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Tumbling Tom
Tina_i_am
Posts: 173
in Fruit & veg
I've got three tumbling Tom and they look great with loads of foliage and numerous flowers. There's a few fruit in amongst the foliage, but I'm getting worried that it won't ripen under all that foliage. And I'm worried that all the toms are so well hidden I won't see any tomatoes and they'll rot.
What is your experience with this variety? Do you like it?
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I too have 3 of those and have lots of fruit which is ripening up because I have deleafed them partially to let some light in.. I have other varieties that are also doing ok once they have been partially deleafed too..
Last edited: 09 August 2017 19:34:31
I've had 3+ large bowlfuls of tumbling toms from 4 plants, 2 in hanging baskets (not as many toms) and 2 in containers which have produced rather more.
I made 2 pints of passata with one batch, tomato soup with another and added the other to mince and home grown veg to make bolognese sauce which has been frozen. I was picking the odd few in between for salads too when it was hot. Like most veg they were very hungry and needed to be picked in batches, I think the ripening may be slowing down now so I may be looking at chutney for the last lot.
Fingers crossed we have enough time for them to ripen up... they ripen well indoors too.
I have to say I pick my small toms when thry shoe orange rather than wait until red.. What with the odd weather dry spells followed by rain = split fruits.. The larger varieties I leave longer.. I have picked pounds and pounds already.. Little cherry types freeze whoe for use later in anything exept salads and sandwiches lol..
Last edited: 09 August 2017 20:10:54
As the season is getting short now remove leaves from all round the plant. If you carnt see them neither can the sun. It's ok to do this as I have grown Tom's for years this way and our short seasons and patchy sun don't help. It's not always warm enough to ripen Tom's without doing this and my Tom's have never suffered and I always have lots to pick. Just last night I picked 20 full sized Tom's so go for it. Best of luck.
So you say scroggin, but do you want them to ripen? Even on gardeners world he removed leaves so it causes no harm. I Have picked over 120 Tom's from only 15 plants how are you doing.
The only trouble with the dark ripened Tom's is they don't have the flavour of the vine ripened fruit. I made this mistake when first growing Tom's, left all the leaves on only removed old leaves and by the end of the season had a lot of unripe fruit . They never did very well and in the end were made into green tom chutney,which the family didn't like as much as the red, so I have since always given the fruit the best chance. Now with a greenhouse I can extend my growing season keeping heat and light for longer but outside heat is a problem so light is more important.