I grew Red Robin (cherry) and Gardeners Delight (cordon) last year. The red robin was fantastic, very compact plant which meant I could grow a few in the greenhouse and some outside too, both did well. I wouldn't put it in a hanging basket though (which it says is possible on the packaging).
I sowed in January and was picking tomatoes from June to October. They just kept coming. Wasn't so keen on the Gardener's Delight though. I'm sowing at the weekend!
I am still eating the last of my tomatoes. I have 7 left now!
I chose to grow an assortment of Dobies grafted tomatoes, 3 per grow bag. 5 bags. I sold pounds in aid of a church hall & plenty for us. Sungold is my long term favourite but also grew moneymaker, gardeners delight, Shirley & a dark red/brown variety, name escapes me! Plus a beefsteak one
Will take your comments on board regarding putting out early April regardless.
As for variety - such is life that we often have to sacrifice quantity for quality!
Having said that last year I grew a variety called Millefleur from Real Seed Catalogue - small yellow cherry tomato - sweet and super prolific - just make room for the plants as each truss is 2' round! I gave bags to everyone I came across from August to November and still ended up with more than I could handle - all from three plants.
A variety of plum toms - Agro F1 have also been favorites.
I have often found my plants to be late developers and anything sown too early gets leggy and pathetic looking- they do recover however once things warm up, so I have put back sowing dates each year to avoid the leggy stage.
Sungold, by Thompson & Morgan, from seed. They are a cherry tomato, with good acidity and grow prolifically. I have grown them both in the greenhouse and outside, doing very well outside (though blight got them the third time outside).
I would recommend growing them in grow bags with grow pots inserted. They have an outer reservoir which make watering and feeding easier, avoids splashes on the foliage and helps prevent fruit from splitting, though if you grow this variety, you'll have so many, you won't mind a few split ones, just eat them straight away, which you'll want to do any way!
Clarington, the best sauce tomatoes are the likes of Roma, San Marzano, etc. San Marzano is the variety you'll find in the better quality Italian tinned toms.
Cherry tomatoes are fastest, easiest, more nutritious, hardiest and tastiest. Mine look like small red plums. I picked about 40 on my glazed balcony between 30 November and mid December when it is only light between some time after 9 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. It is minus 4 C outside but the cherry tomato plants are still alive. I do not know the type of cherry tomato I have. Someone was given one that fell off the stand in a store. She saved seeds, raised plants and gave me 3. I saved seeds from the bumper harvest and sowed them March 1st. As they grew I took cuttings which rooted within a week in water and potted them. Later I gave away over 30 plants to friends.
Joining in the fun, I don't eat toms. myself but my family are great fans. In the greenhouse I've grown Gardener's Delight for years, saving some seed each time and they are prolific croppers and I'm told quite sweet. After an article in GW Magazine last year I tried Superb, £3 for a pack of 6 seeds, bit steep I thought, and whether it was the summer or not they took an age to set and I didn't get any to ripen until late August. Apparently very sweet and fruity so I've saved a batch for sowing next weekend. My outdoor crop, were Principe Borghese, a packet I bought in Rome for fun about 10 years ago. These are small oval shaped fruits but the whole batch succumbed to blight before any ripened. I still have about a dozen seeds from two years ago and will try these again too.
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I grew Red Robin (cherry) and Gardeners Delight (cordon) last year. The red robin was fantastic, very compact plant which meant I could grow a few in the greenhouse and some outside too, both did well. I wouldn't put it in a hanging basket though (which it says is possible on the packaging).
I sowed in January and was picking tomatoes from June to October. They just kept coming. Wasn't so keen on the Gardener's Delight though. I'm sowing at the weekend!
I am still eating the last of my tomatoes. I have 7 left now!
I chose to grow an assortment of Dobies grafted tomatoes, 3 per grow bag. 5 bags. I sold pounds in aid of a church hall & plenty for us. Sungold is my long term favourite but also grew moneymaker, gardeners delight, Shirley & a dark red/brown variety, name escapes me! Plus a beefsteak one
Louise R,
Will take your comments on board regarding putting out early April regardless.
As for variety - such is life that we often have to sacrifice quantity for quality!
Having said that last year I grew a variety called Millefleur from Real Seed Catalogue - small yellow cherry tomato - sweet and super prolific - just make room for the plants as each truss is 2' round! I gave bags to everyone I came across from August to November and still ended up with more than I could handle - all from three plants.
A variety of plum toms - Agro F1 have also been favorites.
I have often found my plants to be late developers and anything sown too early gets leggy and pathetic looking- they do recover however once things warm up, so I have put back sowing dates each year to avoid the leggy stage.
Sungold, by Thompson & Morgan, from seed. They are a cherry tomato, with good acidity and grow prolifically. I have grown them both in the greenhouse and outside, doing very well outside (though blight got them the third time outside).
I would recommend growing them in grow bags with grow pots inserted. They have an outer reservoir which make watering and feeding easier, avoids splashes on the foliage and helps prevent fruit from splitting, though if you grow this variety, you'll have so many, you won't mind a few split ones, just eat them straight away, which you'll want to do any way!
Sungold is my tomato of choice. It has a lovely flavour and also made a very good tomato sauce.
What would you educated people recommend tomato wise for
1. A small salad tomato
2. A larger tomato for making sauces
?
Clarington, the best sauce tomatoes are the likes of Roma, San Marzano, etc. San Marzano is the variety you'll find in the better quality Italian tinned toms.
Italophile I have a packet given me from Greece / Italy, name eludes me. I'll ask you about them nearer toms sewing time.
Hope you are okay
Cherry tomatoes are fastest, easiest, more nutritious, hardiest and tastiest. Mine look like small red plums. I picked about 40 on my glazed balcony between 30 November and mid December when it is only light between some time after 9 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. It is minus 4 C outside but the cherry tomato plants are still alive. I do not know the type of cherry tomato I have. Someone was given one that fell off the stand in a store. She saved seeds, raised plants and gave me 3. I saved seeds from the bumper harvest and sowed them March 1st. As they grew I took cuttings which rooted within a week in water and potted them. Later I gave away over 30 plants to friends.
Joining in the fun, I don't eat toms. myself but my family are great fans. In the greenhouse I've grown Gardener's Delight for years, saving some seed each time and they are prolific croppers and I'm told quite sweet. After an article in GW Magazine last year I tried Superb, £3 for a pack of 6 seeds, bit steep I thought, and whether it was the summer or not they took an age to set and I didn't get any to ripen until late August. Apparently very sweet and fruity so I've saved a batch for sowing next weekend. My outdoor crop, were Principe Borghese, a packet I bought in Rome for fun about 10 years ago. These are small oval shaped fruits but the whole batch succumbed to blight before any ripened. I still have about a dozen seeds from two years ago and will try these again too.