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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: valentinelow on March 17, 2010, 14:48:13

Title: Best tomatoes
Post by: valentinelow on March 17, 2010, 14:48:13

I am looking for a good cooking variety of tomato (plum?) suitable for outdoor cultivation. Does anyone have any suggestions? Does San Marzano do well outdoors? I get the impression that it is pretty good for flavour, but I would love to know what sort of experience people have had.

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: ajb on March 17, 2010, 18:53:41

To be like the cooking tomatoes from Europe you need lots of sunshine. I grew it in a greenhouse and it was OK, nothing special for me. I think in general tomatoes are tastier when grown outside though.

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: SMP1704 on March 17, 2010, 19:00:59

I've grown San Marzano inside and out and I had better result in the polytunnel, but the outside year was 2008 - wet, miserable and blighted :o so not the best comparison.

I'm trying Roma for the first time this year - I found SM no more than OK on the taste scale.

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: small on March 17, 2010, 19:16:57

Roma do fine for me outside (East Midlands) and it's only the spares that go out so not the strongest plants.

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: campanula on March 17, 2010, 20:48:52

true, all these plum type tomatoes have been hopeless outside. They also get blossom end rot which none of my others ever do. BTW, I grew tomatoes in a greenhouse for the first time last year and I have to say I won't be bothering again. maybe because they were grown in containers and had to be fed and watered but they looked great and tasted of nowt....whereas the outdoor toms are never watered and rarely fed and are always totally yummy.

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: amphibian on March 17, 2010, 21:00:55

I've grown Orange Banana outside with success in the past.

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: saddad on March 17, 2010, 21:56:33

I grew Orange Banana under glass last year and was very impressed.. still cropping in November..  :)

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: Jeannine on March 17, 2010, 22:25:42

 One that is easily obtained is La Roma..not Roma.It is a great tom with 7 times the yeild of Roma. XXJeannine

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: Spudbash on March 19, 2010, 09:44:35

Valentine, I've had success with both San Marzano and Roma VF outdoors in Hampshire, so either might be worth a try in London. Of course, it all depends on the summer weather...  ::)

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: chriscross1966 on March 19, 2010, 09:49:14

Neither San Marzarno or Roma are particularly blight tolerant .... I lost all my outdoor plants last year to it.... this year I'm going to be greenhouse/polytunnel only for toms, all my GH ones survived..... I guess cos the foliage doesn't get wet....

chrisc

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: cleo on March 19, 2010, 16:07:42

San Marzano,Roma,Principe Borghese-all good and no problem outdoors where you live.

Blight is another matter

Title: Re: Best tomatoes
Post by: Ian Pearson on March 19, 2010, 16:26:44

Hi Valentine
I grew San Marzano outdoors on my plot about 5 years ago. They did pretty well. As many went in to the compost, I now get volunteer tomatoes coming up every Spring, and many are San Marzano. Interestingly, the volunteer plants seem to do far better than those raised in pots then planted out. I think they get a much more vigorous root system which gives them more resistance to disease.
I'm interested in trying grafting on to vigourous rootstock, which is something that commercial growers do to get stronger plants. Maybe next year.
By the way Valentine, we seem to be neighbours.