Not bothering with cordon tomatoes this year

[Philthy]

Well, I've decided not to bother with any cordon tomatoes this year.
I've been growing them under glass every year for the past 7.

Normally I'd be sowing about now, or at least planning which plug plants to source in a few weeks time.

Cherry cordons have always done fairly well, with best performers to date being Black Cherry, and F1 types Suncherry Premium, Rosada, and Sungold.
But for the four cordons (average) with medium sized fruits that I grow each year, I've concluded that the yield they give me over the course of a summer is generally a poor return considering the space they take up, the ongoing care required, getting the fruit to ripen, and the potential for plant diseases. Even in a good year.

I figure cherry cordons can be substituted with bush types, either in pots or hanging baskets, so I'll just grow a couple of those. For salad tomatoes however, I think I'll just stick exclusively with shop bought ones; I never noticed much difference between those and ones I grew myself anyway. And I get another 1/4 of my greenhouse to play with...

[redser]

Well each to their and good luck. If you are going for cherry bush types in pots and baskets can I suggest Maskotka. Quick and early, and go for ages.

[Scarlet]

For salad tomatoes however, I think I'll just stick exclusively with shop bought ones; I never noticed much difference between those and ones I grew myself anyway.

Really? I hate it when my fresh toms run out. Shop ones don't even smell like a tomato. Tomatoes are on the top of my growing list. I 'm interested, what are you growing instead?

[Bren In Pots]

Really? I hate it when my fresh toms run out. Shop ones don't even smell like a tomato. Tomatoes are on the top of my growing list. I 'm interested, what are you growing instead?

I know what you mean Scarlet I've only bought toms twice since mine finished and both times they've been a disappointment. So i've glad I've got lots of roasted toms in the freezer.

[Dorothy rouse]

Am so hoping that I can manage to grow some this year, am going to try bags. I just find shop bought toms utterly tasteless and flavourless, no matter how much you spend. Little local green grocers sometimes sells locally grown ones which aren't bad, but home grown ones are just superb.

[binley100]

Last year I chucked all my spare cordons in a bed and left them to it (as done previously by someone clever) had a fantastic crop ...

[Potstubsdustbins]

A summer without fresh home grown toms would not be well summer.

I find the return on effort to be well worth while both in taste and yield. I run my Sungold to 5 or 6 trusses depending on the year and average 20 plus toms per truss. My Tumbler in hanging baskets produce loads of fruit.

Potty still eating home made tomato soup

[greenishfing]

You are very lucky if you can buy really good tomatoes. I find it impossible. There are only 2 of us but we manage to eat a full greenhouseworth of tomatoes every year.

I am so disappointed with shop bought ones that I'd rather use some of my frozen roasted ones in a salad in winter than buy the fresh tasteless ones we can buy around here.

If I could only grow one greenhouse crop it would be tomatoes,

I even supply my sisters with baby plants to stop them trying to pinch mine, after the first year of growing a few outdoors they have both now got greenhouses (and husbands who are cursing me-we tend to be good at delegating!)

[Scarlet]

I run my Sungold to 5 or 6 trusses depending on the year and average 20 plus toms per truss. My Tumbler in hanging baskets produce loads of fruit.

Potty still eating home made tomato soup

5 or 6 trusses?? I thought I was super woman doing 3! I'll just have to do the same..

[lottie dolly]

I know what you mean Scarlet I've only bought toms twice since mine finished and both times they've been a disappointment. So i've glad I've got lots of roasted toms in the freezer.

I refuse to buy any,they are horrible,same as the cue's,no comparison at all,

[Potstubsdustbins]

Scarlet.

There no secret to it otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it. Due to the weather I didn't plant my seed till 16/3 and they didn't go to the GH till 29/04, they still went to 5 trusses approx. 100 toms per plant.

Potty

[Vince G]

For salad tomatoes however, I think I'll just stick exclusively with shop bought ones; I never noticed much difference between those and ones I grew myself anyway

I definitely think homegrown is alway better tasting when compared to shop bought goods, but not necessarily by the huge margins people claim. However there is a huge difference in eating a tomato still slightly warm off the vine, when compared to shop bought - they are immeasurably tastier.

[AllInContainers]

My bush tomatoes did superbly last year, and my neighbour can't stop talking about my tomato and carrot soup (with red veined sorrel, lovage, and other fresh herbs from my garden). However for me they were too time consuming, and with some careful juggling of ingredients, I'm sure the soup would have been just as good with shop bought tommies.

This year, I'll be steering clear of toms altogether, though I will be growing huckleberries (black and golden) plus inca berries all from the same family. Those are lower maintenance, and costs much more in the shops, if you can find them at all. Seems better sense in respect of time, effort and money for me to try those instead

[Philthy]

I agree with the general view on shop bought tomatoes; they are mostly tasteless on their own, but in a dish with other ingredients and flavours, they're okay. Most of the mid sized tomatoes I've ever grown aren't much better. They do require a lot of time and effort, and they're not particularly resilient, so the couple of trusses I might get off of a plant I've been growing all summer I don't think is worth the trouble. Of course I could just be rubbish at growing them!

Well each to their and good luck. If you are going for cherry bush types in pots and baskets can I suggest Maskotka. Quick and early, and go for ages.

I'll bear that in mind redser, thanks for the tip

Really? I hate it when my fresh toms run out. Shop ones don't even smell like a tomato. Tomatoes are on the top of my growing list. I 'm interested, what are you growing instead?

Hello Scarlet. I'm doing a couple more cucumbers; I posted on this subject fairly recently and got some great suggestions for ones to try. I can train those along the wires. At ground level I might try sweet potatoes again, as I've got an open border running end to end. I tried them once before, 2007 I think, with mixed results, but then that was the last half decent summer up until last year. The weather last winter was fairly wet, and not especially cold, much like this year's winter is turning out to be, so I'm thinking perhaps we'll get lucky and have a second decent summer.

[Scarlet]

plus inca berries all from the same family. Those are lower maintenance

I've grown these for a couple of seasons and I love them( cheers VC!) but I don't think they are any lower maintenance than a tomato. They grow huge, 5-6ft and need staking and the sprawling branches need controlling. So very similar work to a tomato and they don't do as well outside.