Topic: "Spanish Tomatoes" outdoor or under glass?

[woppa30]

I have been given some tomatoe plants labelled as "Spanish". Does anybody know if they are an outdoor variety or best in a greenhouse? I also have "shirley" which google and T+M tells me is a greenhouse and the name Spanish might give it away a little but just thought I would check....
Thansk in advance,
Woppa

[Trevor_D]

Shirley are definitely GH ones - the classic - and don't really do well outdoors. I've never heard of one called "Spanish"; I think it may be a vague term rather than a specific variety. I grow one called "Spanish Big Globe" (from the HDRA seed library) which is quite definately an outdoor variety, so I suspect your plants are more than likely outdoor ones as well. (Thinking about it, the Spanish didn't need to grow things like tomatoes in greenhouses until they got a contract from English supermarkets.)

[cleo]

Spanish suggests indoors-but not all Spanish toms are rubbish-a friend gave me some `Mallorquin` seeds she picked up in Spain-nice standard red with some flavour.

So I would go for indoors this year-I am trying my Spanish outside as well as indoors-if they do well I`ll let you know.

Shirley?-crops well,a standard red-the F1 equivalent of Moneymaker ???

[Jeannine]

This may just be a local term for a popular Spanish tomato, the same as Japs for  some squash in Oz. Muchamiel is a Spanish too. Biscombe would be the ideal person to try to solve this one.XX Jeannine

Yoo hee Biscombe

[Tee Gee]

My best varieties are of Spanish origin i.e. I saved seed from tomatoes I ate when on holiday.

To differentiate between them I have named one variety 'Calahonda' and the other 'Feurtaventura' I think this speaks for its self.

Then to answer your question I grow them indoors! But having said that I do a pot up with Tomato plants for my son & daughter who grow them outside.

They get a crop but it is not a patch on what I get under glass!

[carolinej]

My best varieties are of Spanish origin i.e. I saved seed from tomatoes I ate when on holiday.

To differentiate between them I have named one variety 'Calahonda' and the other 'Feurtaventura' I think this speaks for its self.

What a lovely idea. I think I will do the same thing when I go on holidays from now on.

cj :)

[Biscombe]

Yep, the most popular salad tomato in Spain is tres cantos and beefsteak  muchamiel as J says. That's all you can seem to buy over here apart from marglobe, sorry thats all my input! either your description is a bit vague, or its one of the above!

[Trevor_D]

As I've only had space for 8 GH tomatoes, I've always played safe & stuck with Shirley. Perhaps I ought to be more adventurous in my old age? Any suggestions?

[Jeannine]

Well Trevor, that is a tough question to answer, my seed collection is ridiculous these days. What do you like in a tomato.

My favourite hybrids are Laroma plum. Roma type but with tons more fruit.

Big Beef, a very large tomato, flawless if grown right but with an incredibly super good taste, with superb disease resistance and good harvests. It is one of only a few tomatoes I am very confident about suggesting

Big Beef does have a non hybrid version now too but it is different to the hybrid one.
It is the one that is on sale in the UK,still excellent but I think the flavour is less intense.

After that I grow mostly heritage types and  have a great many,so it does rather depend on what you are looking for in a tomato.

Taste is number 1 for me, I will take less yeild and a few funny shapes to get the flavour so:

I am very fond of many of the blacks tomatoes,particularly  the Russian one  called Paul Robeson ,also Nyagous and Southern Nights and Carbon.

I like Mortgage Lifter,Tappy's Finest,Amano Orange, Cherokee Purple,Druzba,Aussie,Chapman,Matina and most of the Brandywines.

OH,and I adore my orange cherry Sungolds.

I grow many more though and always looking for a new taste, but above are my absoloute favourites as of  now.


XX Jeannine

PS, ... and among all my heritage ones are growing 2 Shirleys. I have started a couple for an old gent I know for a few years who used to have a lottie ,they were his favourite,I pot them in 5 gallon buckets and deliver them to his flat which has a small glassed in patio when they are just beginning to fruit,sadly he died after I sowed them this year so his plants are now tucked in with mine.

[cleo]

I`m passing on so many and some could be grown outside so Sweet Million is excluded.

Only 8-in no order

Black Russian

Pink Brandywine

Green Zebra

Caspian Pink

Nepal

Red Debarao

Sungold

Marizol Gold

[Trevor_D]

Now I've got a GH at the plot as well, I've actually got a couple of Sungold already planted there. I've never thought of growing Black Russian or the Brandwines under glass. How big do they grow? Black Russian gets to about 5 foot outside!

Looks like this winter is going to be tomato catalogue time! My neighbours think I'm adventurous with a dozen or so outdoor varieties!

[carolinej]

Black Russian gets to about 5 foot outside!

So that's why my BR plant is the biggest one! Should I stop it at 4 trusses, or is there any special treatment it should have? It has 3 trusses of flowers already.

cj :)

[MrsKP]

My Tres Cantos are like triffids Biscombe !  by far the stronges and healthiest looking variety in the g/h this year !

West of Scotland and Spain = so similar !   ;D

[Biscombe]

Great news KP!!!!  ;D ;D hope they taste as good as they grow! my triffid tomatoes are cherokee green, red zebra and Polish Ellis (growing this cos my nephew is called Ellis!!) but the rest are growing well!