THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

Mine aren’t troubled by that thankfully but I do tend to get one or two even though I use Epsom salts when I plant

 

Since I started giving my plum tomatoes a couple of feeds of this stuff they've never suffered from BER again.

 

Thanks to all those who recommended Orange Paruche as an alternative to Sungold last year. We really like their sweet and tangy flavour and will be growing them again next year. They have a Brix of 8 compared to Sungold's 9, so less sugar content.

Cherry Falls are 6.5 Brix.

 

No megablooms in 2017, but have several that have set this year, this 4 lobed tomato (approx. 4.5" dia.) is about to be encased in white cloth to delay ripening and keep out tomato moths. All the other fruits on that truss have been removed, but I've left one above it to save seed from (as megablooms can have exposed bits and get cross pollinated).

 

Lol. Never had an Epsom salt bath! Might try that!, ive just conducted a thorough google research and have come to the conclusion that it can actually promote BER! I always pour any left over milk into the watering can and also use powdered milk on my toms. Rarely get BER and then only on the first few.

 

I just knew Scrungee would be up for biggest tomato, I ain't given up yet, just hope his hand is smaller than mine! (I'll get a piccy of mine tomorrow if possible) BUT I still think I have a world record "truss" all starting to ripen.

Manx Marvel experiment (growing as a determinate) not such a disaster, smaller fruits but much tastier (8/10) than previous years (could be the recent weather?)

BTW Scrunge, what variety is yours?

 

But why would anyone want an enormous tomato?! I'm happy with my little and moderately sized juicy ones.....they're the most tasty, which is after all the reason most of them grow them.

 

I have grown Orange Paruche this year for the first time as a recommended alternative to Sun Gold which I have grown for 15 years or more. True it doesn't split although the flavour isn't as good. I still don't like the skins on the smaller toms though.

Gardeners Delight hasn't the flavour or tang that it used to have as members here have said.

I had to get a replacement for a snapped GD in early June and found a good size healthy Nimbus, never grown it before so I have yet to see what it is like as it's not ripe yet, anyone else grown it?

The excessive heat it the greenhouse even with doors, vent, and louvres open seems to have brought the ripening on so much that three trusses on each plant are ripening at once, Too much too soon.

 

Hmmmm - I’m up for a challenge. I’ve got a truss of 8 black krim just starting to colour up. They’re all HUGE!!

 

When we had the last long heatwave summer, all my loads of bush tomatoes ripened by the end of August, producing a huge glut. Luckily I didn't take the tops out of my much smaller amount of outdoor cordons above the 4th truss so managed to get some from them during September.

I've planted some smaller tomato plants (from cuttings) in polytunnels in the hope the warm weather continues into the autumn and produce some September to October tomatoes, as my earlier plants will be up in the polytunnel apex by the 1st week in August and it gets a bit too toasty for them up there.

 

Add type? I like to make sure I have a mix of different sizes/uses.
I'd perhaps clarify yield....do you mean production, or do you mean harvested usable? Some varieties produce a lot with radial cracks or are prone to splitting. Both of which can be very important depending on what you plan to do with your tomatoes.
I'd perhaps add a column on growth: indeterminate/semi/determinate, and perhaps blight resistance. I'm not a fan of crimson crush (too mushy and not best flavour when slightly underripe), but maybe we should be growing one blight resistant variety each year.
And have F1 as a column because they need repurchasing each year.

 

How’s this for a giant truss!! There’s actually 8 Black Krims here, each one as big as my hand!