Sungold gets one last chance next year with the seed that's left in the packet, and will be treated meaner! I want to like the taste because they look so nice.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Another vote for Sungold here. Have just ordered some Shirley, Rosella and Marmande seeds for next year thanks to this thread, but will also grow our stalwarts of Sungold and Gardener's Delight.
Did anybody grow the free tomato seed given this years G W, I have been disappointed in the yield not like the free ones last year, I had more plants from this years seeds with less yield.
Just picked up this thread. I agree that weather, feeding, soil, etc all affect taste more than you might think. James Wong suggests feeeding soluble aspirin, which does seem to make tomatoes taste better. I use comfrey as fertiliser and grow in the greenhouse border rather than pots or growbags, replacing the soil mixed in with good home-made compost and muck every year. I don't grow Gardener's Delight any more but have for several years enjoyed Sungold (mostly eaten before they reach the kitchen...just as well because they tend to split) and Tigerella. A good cherry plum tomato is Santonio F1 which is a very strong grower and heavy cropper with a great flavour. They are slightly thicker-skinned so keep very well. I also tried the beefsteak Big Daddy this year and was impressed, and for outdoor growing, especially in pots, Sweet Million is good.
Also Sungold. A sweet, orange cherry Tom. Produced masses of fruits last year, and kept going for much longer than my other 3 varieties. Every year I try one new variety and discard one. Sungold has been the only one to hold its place for several years. It’s not F1 so I save the seed every year.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
Over watering and over feeding can often result in many varieties losing their flavour. Breeders these days also seem to be convinced that toms always need to be sweet and often forget the "tang" that makes a tomato a tomato. I've not heard of using Aspirin - James Wong usually knows what he is talking about but I'm not convinced in this case ( unless the Tomato complains of a headache of course 1 ). Grown well, a decent flavoured tom should be exactly that so would not require any additions to "enhance the flavour".
This year, it'll be Bloody Butcher (for the 3rd year running), Tigrella (for the second) and Brandywine, first time. BB ripened the earliest (Though pooch ate the first one ) Tigrella next (and grandkids loved the stripes!) Ailsa Craig was the good all rounder. Last year, in our new polycarb greenhouse, I had the best crop ever. Even outside, Tigrella did well, though a little tough skinned. I even managed an abstract painting of a haul of them as a reminder!!
Posts
Thanks to recommendations, this is my list for this year:
Stupice
Rosella - going to try again
Red Cherry - going to try again
Brandywine Red
Sweet Aperitif
Big Rainbow
I haven't been able to find Rose de Berne.
https://www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk/acatalog/Rose-de-Berne-S_TOM077.html
It's where I bought mine.
The pic they have is nothing like what grows - it has big leaves. The truss was so heavy it pulled away from the main stem
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Breeders these days also seem to be convinced that toms always need to be sweet and often forget the "tang" that makes a tomato a tomato.
I've not heard of using Aspirin - James Wong usually knows what he is talking about but I'm not convinced in this case ( unless the Tomato complains of a headache of course 1 ).
Grown well, a decent flavoured tom should be exactly that so would not require any additions to "enhance the flavour".
BB ripened the earliest (Though pooch ate the first one
Tigrella next (and grandkids loved the stripes!)
Ailsa Craig was the good all rounder.
Last year, in our new polycarb greenhouse, I had the best crop ever.
Even outside, Tigrella did well, though a little tough skinned.
I even managed an abstract painting of a haul of them as a reminder!!