Topic: Sarah Raven

[tim]

Lovely Girl, BUT.............!!
   
I showed you the pictures of the bought-in Costoluto Fiorentino & Black Krim - which were replaced because they were in a 'crippled' state on arrival. The replacements were as bad.

Then this -
[attachment=1]

Dear Mr Elkington
Thank you for your further email and apologise for the delay whilst we have been looking into this matter.
On looking at these tomatoes, it looks like they have a disease and have therefore arranged for a refund to your payment card. 
I sincerely apologise for the further disappointment and any inconvenience this has caused.

Kind regards
Gaynor Lane

Customer Services

Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden

   

[caroline7758]

I should hope so, especially at the prices she charges!

[Tee Gee]

What was the humidity like Tim around this specific variety?

I know we have had some sultry humid weather of late and I wondered if they suffered because of this! i.e it was high!!

[tim]

Good thiinking, TG. 

I like to think that we ventilate qiuite well, & they are nearest to the door. We have 8 Autovents &, in the 'heat', we have 12 side vents.

However, I've used a plastic membrane on the floor this year which catches a lot of drained water from the grow bags.

But that applies to all varieties.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've been wondering about the black and purple toms.
This is our first yr for purple and love the taste- truly excellent- but they sometimes have deep ridges  and some are cat-faced which might be uneven water? Not sure.
Your black Krim looks similar?  Is this a fault of blacks and purples generally? I've never grown a black tom but am hoping to next yr.

[Jeannine]

Tim, the tom at the front is very typical of the fruit produced from the funny flower that folks ask about now and again, regularly seen on these two toms,something to do with having multiple cells fertilised, not a good description but it is a bit scientific for me.

Grannie Annie..many varieties do have deep ridges, it is correct for the variety, cat facing is also common in the older toms, Black Krim it very prone to it.

We are now so used to beautiful unblemised toms that we often think that is how they all are..not. eg green shoulders is also common to some varieties and is not a fault it is thew ay they are supposed to be.

I grow one tom that is very multicelled and it looks like a joined bunch of cherry toms,,we have to peel them apart, really throws folks if they have never grown it.

Eg of very ridged toms are... Costoluta Genovese..(Costoluto Fiorentino it,s sister are much smoother) Violacem Krypni  extremely ridged, as are Zapotec,Aussie.Aunt Ginnies purple.Ceylon   are almost cherries but are very ridged. Purple Calabash in the black/purple family are also ridged( and green shouldered). There is a beautiful yellow ridged one too aptly called Ruffled yellow and Pink Accordian is so ruffled it is a talking point!!

Green shoulders are common in many of the Italian toms and also  the Cherokees.

XX Jeannine

[manicscousers]

beefsteak  ???

[valmarg]

We had one similar to that manics.  When ripe, sliced up and core removed - delicious. ;D

It wouldn't pass muster in a supermarket, but that doesn't affect the taste. ;D

valmarg

[tim]

Agree - still v tasty, but very inconvenient!

[valmarg]

Agree - still v tasty, but very inconvenient!

C'mon Tim, are you happy to accept the 'all made of ticky tacky and all look just the same' tomatoes in the supermarket, as opposed to the mis-shapes we grow?

I know a lot of ours would not be accepted by the supermarkets.

Where is the inconvience?

Surely the bottom line is TASTE.

valmarg