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Tomato plants in cold greenhouse

valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
in Fruit & veg
Has anyone found a quick early maturing variety to grow. I grow beef tomatoes usually but they seem to mature slowly. Valerie 
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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Stupice ripen early and are usually the first I pick.
    They also last well on the plant without splitting or rotting. I picked the first fruits in late June from a March sowing and picked the last of mine in early Nov!!
    They are a good flavoured potato leaved variety that were bred in Hungary (I think)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    Thanks @Pete.8. 
    Where do I get the seeds, I’ve never heard of this variety. Valerie 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Hi Valerie
    I used to buy them from https://www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk/ but they don't seem to have them this year. Fortunately I still have about 10 seeds from 2019.
    However, Premier Seeds also sell them
    https://www.premierseedsdirect.com/product/tomato-stupice-organic-bio-new/
    I buy most of my seed from Premier these days - good quality and good prices

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    Thank you @Pete.8
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Another one to consider is Rose de Berne - I discovered it 3 years ago and is the best flavoured tomato I've ever had. It's fine in a an unheated greenhouse.
    Simpsons sell them if you fancy giving them a try.
    Very thin skin, not a lot of seed and a fabulous colour - it does have HUGE leaves though

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    Probably next year @Pete.8 as I’ve just ordered stupice. It’s the early timing that’s important to me. Rose de Berne sounds lovely. My tomato seedlings marmande  are up to about an inch already as I give them a propagator and a large size electric bulb to make them think it’s a 13 hour day. Costs more than buying, but I’m interested in the taste as well. I know it sounds a bit daft but I grow my tomatoes in the ground soil with 3 inches of my compost added and I add all the ground up vitamins and minerals I have left over into the soil as well. I’m sure it helps. Valerie 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Good luck with them Valerie.
    I sow my tomatoes 1st week in March in a heated propagator in my unheated greenhouse. By the time they germinate, daylight is good enough and they get away well.
    Looking out of the window atm it is sooooo cold out there today. So cold in fact that my new boiler has a frozen pipe and won't work again until it's thawed out!
    Picking tomatoes seems so far away atm...
    I'll get back to shivering :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    @Pete.8 thanks Pete, I sowed 28th January and I expect to get beef tomatoes mid to late June. But stupice will be sown ASAP I get them. It will be interesting to see if they catch up or overtake. This is how I’m keeping Covid at bay. We live in south devon near the coastal path so this is a real shocker for us. It’s 2.4 degrees outside at the moment with the wind chill. Sorry to hear about your boiler, hang in there. Valerie 
  • johnjolaffertyjohnjolafferty Posts: 4
    @Pete8 A larger diameter pipe for the condensate can obviate the problem of freezing which blocks smaller diameter pipes.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks John - I noticed that as one option when searching for possible solutions. The pipework is toward the top of my house and faces ENE, and it was -6 here last night.
    Fortunately I have a great plumber.
    He said it's OK to let the condensate drip into a bucket for the time being, so I removed the drain pipe from the boiler and it's dripping into a bowl (although no drips at all since I fired it up 2 hrs ago). He's coming over next week to fit a condensate syphon which should solve the problem so long as it doesn't get below about -15C

    https://www.directheatingsupplies.co.uk/worcester-condensate-siphon-7716192746

    It's lovely and warm in here now and I've got hot water again :)
    All the best

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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