comparing tom varieties - quality, taste and yield

Primrose

DowntheGarden - interesting selection of tomatoes, some of which I've not previously heard of so it's nice to see how they perform.

ruralwifie

I dry my surplus tomatoes and san marzano dries beautifully - either to a crisp for pulverising into a tomato stock/flavour or to a sunblush equivalent. We got a superb tomato - unnamed - from a shop in the azores when we were on holiday - very meaty and not too many seeds - excellent for tomato salad

Primrose

We have just eaten the last of our Black Russian tomatoes which were ripening indoors. I wasn't impressed with their flavour when they were raw, but these were grilled and the smokey flavour really came out well when they were cooked.

jollyanna

I've grown "Red Alert" for the first time this year. I had a whole succesion of plants which I harvested from late July until the end of October. Shan't be growing them again as the flavour was mediocre and the skins tough.I've enjoyed reading this thread and it has helped me come to decisions about what I shall grow next year, so thanks all.

HellsGranny

For folks with space issues- have you tried grafting tomatoes or peppers onto potato plants?

They are all of the same family, and I remember doing it when I was at school, Ahem! years ago.

Cheers, HG

foreign_correspondent

I have now added green grape, green zebra, and a white cherry tomato to the list for next year, together with a few others (an egyptian tomato, and thai pink egg so far I think!) - should be interesting!

Cant wait! (am I sad or what?!)

Primrose

f-c Not sad at all. I think half the pleasure of growing vegetables is the anticipation of the end result. I grew some different varieties this year and it was so exciting watching their different characteristics develop. Even my O-H who is certainly not a gardener enjoyed comparing them and trying them and is now able to talk knowledgeably about the difference between a Black Russian and Ildi. (which is more than he can do with chickweed and oxalis :rotfl:

schiff

Now able to look after a tomato plant throughout the year, I want to repeat what I did many years ago. It was clearly Gardener's Delight, I grew it in a pot in the front porch, which is south facing, and fed it daily with a lot of something mixed with water which is a specific for tomatoes (can't remember its name). Did some pinching out early on.
It cropped beautifully until Christmas. Put the remaining greenish ones in a shaded place to ripen off, so not one was wasted. It was fantastic.
It was grown from a stem only about a foot long.
Questions - where is the best place to buy the shoot from? When is the best time to start it off? What is that specific called?
TYFYH

foreign_correspondent

You can buy tomato seedlings from many shops (eg. Wilko) garden centres and markets - generally about £1 or so for a small tomato plant, in a 3 or 4" pot, which will need potting into a larger container and sideshooting as it growns...

hope that helps!

Primrose

schiff - even cheaper still, buy a packet of Gardeners Delight seeds and sow them individually in pots indoors in mid April. You'll probably find the packet contains enough seeds to last for several years, or you can even save the seeds of your home-grown Gardeners Delight tomatoes, dry them and store in a cool place. When you talk about a "shoot" I assume you mean a seedling plant although actually I've grown tomatoes from "shoots" i.e. the tops of plants which have been accidentally snapped off. By planting them firmly in moist compost they will actually grow new roots and become plants which will flower and produce fruit later in the season.