tough skin on toms

[filthyrich]

for many years now my toms all end up with tough skins ,all varieties ,indoor outdoor,in pots in the ground,my watering is regular and i believe sufficient, but nothing seems to make any difference,i grow my own plants from seed .any suggestions !!!!!!.cos i love the flavour of home grown.

[Alison]

What types are you growning Filthyrich? Some types do have naturally thicker skins so that could be the problem although you do say you've tried a few varieties. I grow a range every year and don't seem to suffer with this problem except for some beef ones I tried a few years ago - the cherry ones in particular tend to have very thin skins.

[filthyrich]

hi Alison ,i have tried most common types ,shirley,gardeners delight,cumulus,alicante etc one i grew years ago was called "eurocross b" and was a great tom but alas has now disapeared.

[Alison]

Have grown Shirley, Gardeners Delight and Alicante in recent years and not had any problems with the skins being tough. Some varieties do have thicker skins such as quite a few of the plum types which make them easy to peel and use for sauces / ketchups. I'm never very good at recording the details of each of my crops, just what I liked or did well but do find the cherry sized toms have particularly thin skins which you hardly notice when eating raw. I usually grow Tumbler in hanging baskets which tend to fruit earlier than the cordon or bush varities I also grow.

Can't really help much with your problem as my first guess would be irregular watering, especially if you were also suffering from splitting of the skin. The only other thing I can think of is trying to ensure a consistant temperature, not easy outside but better in a greenhouse. I seem to remember reading something about cold drafts having an effect on the fruits but somebody else should be able to give you much better advice than me - I'm a bit too much of a trial and error type gardener.

[filthyrich]

thanks for the input alison ,will keep an eye on the points you mention and hope all goes well this year ,i will be trying toms cues and other things in the new polytunnel so as things will be in the ground im hoping for better results.