Wild tomatoes and blight

[veggiechicken]

I keep reading that Wild tomatoes have some resistance to early blight.

Matt's Wild Tomato is most commonly mentioned. Scarlet, I think, has grown Chiapis Wild Toms, and I have a few seeds of these. Also some from HSL - just called Wild Tomato Lycopersican Pimpinelifolium.

Wild (Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium)
New for 2011. This currant variety has changed little from the tomatoes first found growing wild, from which all tomato varieties originate. Prolifically produces long trusses of tiny (3-4g) fruit with a rich flavour described as sweet, but sharp. It will need staking because of its sprawling habit. Thought to be resistant to blight.


My question is - who has grown Wild tomatoes outdoors and were they blight tolerant, please?

[Scarlet]

I only grow undercover!!
But looking forward to the replies

[veggiechicken]

Can you remember what Chiapis were like?

[veggiechicken]

Last year I didn't see blight on anything. I also had self seeded toms springing up outdoors but they were all a bit too late to crop properly.
I'm thinking that small fruited toms, planted outdoors early, might beat the blight anyway. I've also got seeds of Real Seeds "Millefleur" which has a wild tomato in its parentage.
Might have a little experiment with these outdoors this year.

[veggiechicken]

D0bies are selling some wild toms too https://www.dobies.co.uk/Garden/Vege...ant_439081.htm

[veggiechicken]

An old thread about Currant Tomatoes which seem to be Pimpinellifolium (sp).
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...oes_45598.html

I have some Petit Moineau (Little Sparrow) red currant toms from the VSP/Nicos but I'm not sure that they are "Pimp"s. They may be part of my experiment though!

[Thelma Sanders]

I'm thinking that small fruited toms, planted outdoors early, might beat the blight anyway.

I always used to grow Red Alert (before I got the greenhouses) and it reliably fruited before blight struck. Not a bad cropper either, considering it's doesn't grow very tall I've still got some seeds I think, perhaps I should try some again....

[Scarlet]

The Chiapas fruit were tiny! The kids liked them but it was as like picking currants! Great for snacking outside. The plants were a bit wild and unruly/sprawling for inside the greenhouse really.
It was too dry for blight last year, so they would have done brilliantly.

[Scarlet]

Broad ripple yellow currant is another one - said to have been found in the cracks of a pavement somewhere.
Similar to the Chiapas, small fruit, sprawling vigorous plant.

[veggiechicken]

The more I think about the toms, the more they appeal to me.
Wild, unruly, small, sprawling - yes, sounds like me - except the vigorous bit.

I may have some Broad Ripple and Red Alert seeds too.
Last year was exceptionally hot and dry but, who knows, 2019 may be the same? Worth a try because I like grazing as I walk around the garden - usually raspberries and leaves but toms would give me more of a balanced nibble.

[MarkPelican]

Whilst I understand the question, do we get enough early blight in the UK? I looked at the RHS and their comment is that early blight is “common” in the US which means there’s a lot posted about it on the web but I didn’t think we got much, if any, in the UK.

I’ve grown various pea sized tomatoes and try to avoid them now, picking takes too long and they always seem to split as they’re taken off the vine.

[veggiechicken]

I said "early" blight because that's what I'd read. Other sites say "disease resistant", "cold tolerant" and so on. I don't really mind what they can deal with as long as I can grow a few plants outdoors to browse on.
I've grown Millefleur before, in a GH, and I know what you mean about taking a long time to pick, but that doesn't worry me. I'm not trying to fill a bowl, just nibble on some as I pass, as I did with Millefleur.

[Jungle Jane]

I grew Chiapas outside in a pot in 2017,they didn’t get blight,they’re a good plant but the tomatoes are so tiny like hundreds & thousands size but bigger sprawling plant (it’s the plant in this photo,in the square clay pot at the bottom of the photo) I put a support stick in to try & control its spread,it wants to reach out & touch everything so the adjacent plants need space -

[veggiechicken]

Thanks JJ. Great to see a photo of the plant.
I'm thinking of growing some courgettes in half water barrels this year (where I had spuds in 2018) so I may put the toms in beside them and they can sprawl over the edge and dangle.

[MarkPelican]

I said "early" blight because that's what I'd read. Other sites say "disease resistant", "cold tolerant" and so on. I don't really mind what they can deal with as long as I can grow a few plants outdoors to browse on.
I've grown Millefleur before, in a GH, and I know what you mean about taking a long time to pick, but that doesn't worry me. I'm not trying to fill a bowl, just nibble on some as I pass, as I did with Millefleur.

Then I would have thought that almost any of the determinate cherry tomatoes would do that. I've grown Sweet Pea Currant, Hundreds & Thousands, Garden Pearl, Tumbling Tom (Yellow & Red) and others. I usually grow them in large pots around the garden and they usually do exactly what you're looking for until the first frosts.

Sweet Pea Currant

Hundreds & Thousands