black cherry tomatoes?

[joolzabb]

has anyone ever grown black cherry tom,atoes?
i bought three different varity of plants from my local dobbies (3 for 2) as this is enough as there is only me who eats them.
the black cherry variety has died within a few days and when i return the weekend to the store there are none to be found. does this mean they sold well and i am rubbish at keeping it or did they all die?
cant find anywhere else which has them so not sure if its something i did or not. the others are coming on slowly.

joolz x

[Flummery]

I'm growing them - I've sown (or given away) all the seeds though. However, if you're keen to try them, remind me in August - you can save the seed and I'm happy to save you some. They seem to be good growers (they haven't offered to die on me yet!) I often wonder about the conditions in garden centres though - too hot, in a draught etc. They might just have been poor plants. They shouldn't die on you that fast!

[samw04]

i've manage to get some seeds if you pm your address i'll send a couple

[Furkin]

oooooh,,, Black cherries,,,, sound nice,,,,

I usually save my own seeds for normal plants, but due to a new porch I lost some headroom,,,, last year I actually bought some seeds.
I had a few Bush variety & Hanging basket types.
I was chuffed enough with them both, & they were both flowering & fruiting until Christmas.
I'd love to try something different tho'.

Have managed to get a couple of Mangoes going this year, along with a dozen or so Clementines & a couple of Cumquats ! All I need now - is tons of sunshine to make 'em all work !

all the best

[PAULW]

Grew them last year and managed to pick some before the blight got them really scrummy sweet tom.

[rustylady]

Grew some last year and was not impressed. However, it was a really crap year for tomatoes in this area last year so maybe it wasn't a fair trial.

[Flummery]

I had some given last year - person who grew them couldn't get his head round black toms - wonder why he grew them then? I saved some seed (just because it's become a compulsion!) - I found the flavour great but the skins a little tough. However, I'm not a cissy! I can chew!

[j r hilton]

How do you collect and save tomato seeds? I have not tried it before but it seems a good idea. Will some one please explain the procedure for me?

[Flummery]

I just place them spaced out on a piece of kitchen towel. Some people use newspaper. I've grown successfully from both. Some people scrape off the seed (I do) some just 'sow' the bit of paper. I've seen complex methods described involving putting the seeds in a jam jar of water for several days until it sort of ferments the pulpy bit from around the seeds and then straining them out but I've never found it necessary. If you don't do it with F1 hyrbids you'll get the original tomato. If you DO use F2 hybrids you'll still get viable seed but you have no idea what the plants will be like. Have a go, it's easy pease (and cheap!)

[sewer rat]

I grew about 20 Black Cherry plants last year in my tunnel and they stood up well to the blight, cropped reasonably well after the blight had been contolled and were one of the juciest cherries I have ever tasted - they literally dripped juice onto my customers shirts - I had them just inside the door and they were a talking point as soon as pepole entered the tunnel as few if any had seen black toms before. I used to let them try one - with the warning it would burst with juices.

[kirsty b]

Grew them last year, but blight got all my plants before I had much of a crop.

[Furkin]

J.R: All I ever do is just save a few seeds from whichever tomato that I want to grow. I usually just leave 'em a few days to dry a little & plant about 4 to a small pot,,, then split 'em when big enough. 99% successful.

At home, most 'locals' got their plants from a local sewage farm ?!?! There used to be thousands of plants just growing there & people helped themselves !

-----::-----
I've also saved seeds from chilli peppers & bell peppers from last year & just planted them (fingers crossed time !?)

see other thread--->
also got clemetines, cumquats & mangoes from pips/stones going this year (I couldn't get any Christmas nuts growing though - any ideas out there ?)

Good Luck to you All

[southern softie]

How do you store the seeds over winter?

[bobleponge]

I am growing black cherry toms, and having just got back in from the veggie plot, they are starting to get some colour into their little green cheeks. Think I planted 3 (cant actually tell as planted them far too close together) and there seem to be tons of blackening ones.

To save seeds Southern Softie I just do as Flum says, and then wrap them up in the tissue and leave them in the fridge over winter, along with the rest of my seeds. All seem to pop up quite happily in the spring.

[Phreddy]

Have managed to get a couple of Mangoes going this year, all the best

All the best to you too, I saw a mango tree in Kenya. The make our oaks look a bit puny!!