How are your tomatoes doing ?

tori.k

Has anyone tried Gardeners Ecstasy?

Davesnave

tori.k wrote: »

Has anyone tried Gardeners Ecstasy?

According to the other Dave at Blackberry Lane, they're a cross between Dr Carolyn and Gardeners Delight:


I told him last week that if I could learn to spell the name, I might do some plants for sale next year.



https://www.blackberrylane.co.uk/PDFs/Tomatoes2016.pdf

peter_the_piper

unrecordings wrote: »

Sungold - thanks for the tip

On the Ailsa Craig front - what do you mean by 'hard back' ? I'm generally growing them in Tomorite growbags, and the spares in, well fairly small pots

Hard green areas on the ‘shoulder’ of the fruit: This is known as greenback. These areas remain hard and unpalatable as the rest of the fruit ripens.

harrys_nan

I have blossom end rot on my tomatoes, first time ever. I have always grown them in my greenhouse before, but with these, I put them outside as they were really suffering in the greenhouse. Does it spread from plant to plant?
They are in pots, I never planted them in the garden, so if it does spread I can separate them around the garden.

Silvertabby

harrys_nan wrote: »

I have blossom end rot on my tomatoes, first time ever. I have always grown them in my greenhouse before, but with these, I put them outside as they were really suffering in the greenhouse. Does it spread from plant to plant?
They are in pots, I never planted them in the garden, so if it does spread I can separate them around the garden.

Blossom end rot is due to a calcium deficiency, caused by erratic watering. This pesky weather again!

unrecordings

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Hard green areas on the ‘shoulder’ of the fruit: This is known as greenback. These areas remain hard and unpalatable as the rest of the fruit ripens.

Ah thanks - I never knew that. I don't think I've ever noticed that problem

In terms of blossom end rot, if there's less than half the tomato affected then I tend to let them ripen as the unaffected part of the tomato is still edible (well I eat them anyway). I have been known to rescue ones that are even further gone. Cut the brown bit away and put the remaining bits in your pasta/curry/chilli/rat au vin

malebolge

Looking like a bumper year for me. I've got way too many plants; the plan was that I'd plant my own, and also a variety of outdoor ones for my dad. Sadly, he's no longer in a position to look after them, but as they're one of the few things he talks about with any clarity (his dementia has got rapidly worse), I've found places for them and am growing them, too.
So - Red Alert. Grown outside - really bumper crop of fruits, been picking them for about 3 weeks now. Sungold, Suncherry, Sunlemon -greenhouse - have picked a few so far, and are coming on well, apart from the Sunlemon, that was a bit spindly at first, and has less fruit. Will look for a different yellow tom next year. Tried 4 Sungold outside and have been picking fruit from them before the greenhouse ones. I put it down to the weather. Mountain Magic, Sweet Aperitif, Tumbling Tom, Gardeners Delight - all outside - have small fruit but were planted later so I did expect them to fruit later. I'm in the North West, Lancashire, and wouldn't normally grow a lot outside; I do have a large garden that gets the sun practically all day. The unusually hot weather accounts for why my outdoor toms have ripened before the greenhouse ones, I think - the greenhouse has shading but the ones outdoors have just had to put up with the sun.

Callie22

It's only my second year of growing tomatoes I've got four varieties in the greenhouse, 1) Cuore di bue, which is a big beef tomato which I really liked last year and gave me loads of fruit 2) San Marzano, haven't grown these before but they're looking quite promising, 3) Principe Borghese, which is a smallish plum-type tomato that I grew last year and was really tasty and 4) Cherry Cascade in hanging baskets. These are covered in flowers and small fruits but I'm struggling to keep them watered enough in the greenhouse so they're being moved outside.

NigeWick

Silvertabby wrote: »

I think the heat may have stunted their growth.

I've got one Italian variety where all the fruit have gone soggy. I am sure it's the heat. When I went to water yesterday morning it was over 110F in the greenhouse. The tomatoes are on a self watering system that I top up every few days so there should have been no splitting. Many of them have split and I'm sure it is the heat.

Note to self:- Shade the greenhouse next year.

unrecordings

I must admit I've not shaded my greenhouses - max temperature so far 42C ish. If you're not watering enough, the first thing you'll notice is that the leaves go limp. If you have blossom end rot though the whole tomato will rot a lot quicker when it's ripe

Splitting - I'm not an expert so not going to speculate. It's early days this year but in the past I've had splitting. That said they didn't go soggy - maybe it's down to the variety.