THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

GC members I hope your doing your Beefy Tomatoes...those are my favourites with some tongue on sandwiches

 

I've just finalised my tomato seed list for 2018, and I'm going for even fewer varieties than last year [1]

OUTDOOR

Bush

Red Alert F1 (early cropping, salad size fruits, sown in three successional batches, first for early toms started off in pots in polytunnel then put outside when conditions permit, second planted outdoors, third in pots and brought under cover when getting chilly outdoors )

Tumbler F1 For containers at home

POLYTUNNEL

Cordon

Suncherry F1 (sweet cherry toms, tougher skins than Sungold so less susceptible to splitting, good for picking whole trusses of ripe fruits for 'tomatoes on the vine')

Floridity F1 (for village show)

Shirley F1 (rather bland, but only sufficient for the show)

Orange Paruche F1 Bought when 50% off at Hombase last year to check how they compare againt Sungold for taste, sweetness and splitting.

Sungold F1 Just a few to compare against Orange Paruche

Plum tomatoes - haven't decided on variety yet EDIT 1 - Ordered San Marzano 2 from Premier @ 99p/pkt delivered, might try another one, must have bigger plums than @Zigs this year EDIT 2 - Ordered Long Tom and Harry's Italian from Victoria. All 3 packets now received.

Giant (for heaviest tomato class)

Dan McCoy strain (World Record)

Fabrice Boudyo strain (UK Record)


[1] But I'm toying with tbe idea of a third 3m x 6m (10' x 20') polytunnel

 

Looking back at my growlist, it appeared lacking in non-F1s, and although I have plenty of saved heirloom seeds thought I'd try something different, so ordered

www.victoriananursery.co.uk/Tomato_Seed_Long_Tom



Tomato Seed 'Harry's Italian Plum'



Those should provide some interest in attempting to grow big 'plum' tomatoes, plus I'm hoping they'll look attractive after stuffing. I used to grow so called blight resistant Ferline for stuffing, but they started getting blighted grown outside, and didn't thrive in polytunnels (as others have said).

 

Hi All,

So ive never had a greenhouse before, but have one now and its going to have sun for pretty much most of the day. I grew cherry toms in my conservatory last year in my old house and some F1 outside, but my new house is going to be much more favourable for toms, so when should I sow for greenhouse growing?

Ta

 

@Scrungee

Go large...Triple Span Commercial Polytunnel manufactured by Fordingbridge (Polyhouses.com) | eBay

Go on...you know you want to...

Steve...

 

Too big, I 'm thinking of putting a new one up at the plot on fresh ground as my oldest needs a new cover and the soil inside is getting beyond growing tomatoes in for a while, but as I will probably be moving to another plot don't want anything bigger than what's already there.

My plan is to get new tunnel ready for (mainly) tomatoes by the beginning of May, then spend the summer dismantling the old one and moving it to my garden which will require some major reorganisation of our back garden. Then with one at home it'll be immensely useful making the move from my plot to another (fairly close) location.

 

Big Zac
Manx marvel
San Marzano
Gardeners Delight

and I thought I'd give gigantomo a try.

 

You just cannot beat a home grown delicious tomato?

Just DON'T fridge them.

 

Transplanted my first sowings into 7cm pots yesterday. Here's my likely growlist for this year:

Variety Colour Growth Size Shape Maturity
0-33 Regular Semi-determinate Salad Flattened, irregular Early
42 days Regular Bush Salad Regular Early
Alicante Regular Vine Salad Regular Mid-season
Altaiskiy Oranzhevyi Yellow Vine Large Flattened, irregular Mid-season
Black Russian Black Vine Large Slightly flattened Mid-season
Black Russian x Bloody Butcher F2 Black Vine Large Regular Early
Black Trifele Black Vine Salad Pear Late
Bloody Butcher Red Vine Salad Regular Early
Cherry Baby Regular Vine Small Cherry Mid-season
Chocolate Sprinkles Black (red w green stripes) Vine Small Cherry Early
Dagestanskiy Pink/purple Vine Large Heart Late
Dark Galaxy Red with blue stripes in sun Vine Salad Regular Mid-season
Garnet Black Vine Small Baby plum w elongated tip Mid-season
Green Zebra Green with yellow stripes Semi-determinate Small Regular Late
Jaune Negib Yellow Vine Salad Flattened, fluted Mid-season
Orange Paruche F1 Regular Vine Small Cherry Mid-season
Rosella Black (pink) Vine Small Cherry Mid-season
Svart Black Vine Salad Regular Mid-season
Teton de Venus Orange/red Tall Large Heart Mid-season
Traveler Pink/purple Vine Salad Regular Mid-season
Volvograd Regular Bush Salad Flattened, irregular Early