Tomatoes

[Sue]

Been gyo for 2 years and so far dealt with drought, deluge and blight, between them they've seen off all my tomatoes in one way or another except for Latah. This has produced when I was struggling to keep it watered, dealt with nearly being waterlogged and totally regrew after blight. A gem in other words.
I was wondering if I should just plant loads of Latah (from Real Seeds) next year and give up on other varieties. I don't have room for toms in the greenhouse. This year after the early loss from blight, had an average of 7lb of tomatoes from each Latah from early Sept to last week, these are cherry toms but also make good purees etc. Is this an average harvest or low? They are a bush and sprawl everywhere, need a 1m raised bed to themselves so they take up quite a bit of room, although I could put some in big pots to free up the raised beds.
Sue

[momol]

Hi Sue,

Sorry can't give the Latah's info ( never grow them before). I lost all my heirloom tomatoes to Blight too. And next year, I am thinking of trying the Russian tomatoes, called fur leaves ( or something like that ), which is a bush type ( +/- 60 cm tall ) and not too big or wide, perhaps you can give it a try too if Latah takes too much space.

Momol

[Two_Sheds]

I grew Alicante outside, the ripened ones were few and far between, and slugs got 'em, but the green ones made fab chutney. I didn't get blight, but something happened to this one...GM contamination perhaps?

[veg4681]

Sue,

I read with great interest about the fantastic performance of the tomato Latah from Real Seeds. From their website, RS makes you feel that you're safe with their choice of vegetable variety because they do the work for you to find out which are the ones to grow with their suitability to the British climate. Unfortunately they don't have most of the heirloom tomatoes that I wanted so I didn't order from them. Now I'm thinking, would I be safer with RS tomato recommendations

I've hardly had enough tomato growing experience and this year for the 3 tomatoes that I grew, I got off lightly from blight, not sure that I had it because the plants didn't exactly die. While many people are going for blight resistant tomatoes from the horrendous experience this year, I wonder if I'm being too naive with my ambition trying for more exotic varieties next year. Then again, I gather that if I'm going to take on this project, I might as well be prepared for the worst and take measures to minimise my loss...I'm getting me a Bordeaux Mix, though haven't checked how expensive this thing gets.

BTW Two Sheds, that sure is an eerie looking tom LOL! Think it needs a nose job.

[Flummery]

something happened to this one...GM contamination perhaps?

I'm sure I know him!

[rustylady]

I've had really good crops from all sorts of tomatoes in my cold greenhouse until the last two years (never had much luck outside cos of blight). However this year the toms were absolutely pathetic. I really think it's the weather to blame, not the varieties. Will try again next year.

[Cutecumber]

I would encourage you not to put all your eggs in one basket - grow Latah, yes, but try at least one other each year. Just in case...

[wellie]

Try 'Ferline' next year? It's similar to Ailsa Craig, but doesn't suffer with greenback, the taste is truly tomatoey, and it's allegedly Blight 'resistant'. I've grown it for 2 years now, and I'm sold on it. And even though I've been lucky enough to escape blight for the last two years, I shall continue to grow it purely for it's excellence.

[bramble]

Veg 4681. i did exactly this year what you are thinking of doing next year. I have been on a website where we swop seeds and i have been able to get some so called exotic tomatoes. They were all heirloom. Well i put 15 in the greenhouse and about 40 outside outside. Unfortunately my outside ones got early blight and only 4 survived which were planted away from the others. The greenhouse ones did fine but not necessarily better than the more common ones i grow every year.
For this reason i will be growing a mixture of my tried and tested toms i grow every year and a few heirlooms which stood out for me this year.
Exotic is not always better.
I will grow Ferline, Roma, Shirley and Gardeners Delight from my tried and tested toms and after that will decide on my heirlooms.

[veg4681]

For this reason i will be growing a mixture of my tried and tested toms i grow every year and a few heirlooms which stood out for me this year.
Exotic is not always better.
I will grow Ferline, Roma, Shirley and Gardeners Delight from my tried and tested toms and after that will decide on my heirlooms.

So sorry to hear of your losses to blight, Bramble. I would have been totally gutted and am already suffering from pre-planting traumatic stress syndrome. 2007 will be remembered as the 'Year of Blight'.

Out of sheer curiosity, which of your heirloom fared well and which fared badly (to check if I have any of these seeds). I would have thought some heirlooms are tougher than others . I like to think that I do have few of the safer tom varieties too, the cherry sized and cooler climate breeds of German, Russian, Czech (if it's any relevant!!!). Although I don't have Real Seed's Latah, I'm acquiring their Galina. At the end of the day, it's still better to have tried than never knowing...

[HeyWayne]

I'm sure I know him!

Looks like a slightly different variety, but the same family....

[Flummery]

Yep, that's where I've seen him before.

[milliebecks]

but something happened to this one...GM contamination perhaps?[/QUOTE]

Spooky, 'cos I grew his little brother (but sadly didn't take a photo).
What causes tomato 'noses' then?

[Flummery]

He's not so green as he's tomato looking eh?