Interesting about Harbinger as I tried it a few years ago: all leafy growth few fruits & a bit tough great taste though, one of my allotment friends said he had tried them & found the same. Maybe its our local conditions. I agree it is worth trying different varieties from time to time some work better than others, but every season is different. I grow some inside greenhouse and some outdoors.
2017 has been a strange year. I cut off the tops of the tomato plants in the greenhouse at 10ft due to the reach from a small step ladder. I left the top side shoots that formed afterwards and trusses are still forming everywhere. Has anyone noticed this continual growth?
I had several different types of tomato, roma and San Marzano in the greenhouse which have done well and a variety called precious which were free with other seeds. Precious were described as cherries on the packet but are more the size of grapefruit, however they have cropped well and are firm and tasty. On the allotment we grew ferlaine, described as blight resistant but they all keeled over and died, the crop looked to be huge but before they ripened thee dreaded blight struck.
We grew sungold in pots behind the greenhouse which did reasonably although I don't actually like them (my sister will only eat yellow tomatoes) and sweet millions behind the conservatory (sunny and sheltered). The ones outside were alright but gave up by the beginning of September.
So, a bit of a mixed bag in terms of success but I usually put any failure down to the grower and not making the right choices in regards to variety etc.
2017 has been a strange year. I cut off the tops of the tomato plants in the greenhouse at 10ft due to the reach from a small step ladder. I left the top side shoots that formed afterwards and trusses are still forming everywhere. Has anyone noticed this continual growth?
Having eaten most of the first crop I've been watching loads of cherry trusses forming above. However, about 60 per cent of them are half the size or less, is this normal? Also, due to the lack of consistent bright days I wonder if some them will stay green.
Having missed a few sneaky side shoots developing to full size I have seen some trusses only producing pea sized red ones (or yellow).
I think a lot will depend on where you are in the country and what the season brings. Sometimes the heat lingers on well into October sometimes not. This is why people like Monty on TV say it's better to cut your losses & clear them away & put in say, winter salads for example. You will only be able to judge this for yourself aver several years to see what happens for you. I am keeping mine going for now but they are still ripening & worth picking, from the greenhouse the out door ones are not really working anymore & the blight will get them in the next week so I am about to go & rip them all out. I will probably give up on the greenhouse ones by the end of September.
I'll stick with faith that we are still owed some decent sunny days this year for further ripening. I may not do salad lettuces this winter as many in the past haven't been used. The problem is with some veg is that a load of effort sometimes just isn't worth it. Eight 6 inch pots of pak choi when harvested and cooked shrunk to very little this year, so little for all the effort and potting on for one meal!
Despite nightly removing slugs from inside the greenhouse the peppers and aubergines were ruined. One success was Poona Kheera (Indian cucumbers) which won 'Best any other veg' section but upon eating one of the huge crop I realised I'm not very keen on them anyway, oh well...
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I agree Willbara. What I can't understand is why it is not readily available in most garden centres.
Interesting about Harbinger as I tried it a few years ago: all leafy growth few fruits & a bit tough great taste though, one of my allotment friends said he had tried them & found the same. Maybe its our local conditions. I agree it is worth trying different varieties from time to time some work better than others, but every season is different. I grow some inside greenhouse and some outdoors.
AS I SAY I USUALLY GROW ALICANTI INDOORS BUT I ALWAYS GROW TWO AILSA CRAIG AS WELL, MORE FOR OLD TIMES SAKE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
THIS YEAR THEY DID VERY WELL LIKE THE OTHER PLANTS IN THE GREENHOUSE.WHICH THIS YEAR WAS MONEYMAKER
THE HARBINGER OUTSIDE WAS UP AND CROPPING BEFORE BLIGHT HIT THE ALLOTMENT SITE
I THINK IT SEEMS MORE OF WHERE YOU LIVE THIS YEAR THAT HAS DETERMINED WHAT CROP YOU HAD.
2017 has been a strange year. I cut off the tops of the tomato plants in the greenhouse at 10ft due to the reach from a small step ladder. I left the top side shoots that formed afterwards and trusses are still forming everywhere. Has anyone noticed this continual growth?
I had several different types of tomato, roma and San Marzano in the greenhouse which have done well and a variety called precious which were free with other seeds. Precious were described as cherries on the packet but are more the size of grapefruit, however they have cropped well and are firm and tasty. On the allotment we grew ferlaine, described as blight resistant but they all keeled over and died, the crop looked to be huge but before they ripened thee dreaded blight struck.
We grew sungold in pots behind the greenhouse which did reasonably although I don't actually like them (my sister will only eat yellow tomatoes) and sweet millions behind the conservatory (sunny and sheltered). The ones outside were alright but gave up by the beginning of September.
So, a bit of a mixed bag in terms of success but I usually put any failure down to the grower and not making the right choices in regards to variety etc.
Yes mine are similar and I am getting extended growth new flowers & from the ends of the existing trusses of fruit.
pic not that clear but I have cut loads of excess growth off but it does not look like it.
Just tried the first of the fasciated toms, it was the first to ripen. Unusual flavour but quite good.
Having eaten most of the first crop I've been watching loads of cherry trusses forming above. However, about 60 per cent of them are half the size or less, is this normal? Also, due to the lack of consistent bright days I wonder if some them will stay green.
Having missed a few sneaky side shoots developing to full size I have seen some trusses only producing pea sized red ones (or yellow).
I think a lot will depend on where you are in the country and what the season brings. Sometimes the heat lingers on well into October sometimes not. This is why people like Monty on TV say it's better to cut your losses & clear them away & put in say, winter salads for example. You will only be able to judge this for yourself aver several years to see what happens for you. I am keeping mine going for now but they are still ripening & worth picking, from the greenhouse the out door ones are not really working anymore & the blight will get them in the next week so I am about to go & rip them all out. I will probably give up on the greenhouse ones by the end of September.
I'll stick with faith that we are still owed some decent sunny days this year for further ripening. I may not do salad lettuces this winter as many in the past haven't been used. The problem is with some veg is that a load of effort sometimes just isn't worth it. Eight 6 inch pots of pak choi when harvested and cooked shrunk to very little this year, so little for all the effort and potting on for one meal!
Despite nightly removing slugs from inside the greenhouse the peppers and aubergines were ruined. One success was Poona Kheera (Indian cucumbers) which won 'Best any other veg' section but upon eating one of the huge crop I realised I'm not very keen on them anyway, oh well...