Topic: Tomato Crazy

[Jayb]

Like many, I’m besotted by growing and eating tomatoes. So much so I haven’t even admitted to myself how many I’m growing. I love some of the better known varieties but delight in trying new to me varieties, whether they are new hybrids or Heritage tomatoes from around the globe.

So far this year I’m having a bit of a striped theme, a green theme, some unusual colours theme, oh and what might do well in a hanging basket/bag/pot theme!  As well as still on my quest for the ultimate cherry tomato, one that might rock Sungolds pedestal for me!  I’ve also got a few types I’m growing out on the go and some super super Heritage varieties I’m really pleased about trying.

Amongst others I’m growing, I’m very much  looking forward to tasting home grown Camone. I tried these tomatoes earlier in the year and I thought they were outstanding, very firm texture whilst being juicy and sweet with a great tomato flavour. I’ve saved seeds and I am looking forward to seeing how they grow and what their storage is like. They hands down beat any other tomato I’ve eaten winter time and I would be extremely happy if mine taste anywhere near as good, even mid summer.

As part of the green theme, I can’t wait to taste and compare Green Doctor, Green Doctors Frosted and Green Zebra Cherry. Although the Zebras are in the striped theme too!


So just wondering what tomato/tomatoes you are growing this year that you are most looking forward to?

[goodlife]

Oh well..this years selection...Sun Belle, Stupice, Black Russian, "Irish Delight", Super Marmande, Sugar Lump, Reise, Banana Currant, Austin's Red & Yellow Pear, Volkov, Morgage Lifter, Ceylon, Greenwich, Mexico Midget, Yellow Butterfly, Daffodel, Bloody Butcher, Double Rich, Garden Pearl, Legend, Alaskan Fancy, First in the Field, Fargo, Marmande, Sannibel, Nebraska Wedding, Sub Arctic Plenty.phew ;D!...and...I have some surrogate growers in lottie who grows another 30 odd varieties for me for just seed harvesting... ::)
Half of my this years selection is purely for seed saving..well the fruit too, some of them new for me,so I'm looking forward for those  and only couple are varieties that I will grow every year just for the culinary pleasure. Daffodel and Austin's Red Pear I have my hopes set for...I love cherry-types .
Oh yes...I grow hanging basket/ container types too..just to get taste buds going before the maincrop is getting ready.. ;D ;D
Oh yes no;2....and I'm growing what ever you send me... ;)

[brownowl23]

for a tomato to rival sungold I suggest T&M's tomarvellous. I grew them last year and they all got eaten straight from the plant. Hubby didnt even save me any for seed saving.

So this year I have T&M's tomarvellous and their sister variety tomazing, Sungold of course. Country taste & harbinger these two were hubbys just pick a packet choices.
Ive also got from Tatianas -  Black Cherry, Matts Wild Cherry, Anmores treasures (tumbler), cosmonaut volokov, and Chernomor

[Deb P]

I'm trying a few American heritage cultivars this year that are new to me, so I'm interested how they turn out. Berkley tie die sounds interesting, as does Delicious (grows to a huge size apparently), and I am also trying the Irish version of Gardener's Delight which is a supersweet version apparently!

[goodlife]

I have grown "Irish Delight" now for couple of years...It is perfectly nice tomato...but..It propably is just me.. but.. the proper Gardeners Delight still seem to be a tad better, yes Irish one is sweet but I like a bit of tang too...I'm having another go this year again..just to be sure..and If I'm not 100% happy with it..well it have to go..this hobby of collecting seeds is getting out of hand..
Delicious is good..if anybody like they toms large,,well this it is..even average fruit will grow good size.. ;D...One of those "1 slice will cover slice of bread" tomatoes..

[manicscousers]

mmmm, got tigerella, golden sunrise, marmande, oxheart, black krim, garden pearl, all growing well, just sowed orange banana and Hsl tomato most prolific, just started showing , still got to go to saddad's sale yet  ;D

[Mrs Gumboot]

Boring selection of tigarella, gardeners delight and moneymaker. First year growing my own so have stuck to tried and tested ones. Space is at a premium, but am gathering ideas for more exotic ones from you lot in preparation for next year  ;D

[goodlife]

No..not boring...they would not be around if people would not like them..I think we all have some of the usual ones...I do..all three what you have...and even I do grow some fancy ones..I still think...(yes I dare say so)..that gardeners delight has taste that is hard to beat...It is one of the few that I grow almost every year..
Lot of the "exotic" ones are just lookers...they do not necessary have that wonderful flavour... :o

[amphibian]

Less for me this year.

Christmas Grapes
North Pole
Black Cherry
White Wonder
Stupice
Green Sausage
Zapotec Pleated
Cherokee Purple
Brandywine
Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge
Gold Medal
Japanese Black Trifele
Orange Banana
Japanese Black Trifele x Orange Banana F1

I am most looking forward to seeing wat my F1 looks like, I'm not 100% sure what to expect as there are several dominant genes in play.

[goodlife]

OHHHH...I can see some interesting swaps brewing on.....I hope we all save plenty of seeds for later on ;) ;D ;D

[goodlife]

Come on everybody..let's "spill the beans"...what have you got???? ;D...yes I admit...I'm nosy... ;D

[manicscousers]

forgot, I'm also doing micro tom, swap with a plot mate  ;D

[Jayb]

for a tomato to rival sungold I suggest T&M's tomarvellous.

So this year I have T&M's tomarvellous and their sister variety tomazing, Sungold of course. Country taste & harbinger these two were hubbys just pick a packet choices.
Ive also got from Tatianas -  Black Cherry, Matts Wild Cherry, Anmores treasures (tumbler), cosmonaut volokov, and Chernomor

I grew Tomazing last year, it was very good. but for me it did not have the edge on Sungold. Harbinger I think is a nice tomato, good heavy crop too. I'll be really interested to hear how Anmores Treasures does and the taste.

Boring selection of tigarella, gardeners delight and moneymaker. First year growing my own so have stuck to tried and tested ones. Space is at a premium, but am gathering ideas for more exotic ones from you lot in preparation for next year  ;D

Not boring at all, 3 sorts for your first tomato season is great, think where you may be in a years time. After this season you can decide what you liked about each, what was not so great and then either grow them again if they were your ideals or look around for others that meet your want/desire list? If you are looking for something to try later on let me know :)

Sounds like you are producing for a seed shop Goodlife  ;D Lots of interesting varieties and I agree cherry types are scrummy.

A few to keep you busy then Deb P  ;D

Nice list Amphibian, I'm liking the sound of JBTxOB, let us know how you get on.

Micro toms look gorgeous, I've got a couple of smalls but not quite that tiny  ;D

[goodlife]

..seed shop..me?..oh no, don't like selling,,but bargain, swap, give away..anything else yes..but not sell...
In a spirit of the goodlife seeds are my currency... ;D 8) ::) ;)..just like tom and barbara...swap and bargain...

[GrannieAnnie]

A repeat of last year's:
Black Krim which I liked the best for taste,
F1 Polfast (because it is very early and finished early Aug.),
Anna Russian (a big ox heart type but flavor doesn't have enough acid for my taste though hubby likes it) and very tiny and few seeds,
Pruden's Purple (medium sized, very good flavor) but maybe not a robust enough plant
Burpee's Better Boy (because I had some seed lying around)

New for me this year:
Cherokee Purple
Stupice (because many of you over the Pond raved about it)
Subarctic (heard it was very early, then after I bought it I  heard it tastes terrible  :-\    )

[goodlife]

Subarctic (heard it was very early, then after I bought it I  heard it tastes terrible  :-\    )

Hi GrannieAnnie...Sub Arctic Plenty is design to be very early...and with earlies..well the flavour is not the best..but I would not discribed terrible neither ;D There is quite a lot of toms that flavour changes a lot if not picked in right stage or grown in wrong climate etc.
But it does do what it says...grow in cooler conditions..and provides quite well in that situation ;) I don't know about your climate and growing conditions but I cannot fault the humble tomato. I treat it as early taste for the season...and I wait pantiently untill the more "taste bud bursters" catch up ;D ;D

[plot51A]

Another one here who can't really admit how many tomato plants I'm growing (and have you come completely clean Jayb?  ;D) I've got
Japanese Black Triefle
Kenilworth/King George
Isis Candy
Black Cherry
Taxi
Olivade
Clear Pink Early
San Marzano
Costoluto Fiorentina
Orange Banana
Queen of Hearts
Champagne Cherry
Stupice
Ananas Noire
British Green Tiger
Green Zebra

Read on a tomato site the other day (think it was an American one) that you only needed 2 plants per person and 4 if you were pasting/canning. Hmmmm. Only 2 of us here.......

[GrannieAnnie]

Read on a tomato site the other day (think it was an American one) that you only needed 2 plants per person and 4 if you were pasting/canning. Hmmmm. Only 2 of us here.......

Yes, as I was reading everyone's list the question came up "How big are their families?"
Maybe the second word in the title explains? ;D

[amphibian]

British Green Tiger

Is this the M&S one? I never did manage to track down any in my local.

Read on a tomato site the other day (think it was an American one) that you only needed 2 plants per person and 4 if you were pasting/canning. Hmmmm. Only 2 of us here.......

My daughter can polish of the fruit from about ten plants on her own, my black cherry's appear to yield no ripe fruit, I am sure it is an illusion.

[Jayb]

..seed shop..me?..oh no, don't like selling,,but bargain, swap, give away..anything else yes..but not sell...
In a spirit of the goodlife seeds are my currency... ;D 8) ::) ;)..just like tom and barbara...swap and bargain...

I watched an episode of the Goodlife a little while back, had a good giggle, not seen it for years.

Another one here who can't really admit how many tomato plants I'm growing (and have you come completely clean Jayb?  ;D)

I showered this morning!

Yep, its all in the themes  ;D Oh I forgot to say an anything new to me theme too  ;D