Topic: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!

[David R]

and thats probably too many! Im the only one in my house who eats toms and last year when i had 6 plants the fruits rotted on the vine - despite eating fresh, chutneys and ketchup being made in abundance.

So, this year im down to 4 plants of one variety, from real seeds - orange banana.

[Magnolia]

I've got somewhere in the region of 20 on the go.  And there's only 2 of us.

But I started out with 40 chilli plants and I'm only left with about 10 of them after greenfly attacked - so if I become overwhelmed I can pass them onto friends etc.

Having not grown Tomatoes before (or anything else for that matter) I have no idea how many Toms you get on a plant.

[springbok]

I am a first timer too, I sowed 3 of each type that I had.  Didnt think they would all germinate :)

I have grown mini hanging varieties for the kids to eat out in the garden when they are playing.  And they great for salads!!
Varieties for tomato sauce etc. Plum tomatos etc.
Only one eating tomato, Gardeners delight, sowed 3 but for some reason this one only one germinated.

So hopefully a variety of plants will bring many uses.
 ;D

[goodlife]

I have cut down with toms too..normally I have about 30 on the go..but now I have cut down to 11.
There is only 2 of us eating and out of 11 plants that is a lots of toms per head.
Some reason I never have enough peppers so this year I have doubled on them... ;D

[caseylee]

I have sown about 30 tomatoe plants cause they never grow for me lol.  10 have germinated but are growing slowly cause I ran out of space inside, so they are in the cold greenhouse with a fleece over them at night.  They are still alive.  The ones that have not germinated yet are inside hence no space.  I am growing gardners delight, black russian plum, green striped ones and yellow cherry tomatoes, so we shoudl have a good variety.

[compothefirst]

Rather than let them rot on the vine, why not put them outside your house with a note 'please help yourself' - they'll soon go.
I've helped people get rid of their surplus apples that way and very much appreciated them, too.

[star]

I was only going to grow 4 plants too, 2 tumblers, 1 Moneymaker (got the plant given), and 1 purple one (getting that given too)..................I also have 6 of Eristics trial toms and there are 6 of those at the farm too  :-\


Lots of tomatoes and there is only me that eats them  ;D ;D ;D


I wanna be a tomato ::) ;D ;D

[star]

Welcome Compothefirst ;)

Thats a good idea, I have neighbours who would appreciate some the same as they did last year ::)

[manicscousers]

hiya, compothefirst, nice to meet you
we're growing about 12, some to eat, some to freeze, process into sauces and some to give away..
tigerella, gardener's delight, golden something, san marzano, also, I'm getting a couple from a friend, orange and purple..luckily, any surplus plants go in the plant sale  :)

[Tin Shed]

I grow loads and loads especially the plum ones as I fill the freezer up with tomato sauce for pasta for the rest of the year. We have an arrangement with our local homeless centre and they come down once a month to collect any surplus.

[Simon05]

I am growing about 12 varities this year, we all eat toms in our house, we also make chutney, david couldnt you have given them away instead of letting them rot?

[David R]

I did give some away to some neighbours and the brother in law, this was still not enough - though i do admit i couldve done as compothefirst suggests and put them in a large bowl outside the house, though round here they may have been viewed with suspition  ;D

[saddad]

Welcome Compo...
We are also cuttinbg back from 30 varieties... there is something compulsive about toms..
 ;D

[grawrc]

Haven't started any off yet, but I think we probably eat about 2lbs a week so need lots.

[Sparkly]

doh! we have about 50 plants! LOL I will prob give about 20 away to friends and at the lottie plant sale. I am planning to try and bottle quite alot, make chutney and tomato sauce!

[posie]

Yep I have about 40 or so now I think - never made a sauce or a chutney in my life, guess I'd better start learning!

Everyone keeps mentioning tumblers - do they have a particular name or is that it - "tumblers" - I like the idea of putting some in a hanging basket.

[glosterwomble]

Yep I have about 40 or so now I think - never made a sauce or a chutney in my life, guess I'd better start learning!

Everyone keeps mentioning tumblers - do they have a particular name or is that it - "tumblers" - I like the idea of putting some in a hanging basket.

Hi Posie, I made chutney for the first time 2 years ago and it was so lovely (and v. v. easy to make) I did it again last year and this year I am increasing the amount of toms grown to make more. It stores well but I also have loads of friends and family that want it!

We're growing a tom called LILLIPUT to put in hanging basket, I've never done toms in a basket so I'll be keen to see how well they do.  ;D

[wolflike]

I got a packet from Wyevale cheap last year. When I took a close look at it I realised I had got seed mats. There were 3 varieties. I didn't know how many seeds you got off a seed mat so I put them into pots and hoped I would get some to germinate. I have now got approx 45 plants that I have just potted on into their own pots. There are only 3 of us that eat them and we don't eat that many so we will have to find something else to do with them. ;D

[littlebabybird]

if you all realy have to many plants how about ringing your local community centre, scout group or school etc and seeing if they have a plant sale/ plant stall at the spring/summer sale?

[wolflike]

some of mine will be going up to our local scout group. they have a plant sale in May and they sell loads of bedding plants. We had some tomato plants given to us to sell last year and they sold really well. Hopefully mine will sell just as well.

For any of you that live in the Derby/Sunnyhill area and want some quality bedding plants you need to pop up to the 4th Derby Scout Group HQ at the top of Coleridge Street on the 10th May. We have been selling bedding plants to the Sunnyhill area for the last 10 years and the prices are nearly the same price now as they were then.

If you have any spare veg plants we will gladly sell them for you. All proceeds go to maintain the group which is 100 years old this year.
 :D
www.4thderby.org.uk