Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: newspud9 on August 02, 2021, 12:08:05
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Reasonable amount of fruit, but all small and green on my Moneymakers and Red Verdants; all grown outside but with no sign of sun wondering if anyone is having more success.
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I've had two Santonio (Merlot-type mini-plum tomatoes), that's all so far. My Blue Bayou look as though they have greenback, except the other way up - the tops are purple but the bottoms are green! The weather has been very good for lush growth (I swear I have triffids in the greenhouse) which probably doesn't help... and I might have overdone the Q4 when I potted them up as well, will skimp a bit next year and hope I get less lushness.
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1st red tomato - outdoor grown taken off plot yesterday. More than slightly outnumbered by courgetttes.
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I've been eating tomatoes since the first week in June.....but my courgettes didn't even germinate. I have so many outdoor cucumbers I could start a shop, there's a limit to how much you can eat and I've never yet found anything else to do with them, they go soft if pickled, the soup is horrible, you win some you lose some!
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No red tomatoes on my outdoor bushes or potted dwarf cherry plants yet, last year I was harvesting July the bagful in July! Indoor cordons all totally green, the only ones showing any signs of ripening are the couple of bush dwarf/ trailing plants in pots in the greenhouse….also have the best cucumbers I have ever grown from saved seeds, I’ll definitely do that again this year!
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Picking, on average, 2 to 3 Suncherry in the greenhouse each day (lovely flavour, but tough skin) All four varieties I have growing outdoors are still very green.
Tricia :wave:
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No ripe toms here but some green ones so it'll happen eventually.
Started late cos of cold spring and nowhere heated to keep seedlings happy once germinated and pricked out. Then, when I did pot them on and carry them to the polytunnel when it was warm enough I dropped the tray and they all got mixed up so I've no idea which is which until they ripen. Looking forward to rose de Berne, sown on a recommendation for someone here and quite a few others new to me too.
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Tigrella and Clibran's Victory both producing strongly, a couple of Buffalo Horrn all ripe and ready... thought I had some Big White but they had blossom end rot. Outdoors Schimmeg Crag (?) can never spell that one, Garten Pearle, Whippersnapper and another variety in baskets and tubs... my courgettes have been slow.. just coming in well now but the veg Spag have been mad... every years is different!
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I've grown early and small varieties this year so had a few weeks ago, then a lull, but starting up again now.
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Down here in Portugal I have been picking since May despite a few disasters.
On my 2nd lot of passata and still have young plants just forming fruit that I put in for a late crop.
Round here there are thousands and thousands of acres of toms, all determinate plum types and they are just ripening. I went out for a bike ride on Sunday and got passed by about 10 lorries full of toms that are off to the cannery - I rode 20km to the next town and virtually all of it on both sides of the road is tomatoes! I could have made enough sauce from the ones that fall off on the roadside to last me for years. It actually becomes a road hazard when it get in full swing as there as squashed toms everywhere and cars have been know to slide off the road..
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It actually becomes a road hazard when it get in full swing as there as squashed toms everywhere and cars have been know to slide off the road.
Different to skidding on ice here!
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Been picking Sungold for about three weeks now. Slowly at first but now cropping heavily. Got a couple of plum types ready today.
It's always a bit happen chance, when they were sown, spring weather, cold snaps, local environment. The short heatwave a while back gave mine a big boost.
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Strange occurrence with a couple of mine. Knocked a sprig off with a few light green fruits on. Put them on the potting shed bench which has a window over, 3 days later I noticed they were red ripe. Tasty enough to eat but the skins were a bit thick like shop bought ones. There was on old apple also on the bench. I don't know if there is a ripening 'gene' like bananas in an apple but I might just try it again.
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I remember the first time I saw "Tomato road hazard"... following lorries shedding them in Turkey in the mid 80's...
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I don't know if there is a ripening 'gene' like bananas in an apple but I might just try it again.
I think ripening of many fruits generates ethylene gas and the gas also promotes ripening. Bananas are often reported to generate most ethylene so adding a ripe banana to a bowl of green tomatoes should produce rapid ripening.
Well in theory. I've never actually tried it, but your experiences suggests that it might work. Certainly an idea to keep in mind for the autumn when ripening slows down, and we have made enough green tomato chutney to last a lifetime!
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I’ve been shutting my greenhouse doors at night this past week when it’s been cooler and have noticed a lot more fruits showing signs of ripening….coincidence?!
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Bananas work. I used one to hasten the ripening of some mangoes I bought to make a mango, cardamom and yogurt ice cream.
Onions give off quite a bit too so I have a separate basket for those and garlic in my pantry and keep sweet potatoes and cabbage and so on in another.
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In the West Country, greenhouse in full production: had ripe tomatoes since 1st week in July, outside all still green. Potatoes pretty disappointing as well, died back before they managed to produce much,
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This is how they do it here!
(https://i.imgur.com/CckdHI0.jpg)
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Doesn't the weight crush the tomatoes at the bottom of the trailer? will these be going for passata or tomato sauce?
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Yes and yes! There is a canning factory a few miles away and they are all going to be canned - every last one. Sometimes the lorries ooze juice which contributes to the road hazard. Yesterday on my ride I must have seen at least 30 of these lorries, the amount of toms here is staggering.
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I never expected them to ramble about like that, just my UK assumption that they are trained like ours. Well actually sort of trained, they have a mind of their own.
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They are all determinate varieties which are bred specifically for growing in this style and for pasting. They plant them in rows about 3-4ft apart but they are spaced about 4 inches apart so they sort of form a long bush that supports itself. When it harvest time they die back little and collapse a bit like in the pic. There is no way they could train indeterminate varieties as there are thousands of acres of the things..
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I never expected them to ramble about like that, just my UK assumption that they are trained like ours. Well actually sort of trained, they have a mind of their own.
Gods, yes, my greenhouse is like Day of the Triffids!
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This is the corner near my house on the way to the cannery!
(https://i.imgur.com/qO8ScwZ.jpg)
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Does any of the wildlife take advantage of this free food?
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Does any of the wildlife take advantage of this free food?
Yes me! I haven't seen any wildlife have at them yet but the local foxes, birds etc will come out when the roads are quiet..