spottedray, I'm with Bob Flowerdew on the feeding aspect. Not necessarily in terms of improving flavour because there's no real scientific reason for it.
But, as I've suggested here many times, toms thrive on controlled neglect, particularly in production terms. The flowers, hence fruit, are the plant seeking to reproduce itself. A plant is more likely to seek to reproduce itself if it feels threatened. A plant stuffed with water and fertiliser doesn't feel threatened. Toms are unbelievably sturdy plants. The last thing they need is pampering.
I always start a few tomatoes off in a heated propagator in January, along with the hottest chilli varieties. I like to grow lots of different tomatoes but think Sungold are one of the tastiest cherry toms, and Russian black do well and fruit early for me in Sussex.
I make my main sowing mid - end of February but put those early plants into the polytunnel as soon as i can, around the first week in April, no matter what the weather, drapped in fleece. Tough blighters, they always survive and give me fruit in June.
spottedray, others will be able to bring you up to speed on most of the varieties. The Roma, though, is a plum variety, best suited to sauces rather than nibbling on.
I've always sown mine early March, last year because the weather was so bad I ended up potting on 3 times before they went into unheated GH. Couldn't move for them in conservatory. Fine big healthy plants, treated them Italophile method, great crop, but they didn't ripen any earlier. This year I'm not sowing until start of April.
Spottedray, if the Red Cherry is from Franchi Sementi seeds of Italy it produces loads of large slightly plum shaped cherry toms that are a bit to mushy to eat as a salad type, but they do taste better when cooked, the plants I put in the ground grew to about 3foot wide and tall and needed lots of support. I would not grow this one again.
Principe Borghese is nicer, you can eat it as a salad type. Produces large cherry sized heart shaped fruits. Has a sharp taste and goes well with basil. Would grow again if I had the space. Also the version I had was a cordon which I stopped at about 7foot (as it curled over the greenhouse roof - the outside plant also did well stopped at 6foot)
Posts
spottedray, I'm with Bob Flowerdew on the feeding aspect. Not necessarily in terms of improving flavour because there's no real scientific reason for it.
But, as I've suggested here many times, toms thrive on controlled neglect, particularly in production terms. The flowers, hence fruit, are the plant seeking to reproduce itself. A plant is more likely to seek to reproduce itself if it feels threatened. A plant stuffed with water and fertiliser doesn't feel threatened. Toms are unbelievably sturdy plants. The last thing they need is pampering.
bigolob and verdun, good luck fellas!
I always start a few tomatoes off in a heated propagator in January, along with the hottest chilli varieties. I like to grow lots of different tomatoes but think Sungold are one of the tastiest cherry toms, and Russian black do well and fruit early for me in Sussex.
I make my main sowing mid - end of February but put those early plants into the polytunnel as soon as i can, around the first week in April, no matter what the weather, drapped in fleece. Tough blighters, they always survive and give me fruit in June.
Hi Louise.
I also find toms tough little blighters.
It makes me smile when they spring up in my tub of home made garden compost.
I've grown on a couple of them. Only problem is I don't which variety they are.
Can anyone comment on eating qualities/or not/ of any of these varieties-
Alicante
Ailsa Craig
Red Cherry
Shirley f1
Tumbling Tom Red
Principe Borghese
Sweet Million f1
Maskotka-cherry
Roma vf-
Thanks
spottedray, others will be able to bring you up to speed on most of the varieties. The Roma, though, is a plum variety, best suited to sauces rather than nibbling on.
I've always sown mine early March, last year because the weather was so bad I ended up potting on 3 times before they went into unheated GH. Couldn't move for them in conservatory. Fine big healthy plants, treated them Italophile method, great crop, but they didn't ripen any earlier. This year I'm not sowing until start of April.
On the naughty step Verdun.
Spottedray, if the Red Cherry is from Franchi Sementi seeds of Italy it produces loads of large slightly plum shaped cherry toms that are a bit to mushy to eat as a salad type, but they do taste better when cooked, the plants I put in the ground grew to about 3foot wide and tall and needed lots of support. I would not grow this one again.
Principe Borghese is nicer, you can eat it as a salad type. Produces large cherry sized heart shaped fruits. Has a sharp taste and goes well with basil. Would grow again if I had the space. Also the version I had was a cordon which I stopped at about 7foot (as it curled over the greenhouse roof - the outside plant also did well stopped at 6foot)