Determinate tomatoes- help

[Garlicman]

Hello there,
I have recently got a new job growing fruit and veg for a couple of local pubs. The chef uses a lot of cherry vine tomatoes. The challenge I have is getting the cherry tomato vine to ripen all at the same time. How sdo I achieve this? Does anyone know about the determinate varieties? I'd really appreciate any advice on this please? Varieties, methods?
Thanks.

[Scarlet]

Grow several plants so that you can pick off the ripe one daily?
How many pubs are you supplying? How many do they want? How much space have you got, how many plants are you thinking of growing - indoors or outdoors?

[Jungle Jane]

Hello Garlicman it might be an idea to ask other chefs as well because although we've grown tomatoes,it's difficult to have the whole vine ripen at once on the plant. I've had a cluster of about six on a vine that you can cook as a cluster,but I don't have a greenhouse they're all outside people with greenhouses might have more success with this? Sweet million F1 gave me a few good clusters,its indeterminate a cordon variety. Are there any better varieties where the whole cluster of about ten tomatoes on the vine are red together? Tumbling toms a determinate tomato,the tomatoes aren't on a vine like with a cordon variety,a few are ready to pick at the same time from different parts of the plant,not vine like though. Good luck & great job,it would be nice to see photos later on in the year,there is help regarding pruning a cordon,to fasten up the ripening of a tomato cluster by removing the leaves below,sunshines what's really needed but these little things can help a little.

[Scarlet]

One thing to keep in mind is that cordon tomatoes will fruit and flower continuously through the season. Bush toms fruit over a shorter period, this may help with delivering more ripe fruit at the same time but the plants have a shorter fruiting life. I grow serveral bush toms for an early harvest and then bin them mid summer when my cordons start producing.

[Jungle Jane]

Does the chef make meals like this? That's what I'm thinking because of all ripening at the same time,I don't know what would be the best variety or if this is what you want?
Recipe: Roasted Aubergine (Eggplant), Mozzarella and Vine Tomato Salad – Total Salads

[Penellype]

If you look carefully at that picture you will see that the end of the truss has been cut off. I don't think you will find any tomato varieties that all ripen on the truss at the same time, but with some of the cherry varieties you might get about 6 that are all red at once. I'm not great at cherry tomatoes as I tend to prefer bigger ones myself, but if you look up something like Sweet Million you will see long trusses of tomatoes with plenty of red ones at the same time. I'm always a bit suspicious of the pictures in seed catalogues and on the packets, but I think a cherry cordon is probably a better bet than a bush variety.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Scarlet I have not found that some bush varieties are particularly short lived I have been growing the original Tumbler for many years, last year they were fruiting from mid June till late Sept.

I notice this year there is a new kid on the block, F1 Tumbling Bella it is advertised by Dobies as fruiting from July till October.

I wonder if a GH environment makes a difference as I grow outside in hanging baskets and the advert for Tumbling Bella describes them as ideal for hanging baskets.

[Scarlet]

I know you've said that before and I won't disagree as I've had lots of fruit off hanging baskets late on in the year but when growin early toms side by side..I find the bush toms have a more concentrated harvest of fruit early on in the season while the cordons produce evenly throughout the season, certainly the very early bush toms such as Latah (first to fruit for me )slow down after their initial crop. This is when I chuck them outside to give my cordons some room.

[jackarmy]

T&ms 99p offer from last year grew realiy well and im pretty sure its the same price this year also. Had shedfulls of toms on shedfulls of trusses. i only grew one plant but im sure a good few plants would sort you out.

Sweet Aperitif was the tom.

Think some here werent to keen but i loved the taste and found it prolific, only tastier cherry from last season was black cherry in my eyes.

[susieq100]

Romello - bush variety, you can grow them inside or out - prolific and extremely tasty, baby plum tomatoes. Tumbling Tom also very good and fruited for ages - I was still harvesting in October and more than we could eat, family, friends and neighbours got the benefit of that