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Produce => Under Glass => Topic started by: tim on August 05, 2007, 16:50:49

Title: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 05, 2007, 16:50:49

I was given 4 plants from the local plant sale -

Moneymaker
Gardener's Delight
Ailsa Craig
Red Alert

No labels. Is there any sure way of telling which is which?

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: MrsKP on August 05, 2007, 17:39:22

In my not so very great experience, Gardeners Delight have long trusses a la

(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l198/missusKP/100_2795.jpg)

That will be my sole contribution to this thread.

 ;D

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 05, 2007, 17:51:49

Well, that's a start!

But what's that sideshoot doing there??

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: MrsKP on August 05, 2007, 18:03:43

It escaped (once) !!!  It is no longer !

 ;D

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: cleo on August 05, 2007, 18:14:41

Well-umm, Red Alert will probably ripen first-it`s not a bad tomato,GD is easy-small fruit and biggish trusses,Ailsa Craig will be the other one that has some flavour-Money Maker is that one with a great crop tasting of blotting paper ;D

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: Jeannine on August 05, 2007, 19:23:57

Tim..

Gardeners Delight, cherry size,  matures in 65 days Indeterminate
Ailsa Craig, medium size, greenback fruit matures is 68 days Indeterminate
Moneymaker medium size, medium no greenback,?? days Indeterminate
Red Alert small fruit 100 days Determinate bush

XX Jeannine

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: Raisedbed on August 05, 2007, 19:54:26

From the various tomatoes in my greenhouse the Ailsa Craig's have fewer and larger fruit than the cherrys.   The Ailsa's also seem to have more leaves per square foot due to closer spacing of the branches.  Here's one of my Ailsa's taken just a moment ago.  Sorry for slightly less than perfect focus.

(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb81/Raisedbed/IMG_2287.jpg)

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 06, 2007, 07:59:52

What's perfect, then!

I'm getting a picture. Must go & take a closer look.

Right - difficult to get useful photos.

1. Medium size. Some ripening.
2. Small, large trusses. GD
3. Medium. Some ripening. Only one that hasn't made 6'. Red Alert.
4. Medium.None ripe.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: Jeannine on August 06, 2007, 08:57:06

Tim did you prune your red alert, I would have thought it  would be  very bushy ans stop growing, then start to produce its fruit.Pruned it would look differnt

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 06, 2007, 10:20:01

No - too lazy!

But, in any case, being a bush, surely there was no need to touch it?

It looks as though it has stopped at about 5'.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: Jeannine on August 06, 2007, 10:22:10

Absolutely Tim.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: AitchEm on August 06, 2007, 10:43:27

Hi just reading through threads, have grown gardeners delight - found skins a little tough but flavour ok, moneymaker - bit tasteless, am growing shirley this year - but wondering Ailsa Craig, taste mentioned - is this considered to be the best tastewise?? but not the most prolific - Help? want to try a tasty one next year :)

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 06, 2007, 11:04:19

SEARCH back - there have been yards of thread on favourites.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: AitchEm on August 06, 2007, 11:09:14

thanks Tim, ploughing through them now ;)

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: Deb P on August 06, 2007, 13:44:19

I've got 3 out of the 4 growing, comparing those to your photos I would guess

1) Ailsa Craig
2) Gardeners Delight
3) Red Alert
4) Moneymaker

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 06, 2007, 17:24:10

Thanks for that. We're getting there!

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 08, 2007, 08:47:24

Does this help? From the least 'cordony' plant. Watery flavour.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: Barnowl on August 08, 2007, 13:48:04

Ailsa Craig get a pronounced darkening from the top of the fruit downwards as they ripen

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: northener on August 08, 2007, 16:53:52

Yes they do i think its called Greenback but if you leave on plant another day or two mine turn completely red. That Tim looks like a gd and if taste is'nt upto much its deffinately gd.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 08, 2007, 18:06:15

Meant to point out the heart/plummy shape?

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: quizzical1 on August 08, 2007, 21:09:50

Red Alert is a bush type plum shaped tomato.

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: pye on August 08, 2007, 21:35:00

Grew Red Alert last year, looked like that Tim, flavour not great but quite prolific, fruit a little bigger than a cherry tom and a bit plum shaped.

Was it from plant #3?

Title: Re: I can ask stupid questions, too!
Post by: tim on August 09, 2007, 11:02:51

Thanks - we're getting there again!

Yes - No3.