Black/Purple Tomatoes

[veg4681]

I've sown 4 and they came up this week; brought them inside yesterday and put them onto the kitchen windowsill; Grushovka ones these are. I'll be putting some purple ukraine and auroras in this week to see what happens. These are all experimental; to see if they do indeed fruit - more will be sown in a few weeks for the main crops. However, with the seasons being complete mayhem at the moment; who knows what is going on??? 13 degrees here yesterday - bonkers!

Have you grown Grushovka, Auroras and Purple Ukraine before? If yes, what are your reviews on them as I now realise they're all Real Seeds tomatoes too? I'm going to order one tomato from RS soon. Thanks.

[smallblueplanet]

Have you grown Grushovka, Auroras and Purple Ukraine before? If yes, what are your reviews on them as I now realise they're all Real Seeds tomatoes too? I'm going to order one tomato from RS soon. Thanks.

Bl**dy h*ll Ami where are you putting all these veggies???

[veg4681]

Bl**dy h*ll Ami where are you putting all these veggies???

MYOB, you've been 'eavesdropping', haven't you? RS tomatoes are highly sought after, not going to waste one P&P opportunity, am I? Actually I don't think I have any Bush tomatoes and also I may only buy the seeds for next year. I only grow one plant per variety so should be fine.

[Phreddy]

Cannot help with the 'early' side of this question this year but I am getting some 45+ day early toms to try. I will let you know in August.
My 'Black Krim' were excellent and I am trying other blacks this year.
I think that we will need a separate Tomatoes Thread!!

[veg4681]

Cannot help with the 'early' side of this question this year but I am getting some 45+ day early toms to try. I will let you know in August.
My 'Black Krim' were excellent and I am trying other blacks this year.
I think that we will need a separate Tomatoes Thread!!

Hi Phreddy,

Nice to hear from you! Still enjoying the sun? Bet you wouldn't have to worry about the weather should you want to grow tomatoes now out where you are or is it too hot & humid? BTW are Thai Pink Egg tomatoes common in the market and Tesco of Thailand?

Sub Artic Plenty is 49 days early tomato and presumably this is the earliest or has been superseded. Are all these early tomatoes by any chance Russian?

[valmarg]

Yeah I had thought so too that it makes sense to sow early for the beefsteak varieties but I've tended to consider other bigger sized tomatoes too like Brandywine and Marmade, are these beefsteak ?

Good early, well there are plenty of yellow cherry tomatoes (inclu Sungold) to choose from, mine's a Galina that I'm betting one as a superstar.

veg, Brandywine is a fantastic beefsteak tomato. All the catalogues say that it is indeterminate, and the side shoots should be taken out, BUT, the main shoot tends to go 'blind' and if you take out the side shoots you end up with nothing!!

OH has been on to some US websites re growing this variety. It is grown in the US as a large bush, ie when the main shoot 'goes blind' leave all the side shoots and you will have a fantastic crop. Trust me. Admittedly you will need to tie in the side shoots, and they recommend you take off the fruits before they are fully ripe, as they have a nasty habit of dropping off.

Despite the above, it really is well worth growing, honest.

But if you don't want all that faff, then I would recommend the beefsteak varieties Mountain Pride and Ferline.

valmarg

[Cutecumber]

erm... I've never seen Brandywine described as anything other than an outdoor bush variety, large and straggling. Ferline produce medium-large fruits, but certainly not beefsteak. I've grown them both for several years.

[veg4681]

erm... I've never seen Brandywine described as anything other than an outdoor bush variety, large and straggling. Ferline produce medium-large fruits, but certainly not beefsteak. I've grown them both for several years.

I'm getting quite confused here. I thought determinate is bush and indeterminate is vine???
This is what T&M website say about Brandywine.

Cordon (Indeterminate). This variety dates back to 1885 and is regarded as one of the world's finest flavoured 'beefsteak' tomatoes ever offered. Yields a heavy crop of firm, clear skinned, light rosy pink fruits on plants with potato like leaves. (Lycopersicon esculentum).