Sungold and Suncherry Premium are both doing well as usual and started ripening first (they'll probably be the last to finish cropping, too.) First few had tough skins but ok now and same lovely strong, sweet, tomato flavour as always. Black cherry and Gardeners Ecstasy now in full swing - both larger cherry types and lovely flavour. Had a few of the larger ones ripen - Black Russian, Gigante liscio, Super Marmande, all tasty. Still waiting for the first of Country Taste and Gigantomo to ripen, but they are 'turning'.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Picked a colander full of little yellow pear-shaped cherry toms yesterday - Poire Jaune - and they are delicious eaten fresh off the plant but I used most of them up for lunch making panzanella and they were just glorious with home grown cucumber, red onion, yellow pepper and herbs too.
The big beefsteak types - label still not found under the jungle - are making fabulous passata and have also been good as part of roasted med veggies. Never had such good toms before.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I was given various packets of seeds as presents over the last couple of years, tried Sweet Millions, didn't like it, others didn't do very well so used up the packets randomly, didn't really look after them, only potted on once, left on the floor of the conservatory untrained. They crawled around by themselves and have still produced a few tomatoes. The biggest surprise was a large plum tomato which did not do well cossetted, it has produced some really large fruit, have also had a rather nice striped one.
I grew Gigantimo and Maramande this year. Maramande did well and tasted good. Gigantimo were a dissapointment though grown in the same soil in the same greenhouse. No gigantic tomatoes, about of maramande size, from three plants shop nothing of real size as in T&M pictures. Won't bother again. I grew in a mix of garden compost and shop bought, feeding and watering well. The plants are about five feet tall.
I grew Maramande outside and inside - both crops good
I was given various packets of seeds as presents over the last couple of years, tried Sweet Millions, didn't like it, others didn't do very well so used up the packets randomly, didn't really look after them, only potted on once, left on the floor of the conservatory untrained. They crawled around by themselves and have still produced a few tomatoes. The biggest surprise was a large plum tomato which did not do well cossetted, it has produced some really large fruit, have also had a rather nice striped one.
Still sticking with my Gardeners Delight.
September's GW magazine News in Brief section says " Tomato 'Gardeners' Delight' has been stripped of its AGM following a trial by the RHS last year. It was thought to be too variable by the trials committee and 'not what it should be or once was'.
I've not grown it for a few years now, having replaced it with Sungold which I think has the sort of flavour GD used to have.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My dad used to grow gardeners delight, but stopped many years again, for that reason Dove. the little ones are ok for a bite sized snack and salads, but for slicing on toast on top a nice strong cheddar you can’t beat the JD or Roma. Same as for sauces, can’t cook the little ones as they seem to wilt down to an almost clear liquid with pips.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
This year, being very new to gardening, I watched a video on Youtube of an indian man who just sliced pieces of tomato and planted them in a bowl. I had a few delicious plum cherry toms on the vine from the supermarket so did a little experiment and sliced it up and waited to see what happened. A few weeks later, hundreds of seedlings appeared!
I chose about 6 of them and potted 3 into the new large planters I bought and 3 into a growbag and I wasn't sure if they would be the same as the parent but they have been, and they also taste just as nice!
Must stop buying more plants, repeat, must stop buying....
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The big beefsteak types - label still not found under the jungle - are making fabulous passata and have also been good as part of roasted med veggies. Never had such good toms before.
My choice is Gardeners Delight.
I was given various packets of seeds as presents over the last couple of years, tried Sweet Millions, didn't like it, others didn't do very well so used up the packets randomly, didn't really look after them, only potted on once, left on the floor of the conservatory untrained. They crawled around by themselves and have still produced a few tomatoes. The biggest surprise was a large plum tomato which did not do well cossetted, it has produced some really large fruit, have also had a rather nice striped one.
Still sticking with my Gardeners Delight.
I grew Maramande outside and inside - both crops good
September's GW magazine News in Brief section says " Tomato 'Gardeners' Delight' has been stripped of its AGM following a trial by the RHS last year. It was thought to be too variable by the trials committee and 'not what it should be or once was'.
I've not grown it for a few years now, having replaced it with Sungold which I think has the sort of flavour GD used to have.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
the little ones are ok for a bite sized snack and salads, but for slicing on toast on top a nice strong cheddar you can’t beat the JD or Roma. Same as for sauces, can’t cook the little ones as they seem to wilt down to an almost clear liquid with pips.
This year, being very new to gardening, I watched a video on Youtube of an indian man who just sliced pieces of tomato and planted them in a bowl. I had a few delicious plum cherry toms on the vine from the supermarket so did a little experiment and sliced it up and waited to see what happened.
A few weeks later, hundreds of seedlings appeared!
I chose about 6 of them and potted 3 into the new large planters I bought and 3 into a growbag and I wasn't sure if they would be the same as the parent but they have been, and they also taste just as nice!