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Outdoor planting

Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267
in Fruit & veg
Can you suggest tomarto and chilli varieties which can be grown outdoors which you've tried. Also has snyone tried cumelons outdoors and hiw did they fare 

Posts

  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    It depends on where you live but, for example, up here Ferline tomatoes grow reasonably well but the weather here is so unpredicable that it's a waste of time growing outdoors. 
    Last year I tried cucamelon plants in the unheated greenhouse and they were a waste of time. Very few fruits that only grew to about half an inch and not even half the thickness of a pencil. 

    I guess down south such things would do better. 
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I can grow tomatoes outside but don't because of the risk of blight wiping out the entire crop.   Fortunately, we have a polytunnel which means I can grow them in there with chillies.

    I grew cucamelons one year.  Waste of time and space even here where it's warm enough for them to do well.  Small, fiddly fruits and not a lot of flavour.

    We've also tried melons but they were no better than the ones grown locally and needed a lot of TLC.   Cucumbers do well tho and are worth it.
    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)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The location is the key factor. Not possible for toms to grow successfully outside here, but it's not the case further south. However - as @Obelixx has said - blight was a big problem last year in particular, so you might have to consider that too. 
    I'm not sure cucamelons can go outside at all, but I could be very wrong. I don't think many folk can grow chillies outside either. It's also to do with the length of the season - light etc, as well as heat.

    Some of the forum members who grow outside normally might be able to offer suggestions :
    @BobTheGardener , @Pete.8  both grow lots of veg, so they might be able to help :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I used to grow toms outside successfully here is Essex behind my shed which faced due south so got plenty of sun.
    Gardener's Delight always done well, but I'm not sure the seed available now are the same as those I grew about 15 yrs ago.
    I also grew Roma - which also done well outside, and Maskotka - which is a bush/tumbler variety.
    I've never grown cucamelons.
    I had great success growing Super Chili outside on my south-facing patio.

    I think this is Gardener's delight in 2011


    Super Chili also 2011


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I have grown sungold outside here in Denmark, but they were up against a southfacing wall and partially sheltered by a roof overhang. Chillis require even more heat I can't even get them hot in a greenhouse so they would really not work outside where I am.
    For tomaotes go for a cherry type or a determinate type those are the most likely to be successful in non perfect conditions.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    I had success in Surrey with a variety of cherry sized tomatoes.  I grew them in an open cheap plastic greenhouse shelving thing against a south wall.  Two grow bags smashed and sat up on end (rather than their side).. cut the top off and plant into that, one plant per bag.. two per greenhouse.  Once it got really hot at the end of summer I removed all the plastic, but left it supported in the frame (which I had wired together when I first set it up - against spring winds).  
    Utah, USA.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It looks like you'll just have to do a bit of experimenting @Zoomer44. Sometimes that's the easiest way to see what works for you.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I'm in the Midlands so another area with a different climate to north/south.
    I have grown Black cherry and sungold tomatoes outside with good crops, but to get them you still have to start them off inside and have them ready ( about 30cm tall) by end of May to plant out. Otherwise the season is too short to get a good crop.
    As for cucumbers the best I have had were mini cucumber Beth Alpha,  but even then you get less of a crop than in a greenhouse per plant, as they take longer to grow/ripen, sounds like cucamelons are not a good outdoor choice, but I haven't tried them.
    It all depends on how much time/room you have @Zoomer44
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