Very early Tomatoes

Anyone got advice about growing very early tomatoes?
There was some discussion about a year ago but I can�t find the thread. I�ve just got some Gardeners Delight germinated. I suspect I may be a bit late in getting them started but want to have a try. What I want to know is- (A.) Am I wasting my time? And (B.) Am I best to grow the plants as cordons or bushes?
The plants will be grown in a long south facing porch which is heated and never falls lower than about 15C.
Our present outdoor crop are still ripening indoors and should last until Christmas, but the thought of imported and tasteless toms from January to late June is too much to bear!

 

Hi DaveW, wouldn't call it advice, but my experience is that I have not found any worthwhile gain in starting tomatoes off early as the later crop seem to catch them up anyway, but as you already have a south facing and heated facility, you may be lucky!

I had tomatoes right up to mid January one year, but starting them off this early is an entirely different matter! In your circumstances it is probably worth a try though, I wish you luck!

I would grow them as cordons which I think makes it easier to deal with whitefly and to keep them healthily maintained. Any bush variety inside is a nightmare from a pest point of view I think!

Incidentally I grew Totem this year and they performed quite well I thought, very small bush variety in the greenhouse, so manageable, but you get big cherry toms on them. Was quickest to produce fruit and carried on longer than any other variety, which in my case was Gardeners Delight,and Gartenperle (in hanging baskets outside).

Another good one inside I grew last year was Balcony red or yellow, very compact but very small fruits.

If you lightly cook your tomato crop, you can freeze them like I do, and so have a supply that lasts me until about April. I have about 30 lbs of cherry toms in my chest freezer and find them wonderful on toast and marmite, and it brings back the taste of summer! :D

 

Thanks Dag. It's interesting what you say regarding varieties. Our GH toms finished 2 or three weeks before I lifted the outdoor crop of Gardeners Delight and hung them upside down in the GH to ripen. I've now stripped the vines and put the final toms in boxes indoors.
Last year we pickled a few jars of cherry toms and this year have used a dehydrator to dry and store several kilos - takes less space than freezing.
Oh the thought of toast, toms and marmite has got me salivating

 

Got a spare chest freezer so space is no problem, only takes seconds to reheat in microwave, never tried a dehydrator, we only like cherry toms as there is less water in them and therefore more taste. Not sure about putting water back though, would like to know how you get on with it?

Thinking about your growing situation, I think the worst thing is the lack of light at this time of year will of course mean that your plants are probably going to be very leggy and will need to be regularly rotated. Therefore you will start off with weak plants that will be more vulnerable to attack.

If your low angle sun (for this time of year) is clear of any plants and buildings I think you might find it worthwhile. But without direct sun on them all day, I doubt if it will work!

Would like to know how you get on, and I wish you luck!