GYO asks, "what's your favourite tomato?"

[HeyWayne]

Is there one that's easy to grow, blight resistant, grows well outdoors and germinates easily?

I'll vote that one if there is.

I've given up on all the others.

[Florence Fennel]

I've gone for Garden Pearl because they're the ones I grow the most of, in free flower buckets outside. It's an absolute joy and delight to see my grandchildren snacking outside in the garden whenever they visit and a taste sensation when my daughter turns them into soups, sauces and chutney!

[lainey lou]

I have voted for Tigerella, not only do they look good, they tasted amazing, Last year mine cropped really well.
I read recently a tip for tomatos which I'm trying out this year and that is to mulch using the contents of the hoover! Apparently this will help to keep the skins thin and make the tomatos extra tasty!

[Prince of Durham]

I was only going to grow two types this year after the five or six I grew last year, however after GYO was kind enough to provide three more cultivars that went out the window. My site is windy and cold Sara, so only really possible in the greenhouse or tunnel. I try one or two every year on the plot but they never give the rewards for the work they take.

[Shadylane]

I'm still working on it! I've crossed Sungold (because I love the flavour) with a heritage tom called Tiger Tom - again, a good flavour. I'm now growing them out to get an open pollinated wonderfully flavoured tomato whose seeds I never have to buy again.


Ask me again in about 5 years!

That sounds like a great idea, but how do you cross them? isn't the pollen really hard to get to?
I can't really vote on this as only my 2nd year growing toms. I love Galina though, a yellow cherry I grew last year, that tasted beaut. My then 3 year old niece loved them too. They're pretty early, got our first ripe one at the end of May (this year). fancy trying Sungold next year as I've heard only good things. Shame they're F1.

[northepaul]

As its my first year growing my own, and I have yet to get any....I dont feel I can vote.

[Comfreyfan]

Like the others, what a hard choice!! I went for Black Cherry, because last year they were fantastic, much better than the previous year, when Tigerella were my favourite. I don't do anything different, but they do seem to vary from year to year.

[Flummery]

That sounds like a great idea, but how do you cross them? isn't the pollen really hard to get to?
.

The pollen is inside the little cone in the centre of the flower. The cone is actually fused anthers. You need some sharp pointed tweezers to get inside this. You take the cone off the tomato you are fertilising when it's in bud, by taking off the sepals and opening out the petals first (otherwise it will fertilise itself before you ge to it.) Then you take the cone off an open flower of the one you are crossing it with. The pollen is inside this cone and you should be able to collect it on a paintbrush (not the sort you do the ceiling with!) and paint it onto the central little stalk that's left where the anthers were removed on the bud. It's fiddly. I ruined several flowers before I managed to get one that took. Make sure you tie a bit of string or knitting wool round it though or you'll eat it by mistake. It will look identical to the others on the plant at this stage. The genetic inheritance from the pollen parent is all in the seeds at this stage.

Save it till it's really ripe then squeeze out the seeds. You can simply wipe them individually onto some kitchen roll and let them dry. Then next year you have your cross. You need to select for several years because you'll get some genetic diversity showing up. Then, name it, grow it, love it!

[Shadylane]

Fantastic, thanks for that Flummery

[Sara]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your great comments. Do most of you stick with red varieties or do you experiment with other colours, too?

[Shadylane]

This year I'm groing red plum and beefsteak varieties, red and yellow stripey type things, Black Krim which is kind of black/brown and red, a yellow cherry and Cream Sausage which is yellow and er sausage shaped.

[binley100]

Not sure yet, not having tried enough different varieties but I can honestly say the ones i get my first fruit off with no blight . That's for this year anyway.

[Flummery]

Red, orange, green, black and yellow last year.
Not Simply Red!

[mrscorpio]

I have been considering for several days what my fave tom is. I have finally decided ........................... My favourite Tomato is any I have grown myself. How ever bad the flavour they always taste sweeter as it is the fruit of my labour, and I am not paying for a force grown spanish import.

[womble]

Is there one that's easy to grow, blight resistant, grows well outdoors and germinates easily?

I'll vote that one if there is.

I've given up on all the others.

Ferline is your best chance for that Wayne.