comparing tom varieties - quality, taste and yield

Lotus-eater

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

How are people getting on with their toms so far?

So far the plants are 1 inch tall, ask me in late July how they taste

Doing this year.

Tigerella
GD
Garden Pearl
Roma
Ferline

misskool

This year I have

marmande
roma
tigerella
harbinger
balconi yellow
red cherry
gardener's delight

have got packets of moneymaker and ailsa craig, am seriously tempted but running out of space

Primrose

I'm still behind some of you, having only yesterday sown a few Red & Yellow Tumblers. As mine are grown outside I'm trying to curb my impatience of sowing too soon and then fretting about protecting them. However, this coming week end I plan to sow:
Ferline F1
Ferline (from last year's saved seed, just to see what they turn out like)
Gardeners Delight
Black Cherry
Ildi
San Marzano
Sungold
Hundred & Thousands (again from somebody's saved F1 seeds as an experiment)

My Roma last year were very disappointing. Dry & no juice. I'm hoping San Marzano this year might be a better substitute. Must be sure to label them all properly so they don't get mixed up!

Lotus-eater

Primrose wrote: »

Ferline (from last year's saved seed, just to see what they turn out like)

I keep meaning to try this, but I have thought that the one thing that is good about Ferline, is that it is disease resistant, you only find out if your new ones have this, when they die or don't, difficult.

Primrose wrote: »

My Roma last year were very disappointing. Dry & no juice. I'm hoping San Marzano this year might be a better substitute. Must be sure to label them all properly so they don't get mixed up!

I'm doing exactly the opposite. Oh the tangled web we weave

Primrose

I will only sow one Feline from saved seed, so if it's lost its blight resistant qualities, only one plant will hopefully be affected.
I'm wondering how many people on here grow their tomatoes outdoors as opposed to just in a greenhouse?

misskool

I'm growing green sausage (heritage variety) too.

I have about 4-5 in a greenhouse and the rest will brave the outside world. Caught blight last year but stripped the leaves of most of them, left the vines for a few days and then ripened the rest. we shall see....

*Chattie*

My dad used to grow ailsa craig for flavour and moneymaker for quantity but this was a few years ago now when there was less varities.

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Great thread! Has helped me choose some of next year's varieties

What's the best variety for a "smokey" flavour? I hear Purple Russian is good when cooked?

Primrose

Was pleased with my San Mazano this year. I didn't grown Black Russian this year because of its fairly low yield compared to other varieties, but found they did have a nice "smokey" flavour when hot and grilled. Strangely the flavour wasn't so apparent when the tomatoes were eaten fresh in salads.

wssla00

So pleased with my cherriettes of fire this year, and have saved the seed. It is a bush variety and absolutely brimming with flowers and fruit and so very sweet. Have collected the seed ready for next year!

realy low yield on black cherry but the end result was lovely. Finally GD of course was great too!

Red robin and christmas grape are doing really well as a christmas tomato, although I have no red ones yet, they are big and round and huge all on teeny tiny plants. Perfect for indoors!

Next year I am growing the following:

GD
Cherriettes of fire
red robin
christmas grape
Green Zebra
yellow Pear
Beefmaster
San marzano
Tamina
Yellow Plum
Snow Cherry
Lidi
Orange Cherry
Black cherry
and some tomatillo's which I have never grown before