2013 Tomato Growing

Hi again.
As I said in another thread, I want to try a few different ones next year, different in terms of colour. I'm going to try 'Black Krim', and I'm thinking about a yellow variety? Anyone tried 'Golden Sunrise'? I had a few plants growing a few years ago, but they got hit by blight, so I didn't get to taste them. Maybe there's a better yellow one to try? Thing is, I'm going to be visiting a Garden Centre that in all probability will be selling their seed off cheap, so I need to draw up a list

 

Once again I'll mention 'Golden Pearl' Freddy. A yellow to orange cherry fruit, mild but good flavour and sweet, once I start on them it is in fact like eating sweets......a 'just one more' situation. Always my first plants to crop and always in abundance, they have never let me down. The picture below shows what they are up to this year, sorry not many ripe ones on there, I've picked them all!

 

I'm starting to get a few fruits and they taste better than ever. Although I've noticed something has been eating the leaves on my plants and also some of the fruits. Not a very good picture as I took this from the back of the greenhouse but theres this black stuff all over some of the plants.



Also can I remove some of the leaves on my plants? As it's getting quite difficult to see the fruit I have. I've noticed quite a few others have and wonder if I can do the same yet? I'm growing Gardeners delight. Should I leave a small amount of leaves on or just strip the plant bare of its leaves?

 

Hi JJ.

A bit difficult to tell from the pic, but my guess is it's Caterpillars attacking the foliage. I've not heard of Caterpillars attacking the fruits though, so could be Slugs, or maybe even a bird?
As for taking off the leaves, what I would do is take off all the damaged/knackered leaves first, then remove some more to a total of around a third? I know others here remove more, probably half.

Cheers...Freddy

 

Well where to start, seems that the Beefsteak are fruiting but have a lot of blossom rot on them.
The Plum toms (Roma) are doing really well, plenty of fruit which are ripening as we watch them.
The Vine toms (Shirley) have fruited, but again a touch of rot on the rip one. I shall have to wait until more ripen before giving a final verdict.
One final point is that the plants in the greenhouse seem to be doing better than those outside despite the watering that has been given to all and feeding too.
We can only wish for good fruit and not expect it.

 

Small pale green ones eat tomato leaves in my garden every year and the black stuff looks like caterpillar poo.

 

My entire crop of Black Cherry are at risk, thanks to caterpillars No matter how many I remove to the bird table, I still go in every morning to another batch of half nibbled toms. Any idea how I prevent this?

 

Any sign of eggs on the undersides of the leaves? If so you can rub them off. If not then they are crawling in from some other host (where you might be able to sort out the eggs)

 

Thanks for the info Shiney, but it's a bit late to tell me that. So, come on everyone, yellow tomato varieties please?

 

Seed Swap!