comparing tom varieties - quality, taste and yield

Smeg77

I've got 4 types on the go atm;

Gardeners Delight

Tiger

Black Cherry

Golden Nugget

So far the plants are doing well, growing quite nicely, just had some flowers appear on them, so hopefully in the next few weeks some fruits will start to appear.

All of mine are being grown outside, and with about 10 Marigolds in front of them. From their original planting height, they've grown about 1 to 1 1/2 feet in about a month, so I'm happy

atticgirl2003

rhiwfield wrote: »

atticgirl, not being disrespectful but are you sure its a tomato plant as it sounds more like a courgette or cucumber stem/leaf

I bought the plants in Tesco, they were reduced as two of the plants had been broken off.
They were in a tray of six and it said on the tray what variety the plants were, three of each, however I did not keep the box after planting.
Thank goodness it was the large leaf ones missing as it is taking over the grow bag.
Dear knows what I am growing, will report back when the fruit or veg shows.
I am having fun waiting, first time I have grown tomatoes.
Made up my own little plastic greenhouse.

angelesque

Am now munching on my 'Garden Pearl' tumbling toms - over the last week they've started to turn and now I'm getting about four or five tomatoes off each of my three plants every day.

They are l ovely and sweet, but feel ever so slightly mushy when eating them. Not bad at all - just wondering if this is becasue I'm used to refrigerated supermarket toms?

System

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Those huge hailstones that fell yesterday afternoon have made huge holes in the courgette leaves and shredded the sweetcorn leaves. Apart from that, even the french beans have recovered in the sun today and they looked really sorry for themselves yesterday.

MissMoneypenny - bad luck with the hail - we had some a couple of weeks back but thankfully missed this burst. Do you think this might have done for the leaves on Black Krim - or were they starting to shrivel before then? My single plant was bought in fab fettle (so I can't claim any credit for it) but is looking fine at the moment inside the tunnel. I will keep an eye on it.

Quote about 10 of the (green) supersweets tomatoes were forced off
Mm, I have found this with several F1 small varieties - the set fruit is extremely brittle. Don't know if it is a 'fault' or designed for quick picking of commercial varieties. I silently swear when I brush one off - at this time of year anyway, when we are all superkeen to get cropping. Best I can do is plant them in the front row, warn all visitors to be on best behaviour. Large fruited varieties get planted behind - by the time they ripen the lower trusses on the cherries have been picked.

Smeg77

One of my plants had a nice little green fruit on it last night, no idea which plant it is yet, but once it ripens I'll feed back

furndire

Megansmum wrote: »

i have about 10 plants all mm and gd, but none are doing well in the greenhouse, the yellow flowers just die, no toms growing at all. :mad: Don't know why cos cucs next to them are growing well in the same type of containers and compost with the same watering! 1st year growing anything so really gutted with the toms but will try again next year.

Have you tried doing the work of the insects, sacrificing one flower, and pollinating the others with it - just a slight touch from flower to flower does the trick, or a very fine paint brush.

Lotus-eater

Megansmum wrote: »

i have about 10 plants all mm and gd, but none are doing well in the greenhouse, the yellow flowers just die, no toms growing at all. :mad: Don't know why cos cucs next to them are growing well in the same type of containers and compost with the same watering! 1st year growing anything so really gutted with the toms but will try again next year.

Hi MM, sorry I missed your post.
You can get a thing called blossom drop in tomatoes, I see it most in greenhouses that are too hot.
http://gardening.about.com/od/problemspest1/a/BlossomDrop.htm

I have marigolds in my greenhouse and never have problems with pollination, but I am told you should shake gently each plant every couple of days.
As usual, a problem isn't a matter of coming straight away to finding out what is causing it, especially via the net where you can't see it yourself, but I'm guessing heat is causing it. Have you got a thermometer in there and do you open all vents/ have you got enough vents? Do you dampen down?

MissMoneypenny

DownTheGarden wrote: »

MissMoneypenny - bad luck with the hail - we had some a couple of weeks back but thankfully missed this burst. Do you think this might have done for the leaves on Black Krim - or were they starting to shrivel before then? My single plant was bought in fab fettle (so I can't claim any credit for it) but is looking fine at the moment inside the tunnel. I will keep an eye on it.

If I had realised how bad the hailstones were going to be, I would have covered the tomatoes with something. When the first massive hailstones fell, I didn't dare go out in it. :eek:

The leaves on the black krim's were already shrivelled before the hailstorm, although some have one healthly looking end of leaf Their fruits have some dents in them from taking direct hits from the huge hailstones, but they still look good. The courgettes have dents in them too.

I'm eating sungolds every day and the supersweet 100s are just turning red. Black Krim's just on the turn too.

MissMoneypenny

Megansmum wrote: »

i have about 10 plants all mm and gd, but none are doing well in the greenhouse, the yellow flowers just die, no toms growing at all. :mad: Don't know why cos cucs next to them are growing well in the same type of containers and compost with the same watering! 1st year growing anything so really gutted with the toms but will try again next year.

Do you shake your indoor tomatoes? When I lived up north I grew my tomaotes in and had the same problem as you. Then an old gardener told me to gently shake the flower stems every day if the palants are inside. Then I got tomatoes. I was growing GD and sweet 100s.

Now I am back down south, the tomatoes are out and the bees are doing the work for me.

QueenOfSheba_3

I've been growing veg for 3 years in a 3Mx3M raised bed but grow tomotoes in grow bags next to the plot. 2007 was a disaster, gardener's delight and green grape grown from seed on the windowsill until mid may, then planted outside. No side shoots removed or support as the packet said bush varieties and no need to remove... then the cold rain came and sadly all plants RIP before a single fruit. 2008 not to be beaten grew the same varieties indoors in the lounge by the patio doors. The pots were about 15cm diameter and plants had lots of feed, water and some support from the speakers Hubby was not amused). The lounge smelled like a greenhouse but sadly only a few pea sized fruits. So 2009 I asked dad what to do. I have grown Money Maker, Gardener's Delight and Green Grape from seed indoors until mid May lots of water, pinching out side shoots. Mid May to end May put them in a small plastic greenhouse and planted out in giant grow bags (3 plants per bag) 30th May. Dad recommended epsom salts so gave them a dose of andrews liver salts (near enough) and pinched out all side shoot. Tied and supported 9 plants in 3 bags with a wigwam of canes. I water the plants daily and have upside down plastic bottles one per bag with the neck burried into the compost. I fill this after watering to provide a reservior of water. Feed with normal liquid tomato food weekly and pinch out side shoots all the time! Today i ate the first ripe tomato. I think it was money maker but could be gardner's delight (the label blew away) and it was a real Delight Maker. Delicious. The cost of growing these plants is outweighed by the taste. The taste is priceless.