2017 Tomato Growing

I believe they have better texture/flavour if ripened naturally, plus some of the smaller tomatoes will continue to grow to a size/stage where they'll be capable of ripening indoors.

So I prefer to leave them on the plant if possible, drastically reducing watering and removing most of the leaves, anything that wont have time to ripen and all dead/dying vegetation, still providing some ventilation and keeping a watch out for botrytis, and only cutting off any remaining fruit to ripen indoors when the first frosts are forecast.

This morning I've been really hacking at the leaves on my polytunnel tomatoes, plus removing any browning/yellowing leaves, pulling out plants that have finished cropping, clearing up the ground beneath, and closing up 50% of the side vents.

 

I've had some real beauties this year!!! Grew mainly black krim in the greenhouse and have had an exceptional crop - including 3 humongous ones weighing in at over 600grams!! And lots weighing in over 400 grams. Probably would have had better greenhouse crops if the greenhouse plants hadn't been fried in mid June. I went away and my SIL looked after my garden - and kept the greenhouse door firmly closed. Came back back to find every single developing tomato and flowers had dropped.
My outdoor crops of blight resistant Crimson Crush has been awesome. They've had the odd spot of blight but it's been exceptionally wet even for Wales but it hasn't really affected the crop. Big, tasty tomatoes and pretty good yield (better in the open ground than in pots)

 

nice to hear crimson crush is tasty

 

I have just checked seeds and I have 10 crimson crush so I will change next years plan from 5 crimson crush and 5 mountain magic, to 8 crimson crush and 2 mountain magic

 

I've not yet found a blight resistant tomato with a taste I like Was chatting to a tomato breeder at a flower show and he said yes, at the moment there is still a trade off between taste and blight resistance. Crimson crush is IMO the better of those for taste but mountain magic gives a better yield.
I grew both last year but chose not to grow either this year.

 

That's dissapointing

 

Blight's hit the greenhouse.



Cut back everything to give whats left a chance, keepin me eye on the plums as they're second generation grown from blighted seed





It's not got the ones on the bench yet

 

Game over? Poly tunnel butties' tomatoes.



Pulled and cut all the similar bits/leaves off mine.. if it is the dreaded b word, will it spread to peppers?

 

Looks like it's on the stems so yep

The toms won't keep long, so cut the ripe ones up, take the seeds out, pack into freezer bags an freeze em.

Peppers usually more resistant to it.

 

Pulled out/up all my tom plants yesterday. Remembered to thank them for putting on such a good show.

Slow cooker packed with tomatoes for making sauce and freezing.

 

I've always wanted to be able to take my own pic like this:




P.S. My only regret is that I couldn't get the 75% off yellow Tesco reduction sticker on the back of that soup in the photo!

 

@Scrungee now thats a WHOPper- make a family tin of soup

 

The beefsteaks are slowing down.




Two down but three still soldering on.




However, they just keep on coming.