Tomato Maths

[cleo]

Given there are X amounts to try and one can only grow Y amounts of new varieties a year how long would it take one gardener to trial them all? ;D

[cleo]

[Robert_Brenchley]

X divided by Y.

[legendaryone]

Don't forget to factor in W  ;)

[cleo]

And don`t include Moneymaker

[Jeannine]

Why Cleo every decent pack of anything needs a joker. I feel the same about butternut squash, aagh disgusting stuff, very low on the taste table for squash, Turban Gourds taste better!!! XX Jeannine

[gerbera]

If the siad Gardener intends on seed-saving.....the answer is surely: "Infinite".  Or more rightly.....Interesting!!!!!

Said gardener, growing multiple varieties, in said garden (ie. limited space), attempting to give em all a go....would surely be a breeding ground for new varieties?

Correct me if I'm wrong....but if they are growing and saving seed.....surely they would get new varieties somewhere along the way??? ???

[OliveOil]

I have accidentally grown around 40 tom plants and do not have a green house! :o

[gerbera]

Same here!

Last year was 18 varieties in a north-west "back-yard". Now at least 10 more varieties with my meagre "back-yard" and a plot of scrub-land with my "new-to-me" greenhouse nestled in the sunniest corner (next to the railtrack).

I only eat tomatoes in the summer. My 4 year old son is just as discerning. He refuses to eat supermarket tomatoes.

I'm SOOOOOOO proud of him!" ;D

[emmy1978]

I have accidentally grown around 40 tom plants and do not have a green house! :o

Have done the same with chillis and peppers.  ::)

[Jeannine]

Creckless, I too only eat home grown .You can extend you own harvest, We grow 2 Tumblers which mature by June, they tide us over till the others come along, finally we have a longkeeper tom which we get get to stretch till New Years day. XX Jeannine

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have accidentally grown around 40 tom plants and do not have a green house! :o

If they're early varieties, they're worth trying out of doors. The only problem is blight.

[manicscousers]

I have accidentally grown around 40 tom plants and do not have a green house! :o

so that's what all the black buckets are for!!  ;D..don't worry, oo, I find lots of people only too willing to take my excess off my hands, then there's always tomato sauce, soup, pizza topping, luckily they all freeze well   :)

[cleo]

It`s only half a joke-I sell the sods and folk are starting to ask for specific varieties and also for some new ideas to try -I only have room for about 20 plants under cover and maybe a few more than that outsidside

Given that I grow my faves,and save the seeds I only have room to trial around 5 or six new ones a year-and even then I have to go without some types I like to make room for new ones

[antipodes]

S**t what is teh matter with moneymaker? I just bought 25 seeds for some late planting! I thought they looked quite nice, round and sweet. also growing Marmande, cherries and Romas
Ah can any home grown tom really be bad? sun ripened, yum yum. I make sauce and salsa and bottle it when I have had a tomato glut in the past.

[OliveOil]

Monty recommends Marmande - tried waitrose marmande toms and werent too impressed - though homegrown would be much better i imagine.

Heres my plan then.... Pot all toms in black buckets - in june take down the lotty and leave a few at home - keeping fingers and toes crossed of course. I think my toms are either in/out so think i should be ok.

[cleo]

S**t what is teh matter with moneymaker?

Don`t take it to heart-they grow well,crop well -and taste like -blotting paper?-It`s a standing joke with those who know me,taste is a very personal thing.

[milkybardave]

I have accidentally grown around 40 tom plants and do not have a green house! :o

That was careless!  ;D

[saddad]

Going back to the original idea probably several lifetimes... if we assume you can grow twenty varieties a year, and I have a book with photos of 400, in FRENCH!, that would be twenty years and there are references to over a thousand... so that's 50 years... start early!
;D