Outdoor Tomatoes

[Stedic]

After my back garden greenhouse died in the strong winds, I'm left without anywhere to grow tomatoes and cucumbers.  I'm thinking I'll get a couple of those £10 'tomato' greenhouses when I see some in the sales.

But with the allotment, I'm wondering if there are any varieties particularly suited to growing outside on their own?  If so, do they need any particular protection/care?

Thanks,

Steve

[Stedic]

[jennym]

Depends where you are, here on Essex/Herts border I grow all my tomatoes and cues outdoors, and lots of them.
I start them off from seed about now, grow on inside until about May, then harden off for planting out mid to end May.
Shelter helps, I find that structures made with debris netting give a very good result, but most are grown without.
Varieties I grow vary but generally Roma plum tomatoes which don't need pruning, some beefsteak which only need a bit, then cordon tomatoes grown on strings or canes such as small tomatoes like Sungold, Jester, Gardeners Delight, Red Cluster Pear, and then what I class as ordinary tomatoes like Tamina, Shirley, Alicante.
For cues I stick to Marketmore.

[BarriedaleNick]

Im in London so we do have a degree or two advantage when it comes to growing outside but IMHO virtually any tom will grow outdoors here.
I've grown all types from Plum to Cherry to Beefsteak.  The main issues:

Blight - It's going to happen just a case of when and how you deal with it - I use Copper based fungicide
Season length - I have a mini greenhouse to get them going before planting out in late May - I think it would be a real problem getting them out earlier - and dont expect Toms much after Sept/Oct (unless you can store em)

[SueK]

Hi Steve,
Here in Yorkshire I grow some outside, mainly in containers, and find that the varieties which work best for me (so far!) are Latah (bush) and Galina (vine); others manage but these are the most productive.
I'm able to position them against a south-facing wall,  which helps to keep the rain off and reduce the risk of blight later on.  If you are growing on an allotment you might also consider the proximity of of potatoes as well. 
Sue

[Dandytown]

Not being a seasoned grower I have only grown toms for two seasons.  In the first I grew outside in a sheltered spot against a fence but with plenty of sunshine.  The plants did fantastic and then I discovered blight and lost all.

Last year I grew in the greenhouse, bit of mosaic problem but overall a great harvest.

I am deliberating about growing some outdoors this year as I am using my large greenhouse for Melons and Soya bean and therefore can not fit as many toms in.

However, once bitten.....

[Trevor_D]

I always grow tomatoes outdoors (and under glass). Most do well - even the obvious greenhouse ones like Shirley - but the real winners are the big, tasty ones: Costoluto, Marmande, Roma, Black Russian and similar types. The taste is fantastic.

But, yes, long growing season: I sow in a propagator in early April; prick out into 3" pots, then again into 5"; plant out as early in May as I dare (normally mid-month).

And blight is now an annual event, so spray from late June/early July, whether there is any hint of it or not!! And spray at regular intervals until late August.

[small]

I always put my spares outside, for the last few years Roma and Ailsa Craig - the crop is pretty much as good as the greenhouse ones. The only problem with these biggish vigorous toms is that they do need very good staking, I usually end up with some lying on the ground - begging the slugs to come.....

[plainleaf]

caging works so much better then staking.

[Ian Pearson]

You can plant them out a bit earlier if you can give them a little bit of initial protection. I cloche them when they first go out, until they get too tall, and temporarily place bricks alongside the plants (inside the cloche) to store heat, keeping them warmer at night. Using this method, I find that sowing in early March is about right.

[kippers garden]

I grow outdoor toms every year at my allotment.  I am in the leicestershire.  I get a good crop but i am very careful about blight as they get it every single year.  I use the 'blight watch' website to check in blight in my area and i check daily.  On first sight of blight i take every single green tomatoes off and ripen at home on trays...some it will be too late for and they brown quickly but at least half ripen ok and we eat and make tomato passatta with the rest and freeze it.

A good outdoor variety is 'Outdoor Girl' as these ripen early so you get more ripe toms before blight strikes.

[Cuke]

Before I got a greenhouse I tried one of those £10 tomato mini greenhouse things and it was a nightmare... The one I got had a flat roof with a couple of holes in it that I assume were supposed to let the rain through.

Hmmm in actualy fact all that happed was that the first heavy rain caused the water to pool on the top, dragging the plastic up the cage while the water that did make it through the 'rain holes' cam ein such a torrent that it almost killed the plants below... Next bout of rain and it collapsed completely leaving some crushed seedlings...

Obviously with hindsight it was a stupid design that I should have seen the flaws in when I bought it but you live and learn...

Moral of the story, make sure the one you get isn't cheap for a good reason.... ;)

[lottiedolly]

that is just what I do Kippers garden, i also do what my mum used to do when i was little, wrap the green tomatoes in newspaper, put in cardboard shoe boxes and put in cupboard under stairs, every week, just go through and check if any a ripe, take out ripe ones re wrap green ones and put back in box to do the same next week. works a treat  ;D

[Stedic]

Thanks for all your suggestions and advice!

Kippers garden - I'm also in leicestershire (new parks allotments) so its good to know outdoor toms are working for you!

I'll try to keep the Toms as far away from the spuds as possible - but with the condition of the beds at the moment my options are limited.  I've got a selection of free tomato seeds over the last month or so, I guess I'll just try to germinate a few in the next few days and plant them all out at varying times as an experiment.

Exciting! Last year my crop of cherry tomatoes were destroyed when my girlfriend let the chickens have a few....from then on everytime I let them wander round the garden they went straight to the toms and pulled off the ripe ones.  Cute, but annoying!!

[saddad]

Hi Stedic, think I've been invited down to your site later this Summer...  :)

[angle shades]

 :) sub artic plenty grew like a weed, and tasted fantastic and no blight/ shades x