plum tomato variety ideas please?

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by jennylyn, Jan 29, 2011.

  1. jennylyn

    jennylyn Gardener

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    I would like a good prolific tomato plum variety for cooking Italian dishes and seem to have tried a different one every year without success - any suggestions on a good tasty variety to try please anyone? :scratch:

    I have tried growing them in the greenhouse and outdoors but never seem to get a good crop. I have no trouble with any others so must have tomato feeding/growing conditions ok.:th_scifD36:

    thanks Jen
     
  2. Poolcue

    Poolcue Gardener

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    I am trying San Marzano this year.

    I got them,some basil and courgettes plus 3 pots from Poundland.
     
  3. HarryS

    HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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    Hello Poolcue
    How much did they cost? :D

    sorry couldn't resist that one............
     
  4. Poolcue

    Poolcue Gardener

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    Sorry I lied it was the 99p shop.
     
  5. Steve R

    Steve R Soil Furtler

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    I've tried a few in recent years but all have produced fruits far too small for me and how I like to use them. I like to skin tomatoes before use in cooking and skinning 50 or so cherry toms for use in a sauce does not appeal to me.

    With the above in mind this year I'm trying a much bigger "paste" tom called Amish Paste, some write up's about this variety call it a giant plum type.

    You can read something about them here on GC http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/Thread-Amish-paste-tomato-update.html?highlight=armish

    Steve...:)
     
  6. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    I've grown plum toms in the past, I think outdoors is best for them.

    But not grown any for a while so would be interested to know if any new varieties are available these days.
    I think the last time I grew them I used a variety called "roma"
     
  7. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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    I grew ROSADA [Thompson & Morgan] last season in the Greenhouse with great success. It's a small, but not too small, very sweet plum tomato which gave me a fairly heavy crop. The taste was one of the best I experienced regarding tomatoes and I will be growing it, amongst others, this year. I would recommend it to you.
     
  8. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    I grew San Marzano a few years back in the greenhouse and only got one or two fruit. I've not tried since, so I'd be interested to hear how you get on growing these too.
     
  9. jennylyn

    jennylyn Gardener

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    Thank you for your reply Pete - I have tried Roma in the past as it was once recommended in Gardeners World...but I did not get much fruit from it. So - yes it's time to try some new varieties i think.:)


    [hr]
    Unfortunately there is nothing for £1.00 - down here in sunny (?) Cornwall...let alone 99p! :heehee: However might buy some San Marzano to try! Thanks.

    [hr]
    Yes - this one i must try, I do like a sweet tomato :)
     
  10. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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    one further point, JL, is pollination. As soon as the flowers on the plants were open and on a warm day I gently, and I do mean gently, shook the plant to encourage the pollination. One on the causes of a poor crop on tomatoes is a failure to ensure good pollination. Some people use different methods to ensure pollination and are successful but I find that gently shaking the plant on a warm day does the trick.
     
  11. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    I think Armandii has a good point, Jennylyn.

    I'd be interested as to why your not getting a good crop?


    Are the flowers not setting fruit or are you not actually getting the flowers in the first place?
     
  12. Makka-Bakka

    Makka-Bakka Gardener

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    .

    Hi!,

    Itilian tomatoes!

    Two years ago some company was advertising in the Telegraph "the sweetest tomato or your money back"!
    Only trouble was each pack cost £6 or four packs fo £20.

    Anyway I saw the same varieties Costoluto Florientino and Costoluto something else for sale in the local gardencentre.
    They were from Seeds Of Italy and cost I think £1.89 per packet with lots of seed in each!

    They were a total waste of time growing them, of 6 plants there were about 3 tomatoes (misshapen) on each plant very late on in the season, and they were completly tasteless.

    I threw the seeds out as I didn't want to be tempted to give them another chance and try again!

    Grown in a greenhouse they took up a lot of time and space for no return!

    Cheers
     
  13. jennylyn

    jennylyn Gardener

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    Hi - when I have grown ..I mean tried to grow....plum tomatos in the past, the plants have been healthy and grown well - but very little flower on some varieties, so not much fruit with some weird shapes and then on the 'Seeds of Italy Tomatoes' I got the same results as you Makka B.!
    I will however try again this year and try the pollination trick Amandii - so tomorrow i will go to our local G/C and see if i can get some of the varieties which have been suggested. I will trial some outdoors too as before i have only ever had them in the greenhouse. Pollination done the natural way should be better outside too probably.

    MANY MANY thanks everyone :dbgrtmb:- if all goes well i will be requesting some good 'Italian' recipes later in the season!! :heehee:

    Jen
     
  14. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    As I said I think outdoors is best.

    And I was never struck on the idea of growing toms that come from Italy, we cant compete with them on climate, so you need something thats suitable for shorter and cooler growing conditions.

    I also think personally a lot of the flavour is down to the growing conditions, rather than variety, but I know others might disagree.

    Too much water and feed :th_scifD36:
     
  15. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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    I agree with what you say, Pete, but don't forget some of the new plum tomatoes varieties [including Rosada] have never seen the shores of Italy and have been bred in the UK to cope with the crazy unreliable british summer! The only "thing" I've found with plum toms plants is that the very first top leaves ,while they're getting to the height of 2', seem to be coarse and very un-tomato like, which if you're not used to it can be eye-brow raising! But leaving the greenhouse door open on a warm day and giving the plants a gentle shake when the flowers are open, hopefully, will do the trick. But isn't that one of the beautiful things about gardening - the uncertainty of success and the cloud 9 feeling when you do succeed!!?
     
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