Tomato likes and dislikes 2020

[NannyGreen]

I feel for you Peanut. Its looking like a chutney year here too

[annie8]

The problem I always have with Green Grape is working out when they're ripe. I find they're "mushy" when overripe and bitter when underripe.

Brown Berry is my favourite cherry at the moment but they all seem to be tasty this year.

i find with them in particular that it is as much based on how they feel as the colour they are. Am getting a really good crop from them this year and do like the flavour. So a keeper for me. Am thinking I might not do sungold or Shirley next year so on the look for new ideas. Will look at brown berry sounds interesting.

[annie8]

Also seeing lots of positive things on here about black cherry.

[MarkPelican]

Brown Berry is sweeter than Black Cherry and (in my experience) smaller and less likely to split. They're both thin skinned. They are my other half's favourite cherry tomato so I keep growing them.

[muck lover]

Ive grown Sungold, gardeners delight, red cherry and maskotka all reasonable this year. I tried a variety red pear and they were dreadful. Wouldnt ripen and rotted. I attempted some Tumbler outside on an old compost heap and they grew brilliantly all summer but had no fruit and succumbed to blight several weeks ago. I got a few green marbles. But next year I think I will try again with outdoor tomatoes and get blight resistant ones. Worth a try. The freezers full anyway.

[1Bee]

Will look out for pineapple, they sound fun.

This year I grew:-
Sungold
Super Marmande
Tigerella
Cuore di bue
(Irish) Gardener's Delight

They're all harvested now as we're getting frosts and there was some blight.

Sungold were excellent as usual, although splitting almost before ripe - I might try Honeycomb (is that right?) next year.
Super marmande didn't have a long enough cropping season, so were harvested unripe and tending to rot on the vine.
Tigerella surprised me, with a good yield of fast-ripening, tasty toms.
Cuore di bue I haven't tasted yet, as very slow to set fruit and ripen.
The GD was lovely, but a bit untidy in habit, with very long trusses that tended to lie on the floor.

Next year will be Sungold (and Honeycomb?), my favourite big tom Costoluto Fiorentino and whatever else takes my fancy form my seed tin.

[Mark Rand]

I've grown Super Sauce, San Marzano, Cuor di Bue, Indigo Rose and Sweet Million.

San Marzano (saved seeds), once again have been a good performer. definitely a keeper.

Super Sauce (new seeds F1), was a bit of a dissapointment. it was supposed to be indeterminate, but grew like a bush tomato and made little progress after I 'armpitted' it. Might try again next year and leave it to its own devices.

Cuor Di Bue (new seeds), is large and solit, but somewhat tasteless. Ok for stuffing, I suppose.

Indigo Rose (saved seeds), tastes nice and cropped well this year. That'll be back again next year.

Sweet Million (new/old seeds F1) tastes nice, but has such a propensity to split, even when watered properly, that it won't be back again after this, it's third year.

[peanut]

This year I grew some old favourites:

Black Cherry - I always grow this one. Large Cherry toms. Sweet and delicious, also makes a great jam which tastes like strawberry.
Green Zebra - Another one I always grow. Full size toms. I find the green varieties have a lovely savoury flavour. This one looks pretty too and has quite a dense flesh.


Some new varieties:

Black Russian - Big Beefsteak toms. Only grew one plant. I got lots of fruits but some got BER. The few fruits that I had were ok. Will use the rest of the seeds up but unlikely I will buy again.
Supersweet - Lovely average size cherry tomatoes. Sweet. Thin skins. Will buy again.
Green Envy - Small/Medium size teardrop shaped toms. Green skin/flesh that on some goes a bit yellow when ripe but not all, as with all green varieties, touch is best to gauge ripeness. I really like these, a nice savoury flavour. Good tasty flesh. Will keep growing these.
Sugargloss - Small very glossy tomatoes. Very sweet and juicy. Kids will love them. I love them. Definitely a must have.

I eat most of my tomatoes raw and keep them in a bowl on the work surface, they're a great nibble when passing by!

[MelanieSW]

This year I tried out a lot of new varieties, mostly from last year's seed swap:

- Raspberry Oxheart: grew those for canning, and quite happy with them. Good size fruit, and a reasonable amount of them. Worked well for canning. Will grow again.

- Core di bue: to compare with the RO, but I was a bit disappointed. Smaller fruit, and fewer. I also thought they were less tasty. So won't grow them again.

- Stupice: did well considering that I just stuffed them into some pots in the corner of the allotment as I'd run out of bed space. First ones to ripen, and good taste. Will grow again, but will also try another potato leaved variety next year.

- Striped Darby: tasty when ripe, and would have been a good crop. However the snails absolutely loved the fruits, which was distressing. Not sure I'll try again.

- Garden peach: loved them, and didn't mind the slightly furry and thick skin. Good crop. Will grow again.

- Black Mauri: nice brown-black grapes, tasty, will grow again.

- Tsungshigo Chinese: another brown grape, actually found it difficult to tell it apart from the BM. But the first batch TC had blossom end rot, so I think the BM wins out.

-Yellow Pear: lots of fruit, and went on for quite a long time. Taste was ok, but didn't leave me excited. Undecided if I will grow again, probably not.

- Red Cherry: old favourite, tasty as usual, but not such a good crop this year. Will probably give it a break next year.

- Russian House: cute little plants in pots and lots of cherry sized fruit. Even did well on my porch in semi shade. Taste wise not quite as flavourful as the standard red cherry, but really nice enough. Will definitely grow again.