Tomato advice please

[Cymro1950]

Hi all - newbie here.
Just getting my garden dug over ready for planting next year and taking a coffee break. I haven't used the garden for growing for a couple of years so it was in a bit of a state - I'd built a new shed and had to move a lot earth about so was looking for somewhere to put it, and a load of rubble. Ended up building a bank which I can plant up with all-year-round bee-friendly flowers so will be able to plant some veg next year.

I'd like to grow some tomatoes, but the greenhouse had to go to make room for the shed so they'll have to be outdoor ones. 20-odd years ago we went to France on holiday and spotted some tomato seeds in M. Bricolage (as you do . . Planted them the next year and had the best crop ever. The plants were 6 foot plus and produced huge delicious plum tomatoes - they took absolutely no looking after beyond watering and I supplied the neighbourhood with tomatoes for months.

Wondering if anybody might be able to suggest what variety they might have been please - or a good low-maintenance alternative?

[WendyC]

No idea what variety you grew, but try this excellent thread for ideas.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...5-a_86401.html
Welcome to the Vine.

[Scarlet]

Welcome to the vine Cymro!

Theres 100's of tomato varieties to choose from so it's highly unlikely you will ever find out what that tomato was without at least partially remembering the name. Although you will find something similar what size of tomato do you want - cherry, medium, beefsteak, colour - red, yellow, orange black, are you looking for a cordon or a bush? Success not only depends on watering but also how good the growing condition are, especially if you are growing outdoors. This year wasn't so good for me, Spring was very cold and the tomatoes had a very slow start.
Roma is a plum tomato, though it's a bush and mostly used for cooking. San manzano is also plum. I often grow Cuor di bus which is a red plum with green shoulders. C'mon give us a bit more info your location would help too, it's much more difficult to grow toms up north outside than down south.

[veggiechicken]

Croeso Cymro.
Pull up a chair and make yourself at home. There are lots of enthusiastic tomato growers here so I'm sure you'll find something good to grow next year.

[Cymro1950]

Thanks for the welcome! Just been reading the reviews - this is turning into a long coffee break so I just made a sandwich and renamed it to lunch break . . . ;-)

I'm in North Wales, overlooking the Dee estuary (hence my username - Cymro means 'Welshman') The garden wasn't big in the first place but now it's full of sheds and motorbikes so the actual area I can use for growing is about 17' x 11' (just been out with a tape measure . . .) It's to the north of the house, separated by an 8' flagged area so it's in the shade quite a lot, and has an 8' Cypress hedge for its northernmost boundary.

I still have the greenhouse itself and am thinking about hacking it about and making it into a lean-to if I can find somewhere to lean it . . . Would be handy for starting things off and keeping the frost off them but not sure if I can spare the room, bearing in mind that I'm planning on growing most of the veg we would normally buy, in quite a small area. I detect metal as a hobby, which puts me in contact with farmers - sadly they mostly keep sheep and/or cows but probably know people who know people who have horses - and we all know what they produce . . . Grow my own comfrey which I gather makes good compost but we use it to make a salve for our arthritic joints.

The reason I was so keen to find those tomatoes again is because a couple of plants would probably supply our needs without encroaching too much on the limited space we have.

[Cymro1950]

Croeso Cymro.
Pull up a chair and make yourself at home. There are lots of enthusiastic tomato growers here so I'm sure you'll find something good to grow next year.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, veggiechicken ;-)

[Potstubsdustbins]

If your short on ground space have you thought of hanging baskets.

I have three baskets of Tumbler on a south facing wall and every year I get a good crop. Yes you have to be more careful with watering as the baskets can dry out but apart from that and feeding that's all the care they get.

These are not Tumbler Tom but just plain Tumbler IMO a much better plant.

And welcome to the madhouse.

[Cymro1950]

We've got a great south-facing wall. It's the front wall of the house though - we've got room to park the car and then you're on the street. It's also the windiest place ever - if the hanging baskets didn't get blown to pieces in the wind, and if the local pond-life didn't nick them then the tomatoes would last about five minutes after they were ripe before somebody helped themselves!

Nice thought though - I like your style!