Tomato varieties - case for the prosecution

[leona]

Out of interest, how many plants does everyone grow?

(and for how many people/ what uses?)

about 20 this year... first year i had 6 gardeners delight and i was completely overrun with tomatos to the point where i didnt eat any for 6 months after i was so sick of them!

[mrskp]

about 39 (or was it 42) for two of us plus giveaways to rellies.

not given anything away yet. Have got 2 fruit, yes just the two, off 4 plants of Supersprout's Pineapple toms.

Am definitely seriously cutting back next year !

[kentvegplot]

There are just 2 of us to comsume the tomatoes.

I grew 18 plants - 6 got binned pretty early due to poor growth/blight.

Of the others, the 6 'Cavendish' have so far produced about 36lbs, which is plenty for us to eat/give away to neighbours/put in sauces etc for the freezer.

The 'Belgian Giant' (also 6 plants) has produced about the same. I am having to make plenty of tomato sauces to keep up with them.

All in all,I think 12 plants (all indoor, mind you) is about right for the 2 of us. Next year, will grow some cherry toms instead of all the cooking ones.

[Rowan]

Cutecumber, I sowed 2 each of 6 or 7 varieties - just for me! Not getting much off them, though. I need to look after them better.
T-Lady: as my brother replied when I sent him my first email, "Welcome to the world of the E-nabled. It's cr*p, by the way!" Learning by using is the best way forward - I learnt a lot on the "Time Team" forum! Most people are friendly on most forums, and this seems to be a very nice one.

[Cutecumber]

I don't think I get particularly big crop from my toms - most are in pots, all outdoors and some are shaded - so the total crop from my 31 plants may be more like half that achievable in good conditions.

[T-lady]

Cutecumber, I sowed 2 each of 6 or 7 varieties - just for me! Not getting much off them, though. I need to look after them better.
T-Lady: as my brother replied when I sent him my first email, "Welcome to the world of the E-nabled. It's cr*p, by the way!" Learning by using is the best way forward - I learnt a lot on the "Time Team" forum! Most people are friendly on most forums, and this seems to be a very nice one.

Hi Rowan

Thanks for these wise words from your brother. I'm sure that they are not so applicable for this forum (it's all really good) but my company 'thrives' on the use of email and it certainly has its downside!

I am feeling pretty smug about the tomatoes though as they're really starting to go into overdrive. At the weekend I made 4 pints of tomato soup, 2 big cherry tomato focaccia (Sarah Raven recipe - divine!), another 5 pints of roast tomato and chilli soup last night (blows your mind!) and that's on top of the pasta sauces that I'm racking up in the freezer.

In fact, if I think about it, last night's soup contained my home grown organic garlic, peppers, onions, chillis and tomatoes. Apart from a stock cube it all came from the garden. Anyone know where I can get hold of a stock-cube bush?


T- lady.

PS: Hi to Cutecumber too. I meant to say that last week but got bumped off line.

[moggssue]

I grew 8 plants, for the two of us, in the hope of making soup for the winter but only got 3 edible tomatoes ... boohoo!! Oh well, here's to next year ....

[nomadyane]

New to this site - find it very interesting. Found it looking for cause of blossom-end rot in my courgettes and now think I know what to do!
On tomatoes - there is nothing to beat an outdoor grown tomato for falvour. I've grown Alicante reliably for years and use them mainly for cooking and tried others with varying success. Tumbling Tom was recommended but disappointing, so was Sungold, and then last year I found a single plant of Maskotka which I grew in a hanging basket. It wasn't pretty and was way too vigorous for a basket, but this year I've grown them in growbag and a big pot against a south facing wall. I gave one to a friend and she said it tasted just like tomatoes used to taste! Started my seeds indoors on kitchen windowsill in late March and started picking 1st August. Alicantes started the same time but I've only had one ripe one so far but over 4 pounds of Maskotkas from three plants - and there are masses more to come. Plenty of french marigolds around, lots of water and feed at least once a week. Dead easy. And there's no pinching out like the Alicantes. Seeds were not that easy to find though. Sorry to ramble on.

David

[Sue]

Hi
I agree with Phreddy, look at the Real Seed website, I've grown their Latah tomato for three years now and its never let me down, a good cherry tomato that ripens early and keeps producing through to the end of the season. Last year I got blight and lost other varieties but the Latah regrew and went on to produce a most welcome crop.
Had about 20lb of tomatoes off 8 plants.
Sue

[finefencer]

Hello all, a newbe to this site, and I must say the tomato is one of my fav's. From a very early age I have been a tom adict, and over the years I have grown many veriaties. The first would have been....gardeners delight...easy to grow...lots of toms. Then came tummbling tom....plant, feed and forget....thin skined...very good flavor......and then....RAFF.....WAW....try it to belive it.....

[Alice]

Sadly, Gardeners Delight have done next to nothing for me this year - or last year.
Red Cherry, Ilde and Tigerella have been brilliant.
I'm growing outdoors 56 degrees north in Scotland in what is at best an average summer.
Sometimes you just have to grow what you can grow.

[queen of the cobs]

I grew a few new varieties this year (i mean new to me) One in particular called Kimberley was a great producer and a very early variety. Don't ask me where to get seeds as i don't know, was just given a few by a friend, but i would recommend it. Has anyone grown this one?

Hi, did I send you the Kimberley? I know I sent it out to a few people and am a bit ashamed actually. As you say a really heavy cropper, and I think they look lovely (long trusses of cherry-shaped fruit with a 'nipple' on the end of each one) but the flavour has been really disappointing.

Thank goodness for the Galina, (yellow cherry) that someone sent me which has been so tasty. Let me know if anyone would like any seed, I'm saving heaps.

[Phreddy]

I think that I sent you that, Queenie. If you liked that you will love Golden Jubilee, I will send you some if you wish.
Surprised about Kimberley, I was hoping to grow it this year but the seed didn't arrive. - Not from you I hasten to add!
Do you a swap if you have any left

[Cutecumber]

Well I am not hugely impressed with the Ailsa Craig's I've tried for the first time this year.

They've cropped, but the fruits are quite hard with tough skin. Decent flavour, though, so I shall probably cook them. Interestingly, no greenback for which I understand they are famous.

As for the modern varieties...

Sungold - more impressed this year, more tangy than sweet.
Berry - very good again
Piccolo - new to me and just as good as the ones you can get in M&S!
Floridity - ok, very sweet
Suncherry - ok, very sweet
Vanessa - my greenhouse plant. Perfect round tomatoes which keep forever. Flavour ok, but I would say they are probably more for commercial production.

Gartenperle is sadly disappointing - a horrible looking plant with odd colour fruits. I wouldn't do it again.

Brandywine and San Marzano as massive plants as usual. Still to ripen.

[T-lady]

Gartenperle is sadly disappointing - a horrible looking plant with odd colour fruits. I wouldn't do it again.

Here here!