I picked up a link from this site to Rogueland Heirloom Veg Seeds. http://www.seedfest.co.uk/seeds/tomatoes/cold/cold.html . They sell tomato seeds which flourish in cold, typically Russian, climates. I was thinking of getting some, probably "Siberian Red Tomato" and "Russian Black Tomato" varieties, in the hope that I may get earlier crops than with the usual ones I grow.
Has anyone grown these, or similar? Were they worth it? Any advice gratefully received.
Cheers Paul
No never grown them but a very interesting link .Thankyou.
Paul - yes - & the site I posted the other day, & this - http://www.tomatogrowers.com/early.htm ? Much choice.
I can't figure why the US major on early toms when we always want things earlier & earlier.
But many firms do offer what they think is suitable - like Simpsons & Vida Verde. Maybe we want to wait for the flavour & continuity?
PS see - http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,12515.msg116604.html#msg116604Â &Â http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,13414.msg127418.html#msg127418
Quote from: tim on October 14, 2005, 12:25:14
I can't figure why the US major on early toms when we always want things earlier & earlier.
We, or is it they, do?
Has anyone grown white toms. They just look wierd. (am going to do purple carrots next year as neice wants to try them though)
White - & green. Nothing like them for flavour. Not hugely prolific.
Early, John? I know what you mean. but if you read the posts on a4a, it seems that many people can't wait for results.
I'm intrigued, Tim! Have never seen or heard of white tomatoes - when you say "nothing like them for flavour" is that great flavour or nothing like as good as a good red?
Noticed a Paul Robeson tomato is highly recommended - one of my heroes so I am tempted, even tho we were going to cut down the amount we grow next year............
An interesting link-and as said Black from Russia may not be the same as Black Russian(one of my top 10) -I have grown a couple of the others-Black from Tula and Black Krym-they are very good,but I still wonder if they are what many of us in the UK would consider `cold climate` toms?-whatever that means .
And I have grown `white ones`-they are not so bad-and it`s fun to try new varieties anyway :)
Wicker - in my humble opinion - unmatchable!
Quote from: BAGGY on October 15, 2005, 14:40:55
Has anyone grown white toms. They just look wierd. (am going to do purple carrots next year as neice wants to try them though)
Baggy, I grew them this year (Purple Dragon carrots, that is), right next to Yellowstone F1's. They were bigger much earlier, and the tops died about a month ago, while the Yellowstones are still going.
I have to say that the flavour is pretty good, and the colour is eyecatching (like beetroot with an orange centre), but they have suffered much more at the hands of carrot fly than the Yellowstones, and have burst quite a few roots.
Having said that, I may well grow them again next year if only as a talking point. And to keep the kids interested.
It occured to me, Tim, that one reason that the U.S. concentrates on the earliness of tomatoes could be that over here the climate is so dependably in favour of ripening tomatoes, or other tender crops, that they can concentrate on other issues, such as earliness. Unlike the lottery of growing in the U.K.. Not that I am bragging about the summers we have here of course.
Is there an outdoor white (or coldhouse) variety that you would recommend then Tim? White toms, purple carrots,yellow beetroot (which I know you have already said is better than the red type) I may even try different coloured caulis if I am really brave this year. Ooh get me, gardening on the edge.
I don't know - there aren't many whites, & I have a feeling they are more tender than standards. I do know that Green Zebra is.
Colours? This ( http://www.heirloomtomatoes.bizland.com/varieties.htm ) gives a less commercial view than seedfest?
Paul, I got three little packets from the seedfest cold weather site, watch this space ... the ones I got were from the Ukraine, as I want to surprise my aged Ukranian lottie neighbour with a few plants in Spring ::)
Excellent service, a very nice lady emailed to let me know they were on their way.
I tried "Black from Tula" this year but I think I left it too late - didn't plant them until May. They did start off OK and produced some promising looking fruit, but they were badly hit by our first frost in September and the fruit never matured properly; obviously cold is relative, they're still not immune to frost. So this year was a bit of a failure. I'm still going to try again next year and go much earlier, give them every chance and cross my fingers...
Dan.