Rate Your Tomato Varieties

I tried grafted Elegance with ungrafted ones and predictably the grafted plants were a lot more vigorous. The taste from either is the same but the grafted ones produced more and slightly larger tomatoes. However, the ungrafted Elegance compared well in vigour to any other varieties I grew this year.

I also tried Sungold F1 with an OP version Sungold Select II. The Select II produced identical looking small yellow tomatoes which taste quite similar but less sweet. I suspect that most people would prefer the Sungold F1s in a taste test.

Gardeners Delight was prone to a lot of splitting this year - and since no other variety split - I am at a bit of a loss as to how to ammend the watering regime.

I also tried two varieties from saved seeds of supemarket tomatoes of unnamed varieties (possibly F1s?). One has proved to be a very vigorous plant with plenty of fairly large tomatoes of pleasant taste - but is spoiled by a tough skin and texture. The other is not so vigorous but produces very pleasant tasting smallish tomatoes very similar to Gardeners Delight but without the splitting habit. I will definitely grow this one again.

 

Great post there - with loadsa piccies! Good old Gardeners Delight is staying the course. Still plenty of life in the old dog. I think I will give it a try next year.
Oh for a "proper" Summer.....
Thank you, John.

 

So far this year I've tasted 3 of my 6 varieties; Ildi and Red Pear are both new for me, they both look great, but I was disappointed with the Red Pear, a very bland flavour and a low yield (3/10) where as Ildi was lovely and sweet and plentiful (9/10), I'll be growing this one again next year.. The third was Roma, I've grown it before and its lovely done in the oven with a bit of seasoning (8/10).....

 

I'm going to try a few unusual and different (for me) varieties next year, for fun and interest as much as anything; I'm sifting through this website and am really spoilt for choice; http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_tomatoes, I posted a link for it last year commenting on the amazing number of varieties they have available, so here it is again...have a peek

 

Hiya John, thanks for your much anticipated assessment

I was a bit surprised at your assessment of the Ferline, in as much as you sound slightly disappointed by them, although I do note that you are growing them again next year. I found they were a quite meaty/firm, yet tasty tomato. One thing I notice from the pic, is that your Ferline SEEMS to be round, whereas mine looked like your 'New Girl'.

Some of my Sungold too have been very small this year, but the ones that were a 'proper' size tasted as good as ever. The Rosada also varied in size, and again it was the 'proper' sized ones that tasted best, bearing in mind I use these for frying/roasting. Uncooked they are quite bland, I think, but once cooked, oh boy!

All of my outdoor toms were destroyed by the blight, although I did manage to try a couple of Ildi. Hmm, wasn't too impressed by those, as I found them to be very acidic/sharp. But given the conditions this year, maybe it isn't a fair test? ALL of my outdoor ones grew very slowly...

Bilbo, there's some wonderful looking toms at that w/s you posted. If only I could buy loads more seed I already have my seed for next year...so it's onwards and upwards...cos next year is gonna be a cracker

Cheers...Freddy

 

Ever the Optimist is a GC gardener. Course its gonna be better next year!! I've got to grow Gardeners Delight haven't I?
Jenny

 

Don't waste your time Gardeners Delight, it's Sungold you need

 

If they come with guaranteed Sunlight, I'm very interested Freddy.

 

Who needs sunlight when we have you around? Ain't I sweet?

 

Ain't I sweet?
yes you are Poppet, you've made my day. Wanna swap Sungold for Maskotkas?
Jenny

 

I agree - they're the tastiest/sweetest cherry tom by far. I'll often have a small bowl of them by themselves as a snack. But I like them what some people might regard as slightly under-ripe to give them a bit more 'bite' before too much of the acid turns to sugar. I've just taken a reading from some juice form a really ripe one using a refractometer and got a whopping 9 Brix.

 

Hmmm i think i'll give Sungold a go myself next year...sorry to be ignorant Scrungee but what are Brix...always learning

 

Brix A refractometer is a really useful tool for anybody growing fruit to checkout sugar contents prior to harvesting - it's what the 'Man from Delmonte' will use to check before he says "Yes".

 

So... i know this sounds stupid but do you push a probe into it to test it....sorry for being such an ignoramus...thing is how sweet is sweet...i love a tomatoe when it's quite ripe...just ready for 'going over'...