If you only had room for about 3 tomato plants which would you grow?

[gez1809]

Hi,

I've only got a small amount of space for tomatoes but ideally would like one cherry, one 'normal size' and maybe one beef tomato (if it's worth the investment of space...). I have room for 3 cordon types but might try planting some in hanging baskets for some tumbling types as well.

I have one of those plastic greenhouses but I'm interested mainly in outdoor varieties to make sure.

I'm thinking of Sungold, Tigrella and Super Marmande. Would you say these would give me a good variety of tomato? Any suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks

[susieq100]

I grew Super Marmande last year and was a bit disappointed, a lot of work for not a lot of return! I grew Tumbling Tom in hanging baskets around the garden ... massive return for relatively little investment in terms of watering, feeding and care and they were very tasty! If you want an outdoor tomato I was quite impressed with Oregon Spring - big, tasty and a bush variety so you don't have to worry about staking them etc.

[selfraising]

I too was disappointed with the marmande variety so last year grew Country Taste, another beef tomato which grew huge tomatoes and very tasty, so will be growing those again this year. My favourite 'normal' sized tomato is Olivade which is actually a plum variety but good either in a salad or for cooking. Sungold is a popular variety for cherry type so a good one to choose.

[Strawberry delight]

definatly gardeners delight, i didnt have to put too much time to caring for them (just the watering and the taking out side shoots) and I got many tomatoes from them! I am also growing some 100's and 1000's. They produce many little tomatoes rather than biggish ones. good luck!

[Jono]

Last year I grew Moneymaker and Gardener's Delight on my allotment, and I had a mahusive crop, with little effort. Watering three times a week and some sideshooting, nothing else.

I also grow Tumbling Toms in the garden at home in hanging baskets, and got quite a few from them. I lined the baskets with used teabags to hold moisture in. This seemed to work as I didn't water as much as the plot but still got a crop.

[Incy]

My favourite cordon type so far is Bloody Butcher although both gardener's delight and alicante have done well for me.
I'd definitely recommend 100's and 1000's in hanging baskets. The toms are very small but really lovely and are good cooked or raw. Can't help you with the beef tomatoes. I grew marmande quite successfully one year except that they all got blighted just as they started to ripen and I've had no success since then.

[Kristen]

"Moneymaker ..."

Personally I find them tasteless compared to other varieties. Used to grow them until I found others that I preferred. Subjective, I know! but I grow Shirley instead now.

[pauco]

Moneymaker did me proud for my first time at growing last year so sticking with them this year!

paul.

[Potstubsdustbins]

For your cordon cherry Sungold lots of sweet toms for little or no effort. I gorw them in the black plastic pots, water, feed, remove side shoots and eat.

I also grow Tumbler in hanging baskets have tried Tumbling Tom and they were no where near as good as standard Tumbler. Maybe thats why seed merchants have gone back to supplying Tumbler.

I am no gardner but with these two varities I get a great crop of lovely toms.

I can't help with the standard size toms as I only grow cherry types.

Colin

[SarahStrawberry]

I had 2 or 3 Tumbler plants last year and they were great, not much work required and loads of lovely fruit

[bishop]

hello and welcome gez, gardners delight, alicante, easy to look after and a lot of fruit, marmande are nice but i only got 4-6 good sized fruits off mine, had tigrella last year did not get a lot of fruit off them but they taste goooood, and look fab, for hanging baskets i use f1 tumblers,so easy to grow, for outdoors i use outdoor girl. good luck.

[northepaul]

Last year I grew ailsa craig as a regular tom - nice but not very prolific.
Sungold as a cherry - excellent and well worth the cost and effort, will be doing them again this year.
Black Russian - lovely strong plants, but I found a very late starter, plenty of fruit in September but not much before that. The fruit were huge, and lovely sweet flavour. I am growing one this year for the seed circle.
Roma - plants kept escaping across the paths, needed strong staking and checking, little fruits, not many at all and prone to blossom end rot.
Black cherry - lovely fruit but not very prolific.
This year I am (on recomendation of other vine members) growing Shirley and amish paste, aswell as sungold. I may do some tigarella as they were pretty good last year.

[vegnut]

For me it was gardeners delight with alicante a close second, and tigrella was a cracker with the taste buds. I dont grow beef toms anymore, but i have yet to try tumbler myself, and will do so this year going on grapes reccomendation.

[lottie dolly]

If i could only have 3,it would have to be
gardeners delight...good taste and a nice size,for salads or eating on own,
PW french black...good taste and bigger than GD,salads or in cooking,
San mazarno,sauses and cooking,fry ext,and very prolific,

[Rixy]

San Marzano, Tigerella and Costoluto Genovese would be my choices.