairly easily but they will need a bit of warmth to get them going...even a warm window sil is good. You could also buy young plants from garden centres...people in the UK almost throw them away they have so many.
Do a bit of research into different varieties. I found some of the small cherry tomatoes which produce loads of fruit but don't get above 12" tall were super for patios. Some of the different varieties such as black russian or ilde taste absolutely devine.
As Rosefriend says above, getting enough water on them in hot conditions will be your biggest problem. I sometimes water twice a day in the shaded greenhouse in summer. You will need to feed twice a week too.
Tomato growing is very easy if you can provide them with a few requirements and the fruits you get are 10 times better than anything you can buy.
Good luck and keep asking the questions
Andy
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