Growing some early tomatoes - 2019

[nickdub]

I've always thought that toms need sun to develop their flavour - which is why the forced ones, imported in winter, seem to be tasteless.

I think you are half right with that VC - imo fruit needs to be ripened on the plant to develop full flavour, so stuff picked unripe for sale very often lacks flavour, the half I'd disagree with is how much sun is required to get full flavour, often its more a matter of warmth than direct sunlight, depending on the fruit type in question.

[Jungle Jane]

The sun does improve flavour & thins the skins too,it can be warm in the house but when tomatoes come in on the plant for the winter,the lack of sun affects both those things even though it’s warm in the house.

[Penellype]

Harvested the first tomato from the January sown Shirleys today. I forgot to take a photo before I ate it, so here is the remains of the truss with more fruit ripening:



The Balconi red that I sowed in February also have some fruit turning red.

[chrissy67]

These are my Red Robin tomatoes sown on 15th January. Yesterday I picked my first ripe tomatoes! (The 50p coin is to give an indication of the size)

I have already grown more and planted them outside where they are thriving (so far).

[Babru]

Early tomato challenge - my journey

I sowed Windowbox Red and Tiny Tim on 18 January for the early tomato challenge. Naturally too many plants came up and I kept them all I grew them on under led growlights and they did really well, so I gave one of each to friends.

I made the mistake of putting mine out in the greenhouse in April where I think they just went dormant as it was regularly under 10 degrees, though I did keep them frost free and put fleece on overnight. Once overnight temperatures were over 10 they started growing happily again.

There were flowers in May, and here I made my second newbie mistake. By the beginning of June I mentioned to my friend that although I had lots of flowers on the various tomato plants I now have in the greenhouse, I had no tomatoes forming. She led me to her flourishing tomatoes and showed me the business with the paintbrush. Now, two weeks later, I have loads of teeny tomatoes forming. Hurrah

The knowledgeable friend had a beautiful red tomato on her Windowbox Red as of yesterday, so she's happy too

[veggiechicken]

Give your plants a little shake each time you pass and that will help pollination.
You'll be an expert next year, Babru. Roll on january.

[It never rains..it pours]

Have been eating Sakura here for about 2 weeks, other cherry varieties just getting some ripe. All sown on 21/02/2019. Taste average but 2 weeks is a lot of work to achieve from early sowing, lamps , etc and doesnt spread the glut if all sown same time. Any other early varieties members growing for me to note for next year early variety choice ?

[Babru]

Reading the recent posts, people have had success with Shirley, Red Robin, Sakura, micro tom (not sure if that is a variety or a description), plus one tomato on my friend's Windowbox Red. There may be more....?

Did they taste nice, was it worth it, any thoughts on whether you'd recommend the variety you grew to the rest of the vine for next January?

[veggiechicken]

I have a few ripe tomatoes on Rambling Red Stripe and Tumbling Tom. Haven't picked them yet as I want them to encourage the green ones to ripen!!

I grow these 2 every year.

[Thelma Sanders]

I have early toms on Garden Pearl and Yellow peardrops, as usual but they're slow ripening this year - too many cold nights in May and early June, I think.

[Babru]

My friend told me today that her one (so far) Windowbox Red was very tasty, so that's a winner

[bramble]

Tumbling Tom and Maskota laden down with toms but taking quite a while to ripen.

[Urban]

Maskotka is a very nice tasting early bush tomato. I've had them in first week of June before. There a bit behind so far this year for me though

[It never rains..it pours]

Reading the recent posts, people have had success with Shirley, Red Robin, Sakura, micro tom (not sure if that is a variety or a description), plus one tomato on my friend's Windowbox Red. There may be more....?

Did they taste nice, was it worth it, any thoughts on whether you'd recommend the variety you grew to the rest of the vine for next January?

The Sakura taste ok to me but differcult to say till all other cherrys varieties come ripe to compare. For me its key point is 2 weeks earlier than the others, so at present will grow some again next year

[The Pepper Man]

Tumbling Tom and Maskota laden down with toms but taking quite a while to ripen.

Your tumbling Tom's are laden with tomatoes already!?

Mine are still in the vegetative stage and just flowering. Personally I find tomatoes to be best in July/August, as opposed to June.

The one's I have harvested already are crap. Just being honest. I think they need the heat and sun of mid - late summer, to produce decent crops. Any early crops that mature during June seem to have poor taste and structure. Just my observations though...