Topic: Late tomatoes

[Marlborough]

Hi all, I was thinking to plant some late tomatoes to grow in unheated greenhouse, after the early planted ones have finished. Has anyone tried this, if you have what where the results?

[Jayb]

I usually find the cordon tomatoes I grow in the greenhouse or polytunnel crop right up to the end of the summer growing season, most often the first frost puts paid to any remaining fruits. Are you growing determinate/bush type tomatoes as they are finishing early?

[Marlborough]

Hi jayb, I'm growing gardeners delight, marmande and Czech bush.

[Jayb]

Nice selection, those three varieties will be able to keep going for the season and keep you in tomatoes 
I think it is normal to only grow one crop of tomatoes a year in the UK, although you can try and steal a little on the season by starting a couple off earlier and grow them on inside the house so you can get tomatoes towards the end of May to June. Though it does take up space and they need good light as well as warmth. Have you planted yours in the greenhouse?

[Silverleaf]

I don't know how anyone chooses just one variety when there are so many that sound amazing!

I have 11 this year, if I remember correctly. In a 6'x8' greenhouse. I'm just indecisive. ;)

[johhnyco15]

I don't know how anyone chooses just one variety when there are so many that sound amazing!

I have 11 this year, if I remember correctly. In a 6'x8' greenhouse. I'm just indecisive. ;)

me neither not too sure how many variety's I'm growing think its around 15 but people give me more plants i cant say no

[BarriedaleNick]

What I have done, with varying degrees of success, is to plant out the side shoots I pinch out.  If you let them develop a bit so they are a few inches long they will root very easily and quickly.  They can then be grown on to give you a few toms a bit later on - esp if you have a decent greenhouse.  I only have a small poly tunnel but I have got toms later than I otherwise might.

[Tee Gee]

I tend to go a different route because I have the space and I just grow more than I usually need so I tray up the green tomatoes and place them in a dark cupboard.

Most years I find this keeps me going with fresh tomatoes up until Christmas.

[Marlborough]

Hi jayb, the gardeners delight and marmande are in my unheated greenhouse and the Czech bush will go outside, if the weather ever warms up! 

[galina]

Yes, like TeeGee said.  This works very well with cherry tomatoes and especially with the smaller green-when-ripe and so-called black (red brown) tomatoes.  They keep their flavour better than red tomatoes. But tomato flavour is very individual and different on different soils too.   Beefsteak tomatoes don't store well for me at all.

There are keeping tomatoes especially bred for the purpose.  One variety is Long Keeper (which is actually a large red variety) and Yellow out Red in, which we had in the seed circle.   A few more here.

 http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2245656/long-keeper-tomatoes 

[GREGME]

I am often still picking a few cherries into mid November in a non blight year.
I tend to avoid any varieties with over 80 dtm dates as they are too risky.

[GREGME]

I am often still picking a few cherries into mid November in a non blight year.
I tend to avoid any varieties with over 80 dtm dates as they are too risky.
and I stop watering at the end of august

[Tee Gee]

with over 80 dtm dates

DTM ??? can I have a translation please

[galina]

with over 80 dtm dates

DTM ??? can I have a translation please

  DTM = Days to maturity after planting out, whereby planting out is assumed to be 8 weeks after sowing.  An American way of describing tomatoes, which is problematic because a 60 dtm tomato can easily take 90 or 100 days if the weather isn't warm enough. 

[goodlife]

One could also sow some 'basket/container' type tomatoes little later on in the summer provide some tasty treats if taller varieties run out of energy too soon...there is loads of those type of varieties available And if the plants don't get 'hit' by blight in GH....they could be brought indoors to suitable place to finish off fruits ripening process...that's if the conditions in GH should turn too cold.