Growing tomatoes

RobM99

Cost wise -  I just buy good compost, bamboo canes and tomato feed. No greenhouse or anything similar.

Woolsery

RobM99 said:

Cost wise -  I just buy good compost, bamboo canes and tomato feed. No greenhouse or anything similar.

It still depends on the exact microclimate, but quick ripening toms will probably give the best return. In this country you're always at the mercy of the weather, and thus when blight sets in. Find a tasty, beefsteak tom that ripens fast, and you've cracked it!

Edit. Marmande, perhaps?

Farway

Woolsery said:

RobM99 said:

Cost wise -  I just buy good compost, bamboo canes and tomato feed. No greenhouse or anything similar.

It still depends on the exact microclimate, but quick ripening toms will probably give the best return. In this country you're always at the mercy of the weather, and thus when blight sets in. Find a tasty, beefsteak tom that ripens fast, and you've cracked it!

Edit. Marmande, perhaps?

Mortgage Lifter? Not that I had any success with it, but I have seen them, and they do well, plus heritage variety so if it does well for you save your own seeds, reading on I see they are hungry feeders, so that may have been my problem

MovingForwards

My indoor bush tomato plant is still flowering and fruiting. I kept it going while the last tom ripened so I had seeds for next year, now it looks like I'll be eating some over the holidays.

Woolsery

MovingForwards said:

My indoor bush tomato plant is still flowering and fruiting. I kept it going while the last tom ripened so I had seeds for next year, now it looks like I'll be eating some over the holidays.

That's good. I used to take cuttings in July to have tomatoes over Christmas in the conservatory, but I don't bother now. Being older and a bit slower, other things tend to get in the way of experiments like that.

RobM99

Risked 75p on 50 Wilkinson "Tigerella" seeds today. I'm such a rebel.

RobM99

JIL said:

Can I ask about tomatoes please? I absolutely love the tomatoes that you can buy in Spain, they dont look much but are so tasty. Is it possible to bring some seeds home and grow my own or is it perhaps the climate that is the difference.

San Marzano at a guess. 

twopenny

I didn't see that question but San Marzano are the Italian Naples region. Used for salsa and sauce and what we get in the good tins.
Spain has different varieties. It would depend where in Spain. Big country.
Here are some Spanish varieties
https://jamon.co.uk/blogs/news/most-popular-spanish-tomatoes
You won't find them on sale here. We get in the supermarket the ones grown in water that have 1/3 of the nutrients which would account for the difference in flavour. 
I haven't seen any of these varieties in seed or plant form so you would need to look online.

silverwhistle

Have a look at Real Seeds for some interesting heritage varieties which you can save. They positively encourage people to do so but rely on the indolent and disorganised like myself for repeat business. I've had succesful indoor and outdoor varieties from them but bear in mind I'm on the south coast.

Franchi Sementi is an Italian range that can be found in the UK and has some interesting varieties too. I haven't checked but pretty certain they'll do varieties like Costoluto Fiorentina, Cuore di Bue and almost certainly San Marzano. They tend to be generous with quantities so worth sharing with fellow gardeners or grow a few extra plants for gifting, swapping etc. Not a tomato but do try growing their climbing squash Tromboncino d'Albenga. Crop small then allow some to grow on. Tasty and fun!;-)

RobM99

I've got some Costoluto seeds!   Black Opal worth a go too.