I've got 20 plants on my terrace and two in the veg patch.
Italophile, we've eaten our first Soldackis - they were delicious,quite sweet with a real depth of flavour and so much more interesting than 'shop tomatoes' even expensive vine ripened ones! I did a 'blind tasting' with OH using pieces of a Soldacki and pieces of a shop bought beefsteak Jack Hawkins - absolutely no comparison - he identified the Soldacki 3 times out of 3 and loved the flavour.
Sadly the first fruit from the 'mystery' tomato tasted quite bland
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A couple of years ago we grew a couple of cherry type tomato plants that yielded some absolutely lovely round orange fruit, most no bigger than about 25 mm across.
They had a beautifully balanced, quite 'deep' sweet flavour with no trace of acidity.
'I've no idea what they were called but I found I could eat them easily - this from someone who doesn't particularly like tomatos especially shop bought ones.
David - you are not alone. I have 27 plants of 4 different varieties and in various locations around the garden. Some are under cover and some not. They were sown at different times and are all full of lovely green tomatoes refusing to ripen. I expected at least one combination of heat and light to work and have been at a loss as to what's wrong. Its my first year with a greenhouse.
My first yr of greenhouse growing, so HAD to try toms. Have most yrs outside but with little success. I grew Roma, Moneymaker, Red Cherry, and tried 2 from supermarket fruits that I had liked, San marzano, and an un-named Morrisons value cherry tom. Have had excellent ripening, and still have some growing that will stay on plant as long as poss as everyday some are still ripening, although it has slowed down now.
Strangely, my best crops came from the seed of shop boughts from last yr. Although the San Marzano were hge fruits compared to the tiny plum cherries they were taken from, the flavour was actually better, and they made a lovely pasta/pizza sauce.
Re ripening, I have read that you should firstly remove the plants from the supports and lay them along the ground. Can't figure how this can work, ( I like to know why something works!) and presume that is for greenhouse ones. You don't say whether yours are in or out.
Another reliable way is to place them in a drawer, box or sack with a ripe banana, as the ethylene gas released by the banana causes ripening. This is why you should hang bananas well away from your fruit bowl unless you have fruit that needs to ripen. Most fruits release this gas in varying amounts, once picked, but the banana has most. I have tried this in the past with my few outdoor toms, and it does work, although like most forced fruits, the flavour is inferior. If indoors, I would leave them on the plant as long as poss before resorting to the banana method. After all of that, there are many excellent recipes for green tomato chutney on the web, and if you put it in a nice jar it makes a great present!
Birdy, could the variety you had be 'Sungold?' They are available from T&M and are advertised as being very sweet. I believe that at one time they were advertised as the sweetest 'or your money back'. I intend to try them next yr to try to get my boys to eat them!
A couple of years ago we grew a couple of cherry type tomato plants that yielded some absolutely lovely round orange fruit, most no bigger than about 25 mm across.
They had a beautifully balanced, quite 'deep' sweet flavour with no trace of acidity.
'I've no idea what they were called but I found I could eat them easily - this from someone who doesn't particularly like tomatos especially shop bought ones.
Anyone got any idea of possible names please?
And am I right that moneymaker is red not orange?
Yes, Moneymaker is red. Your mystery tom might have been Sungold. They're incredibly sweet. Here's Sungold. Ring any bells?
Harge and david, ripening is purely down to temperature. Direct sunlight on the fruit isn't necessary. Ripening is an internal chemical process for the tom. The plant plays no actual role.
Optimum temps for ripening are anything above low-20sC. They will ripen at lower temps but, obviously, take longer the lower the temperature is. If your daytime temps get down to consistent low teens, you're better off taking the toms off the plants and taking them inside where it will be consistently warmer. A kitchen bench or similar is ideal. Sit the toms upside down, on their shoulders, to avoid bruises developing on the blossom (bottom) end.
Sadly the first fruit from the 'mystery' tomato tasted quite bland
Are they all developing the same shape? They seemed to vary between heart-shaped and round/oblate in that photo. If the shapes are varying it's a cross. What colour are they?
Yes, they're varying between an almost plum and heart-shaped. They're orange with greenish shoulders - lovely colour but as I said tastewise quite bland.
I took some photos of the first one but I'm having camera trouble - it keeps draining the battery within a few shots - I got a new battery but the problem continues so it's the camera - probably need a new one
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thought my "black" toms wouldn't ripen either, now they're all turning at once! Am completely swamped with Tumbling Toms, have decided to give one pot to neighbour so he can pick them himself!
Yes, they're varying between an almost plum and heart-shaped. They're orange with greenish shoulders - lovely colour but as I said tastewise quite bland.
I took some photos of the first one but I'm having camera trouble - it keeps draining the battery within a few shots - I got a new battery but the problem continues so it's the camera - probably need a new one
Well, I've never kept any plum seeds and the only heart I have is Anna Russian. If they're orange ... there shouldn't be a pink in the mix because pink is a recessive colour gene and AR is a pink. You'd have to think a yellow/gold in the mix with a red. My yellow/golds are Kellogg's Breakfast, Jaune Flammeé, Golden Queen and Jaune Negib, none of which are hearts.
Posts
I've got 20 plants on my terrace and two in the veg patch.
Italophile, we've eaten our first Soldackis - they were delicious,quite sweet with a real depth of flavour and so much more interesting than 'shop tomatoes' even expensive vine ripened ones! I did a 'blind tasting' with OH using pieces of a Soldacki and pieces of a shop bought beefsteak Jack Hawkins - absolutely no comparison - he identified the Soldacki 3 times out of 3
and loved the flavour.
Sadly the first fruit from the 'mystery' tomato tasted quite bland
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A couple of years ago we grew a couple of cherry type tomato plants that yielded some absolutely lovely round orange fruit, most no bigger than about 25 mm across.
They had a beautifully balanced, quite 'deep' sweet flavour with no trace of acidity.
'I've no idea what they were called but I found I could eat them easily - this from someone who doesn't particularly like tomatos especially shop bought ones.
Anyone got any idea of possible names please?
And am I right that moneymaker is red not orange?
David - you are not alone. I have 27 plants of 4 different varieties and in various locations around the garden. Some are under cover and some not. They were sown at different times and are all full of lovely green tomatoes refusing to ripen. I expected at least one combination of heat and light to work and have been at a loss as to what's wrong. Its my first year with a greenhouse.
My first yr of greenhouse growing, so HAD to try toms. Have most yrs outside but with little success. I grew Roma, Moneymaker, Red Cherry, and tried 2 from supermarket fruits that I had liked, San marzano, and an un-named Morrisons value cherry tom. Have had excellent ripening, and still have some growing that will stay on plant as long as poss as everyday some are still ripening, although it has slowed down now.
Strangely, my best crops came from the seed of shop boughts from last yr. Although the San Marzano were hge fruits compared to the tiny plum cherries they were taken from, the flavour was actually better, and they made a lovely pasta/pizza sauce.
Re ripening, I have read that you should firstly remove the plants from the supports and lay them along the ground. Can't figure how this can work, ( I like to know why something works!) and presume that is for greenhouse ones. You don't say whether yours are in or out.
Another reliable way is to place them in a drawer, box or sack with a ripe banana, as the ethylene gas released by the banana causes ripening. This is why you should hang bananas well away from your fruit bowl unless you have fruit that needs to ripen. Most fruits release this gas in varying amounts, once picked, but the banana has most. I have tried this in the past with my few outdoor toms, and it does work, although like most forced fruits, the flavour is inferior. If indoors, I would leave them on the plant as long as poss before resorting to the banana method. After all of that, there are many excellent recipes for green tomato chutney on the web, and if you put it in a nice jar it makes a great present!
Birdy, could the variety you had be 'Sungold?' They are available from T&M and are advertised as being very sweet. I believe that at one time they were advertised as the sweetest 'or your money back'. I intend to try them next yr to try to get my boys to eat them!
Yes, Moneymaker is red. Your mystery tom might have been Sungold. They're incredibly sweet. Here's Sungold. Ring any bells?
Harge and david, ripening is purely down to temperature. Direct sunlight on the fruit isn't necessary. Ripening is an internal chemical process for the tom. The plant plays no actual role.
Optimum temps for ripening are anything above low-20sC. They will ripen at lower temps but, obviously, take longer the lower the temperature is. If your daytime temps get down to consistent low teens, you're better off taking the toms off the plants and taking them inside where it will be consistently warmer. A kitchen bench or similar is ideal. Sit the toms upside down, on their shoulders, to avoid bruises developing on the blossom (bottom) end.
Are they all developing the same shape? They seemed to vary between heart-shaped and round/oblate in that photo. If the shapes are varying it's a cross. What colour are they?
Yes, they're varying between an almost plum and heart-shaped. They're orange with greenish shoulders - lovely colour but as I said tastewise quite bland.
I took some photos of the first one but I'm having camera trouble - it keeps draining the battery within a few shots - I got a new battery but the problem continues so it's the camera - probably need a new one
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thought my "black" toms wouldn't ripen either, now they're all turning at once! Am completely swamped with Tumbling Toms, have decided to give one pot to neighbour so he can pick them himself!
Well, I've never kept any plum seeds and the only heart I have is Anna Russian. If they're orange ... there shouldn't be a pink in the mix because pink is a recessive colour gene and AR is a pink. You'd have to think a yellow/gold in the mix with a red. My yellow/golds are Kellogg's Breakfast, Jaune Flammeé, Golden Queen and Jaune Negib, none of which are hearts.
A complete and utter mystery.