Tomato Growing Thread 2012

The usual information about saved tomato seeds storage periods seem to be on the conservative side. Stored correctly, seeds which are as old as fifteen years seem to have respectable germination percentages.
Also, on saving seeds, fermenting them until they become antisocial seems to be a load of baloney. Recent studies indicate that fermenting them longer than 48 hrs reduces germination percentage. From personal experience I have found that fermenting them for 24 hours and then cleaning them in a wire sieve followed by drying them on a plate for a couple of weeks resulted in a very respectabe germination percentage.

Nearly time to open Tomato Growing Thread 2013. It has to be better than 2012.

Kevin

 

I intend getting some mini-bush tomato seeds in next week for very early 2013 toms grown under lights. I might also sow a few very early Sungold cordon toms to provide some 'Mother' plants to take cuttings from and see whether they will flower/fruit lower (as they did in a trial earlier this year) and give me earlier toms than those grown the normal way.

 

Have stickied the new thread

 

My very last tomato of 2012 - Auld Sod, and old Irish non-F1 variety that caught blight out in the open (along with everything else) this year, but not at home where I had a back up plant for seed saving

 

Thanks John, I've just found the date on the packet.....sow by June, 2015, so that answers my question.

There's an unusual selection in the packet, I've only heard of three of them........

Blood Butcher
Christmas Grape
Golden Cherry
Tanaki
Yellow Debut
Garden Peach
Red Zebra
Snowberry
Sultana
Tangella
Tigerilla

A good selection but there's only 1 or 2 seeds of each, so if they fail there's none to fall back on. But hey ho! They're free, so I'll nurture them and see what comes up. I may grow a few this year, but will have to take the staging out of my greenhouse to fit them in. I've got a large carport that I would use but it doesn't get any sun. Hmmm I've got some thinking to do.

 

Blimey Sheal...i don't know best part of those....can't wait to follow your progress

 

I've only got an 8 x 6ft greenhouse Loli so things are going to be tight. I'm yet to look them up myself and find out what they are.

 

My Tomatoes were rubbish this year, I tried the hanging basket ones and they failed miserably, grew straight up and then had rot on the stems and died off

 

Everybody suffered this year Matthew with all aspects of gardening, the weather just wasn't good enough. Various GC members lost there tomatoes and potatoes to blight and other crops proved difficult too. Other plants tended to 'gallop' away but were late to bloom. Fingers crossed for next year.

 

I grew some jersey devils this year, which where quite successful and they look as good as they taste. My problem is the seeds I kept for next year where put in the bin by my wife by mistake! Struggling to find them again at the moment, the person I got them from in the states has sadly passed away. Any thoughts anyone.

 

Found this.

http://www.localharvest.org/jersey-devil-op-heirloom-tomato-seeds-C21253

 

http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/garden-shop/seeds/vegetables-salad/tomato-jersey-devil-10-seeds

 

Brilliant, I never thought of Nickeys as I've not used before. The ones from the states worked out far to expensive if they would even posted them.
Thanks again