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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: David R on April 07, 2008, 15:19:44

Title: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: David R on April 07, 2008, 15:19:44
and thats probably too many! Im the only one in my house who eats toms and last year when i had 6 plants the fruits rotted on the vine - despite eating fresh, chutneys and ketchup being made in abundance.

So, this year im down to 4 plants of one variety, from real seeds - orange banana.

Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Magnolia on April 07, 2008, 15:52:37
I've got somewhere in the region of 20 on the go.  And there's only 2 of us.

But I started out with 40 chilli plants and I'm only left with about 10 of them after greenfly attacked - so if I become overwhelmed I can pass them onto friends etc.

Having not grown Tomatoes before (or anything else for that matter) I have no idea how many Toms you get on a plant.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: springbok on April 07, 2008, 15:58:52
I am a first timer too, I sowed 3 of each type that I had.  Didnt think they would all germinate :)

I have grown mini hanging varieties for the kids to eat out in the garden when they are playing.  And they great for salads!!
Varieties for tomato sauce etc. Plum tomatos etc.
Only one eating tomato, Gardeners delight, sowed 3 but for some reason this one only one germinated.

So hopefully a variety of plants will bring many uses.
;D

Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: goodlife on April 07, 2008, 16:03:20
I have cut down with toms too..normally I have about 30 on the go..but now I have cut down to 11.
There is only 2 of us eating and out of 11 plants that is a lots of toms per head.
Some reason I never have enough peppers so this year I have doubled on them... ;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: caseylee on April 07, 2008, 16:58:38
I have sown about 30 tomatoe plants cause they never grow for me lol.  10 have germinated but are growing slowly cause I ran out of space inside, so they are in the cold greenhouse with a fleece over them at night.  They are still alive.  The ones that have not germinated yet are inside hence no space.  I am growing gardners delight, black russian plum, green striped ones and yellow cherry tomatoes, so we shoudl have a good variety.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: compothefirst on April 07, 2008, 17:18:12
Rather than let them rot on the vine, why not put them outside your house with a note 'please help yourself' - they'll soon go.
I've helped people get rid of their surplus apples that way and very much appreciated them, too.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: star on April 07, 2008, 17:20:13
I was only going to grow 4 plants too, 2 tumblers, 1 Moneymaker (got the plant given), and 1 purple one (getting that given too)..................I also have 6 of Eristics trial toms and there are 6 of those at the farm too  :-\


Lots of tomatoes and there is only me that eats them  ;D ;D ;D


I wanna be a tomato ::) ;D ;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: star on April 07, 2008, 17:22:10
Welcome Compothefirst ;)

Thats a good idea, I have neighbours who would appreciate some the same as they did last year ::)
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: manicscousers on April 07, 2008, 17:26:25
hiya, compothefirst, nice to meet you
we're growing about 12, some to eat, some to freeze, process into sauces and some to give away..
tigerella, gardener's delight, golden something, san marzano, also, I'm getting a couple from a friend, orange and purple..luckily, any surplus plants go in the plant sale  :)
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Tin Shed on April 07, 2008, 17:49:15
I grow loads and loads especially the plum ones as I fill the freezer up with tomato sauce for pasta for the rest of the year. We have an arrangement with our local homeless centre and they come down once a month to collect any surplus.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Simon05 on April 07, 2008, 19:25:33
I am growing about 12 varities this year, we all eat toms in our house, we also make chutney, david couldnt you have given them away instead of letting them rot?
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: David R on April 07, 2008, 19:31:44
I did give some away to some neighbours and the brother in law, this was still not enough - though i do admit i couldve done as compothefirst suggests and put them in a large bowl outside the house, though round here they may have been viewed with suspition  ;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: saddad on April 07, 2008, 19:37:03
Welcome Compo...
We are also cuttinbg back from 30 varieties... there is something compulsive about toms..
;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: grawrc on April 07, 2008, 19:39:27
Haven't started any off yet, but I think we probably eat about 2lbs a week so need lots.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Sparkly on April 07, 2008, 20:59:31
doh! we have about 50 plants! LOL I will prob give about 20 away to friends and at the lottie plant sale. I am planning to try and bottle quite alot, make chutney and tomato sauce!
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: posie on April 07, 2008, 21:04:37
Yep I have about 40 or so now I think - never made a sauce or a chutney in my life, guess I'd better start learning!

Everyone keeps mentioning tumblers - do they have a particular name or is that it - "tumblers" - I like the idea of putting some in a hanging basket.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: glosterwomble on April 07, 2008, 22:14:06
Quote from: posie on April 07, 2008, 21:04:37
Yep I have about 40 or so now I think - never made a sauce or a chutney in my life, guess I'd better start learning!

Everyone keeps mentioning tumblers - do they have a particular name or is that it - "tumblers" - I like the idea of putting some in a hanging basket.

Hi Posie, I made chutney for the first time 2 years ago and it was so lovely (and v. v. easy to make) I did it again last year and this year I am increasing the amount of toms grown to make more. It stores well but I also have loads of friends and family that want it!

We're growing a tom called LILLIPUT to put in hanging basket, I've never done toms in a basket so I'll be keen to see how well they do.  ;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: wolflike on April 07, 2008, 22:26:59
I got a packet from Wyevale cheap last year. When I took a close look at it I realised I had got seed mats. There were 3 varieties. I didn't know how many seeds you got off a seed mat so I put them into pots and hoped I would get some to germinate. I have now got approx 45 plants that I have just potted on into their own pots. There are only 3 of us that eat them and we don't eat that many so we will have to find something else to do with them. ;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: littlebabybird on April 07, 2008, 22:31:10
if you all realy have to many plants how about ringing your local community centre, scout group or school etc and seeing if they have a plant sale/ plant stall at the spring/summer sale?
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: wolflike on April 07, 2008, 22:41:26
some of mine will be going up to our local scout group. they have a plant sale in May and they sell loads of bedding plants. We had some tomato plants given to us to sell last year and they sold really well. Hopefully mine will sell just as well.

For any of you that live in the Derby/Sunnyhill area and want some quality bedding plants you need to pop up to the 4th Derby Scout Group HQ at the top of Coleridge Street on the 10th May. We have been selling bedding plants to the Sunnyhill area for the last 10 years and the prices are nearly the same price now as they were then.

If you have any spare veg plants we will gladly sell them for you. All proceeds go to maintain the group which is 100 years old this year.
:D
www.4thderby.org.uk (http://www.4thderby.org.uk)
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: compo49 on April 08, 2008, 00:20:10
I'm growing tumbling tom. .gardeners delight. golden sunrise (i think)  tigerella.  moneymaker. tried san marzano and another plum type can't remember type but not much success last year    not enough sun grew them outside no green house then.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 08, 2008, 08:12:57
I've got vast numbers of seedlings, mainly because I've had variable results with home-saved seed in the past, and it's all come up well this time. I'll grow about 40-50 on, and hope we avoid early outbreaks of blight this year.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Deb P on April 08, 2008, 09:12:14
I've just added up.....I'm growing 54 different varieites, I'm sure I didn't plan to grow that many, but there have been so many interesting seeds in seed swaps etc! I'm growing a load for our lottie plant sales as well so any I can't fit in will go to that. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it........ ;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Old bird on April 08, 2008, 14:24:35
Deb - Why don't you try 3 more and then you can call them Heinz!  Flipping eck girl - that is a load of tomatoes!

I have grown loads of plants of about 8 different varieties - I intend to sell a few plants outside the front door to cover the cost of seed/hen house etc.

Hopefully then my lottie will be self supporting except for the hard work which is 100% down to me!

Old Bird

;D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: antipodes on April 08, 2008, 15:40:50
lol last night I started to repot my tomato seedlings and quickly realised that I didn't have enough potting mix with me! In one little pot, 6 seedlings were growing strong! so I guess I will end up with over 20 plants!! But I might give a few away and there are always some tragic ends  ;D
I cook them into sauce and bottle them, yum yum, make salsa with peppers and chilli. And eat loads during summer. Giving them away is easy if they are garden grown, so yummy.
I have grown Marmande, Gartenperle cherry type and Harzfeuer round ones, they have all germinated really well on my son's windowsill!!
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: grawrc on April 08, 2008, 17:45:17
I think I might just buy tomato plants this year. I just can't be bothered with the pots all over the house - the younger generation make enough mess without plants....



I think I need a holiday?*!**? ::) ::)
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: tim on April 08, 2008, 18:08:58
54 varieties, Deb - how many of each?

All outside??
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Deb P on April 08, 2008, 18:17:20
Quote from: tim on April 08, 2008, 18:08:58
54 varieties, Deb - how many of each?

All outside??

Errr, between 2 -3 of each sort, all in mini greenhouses inside my cold greenhouse. I can fit 36 plants fully grown tomatoes in my home greenhouse, plan to have 16 outdoor determinate plants at the lottie, perhaps a few as a trial in the little lottie greenhouse (didn't try tomatoes in that last year as can't get down there every day to water), the rest for the various allotment plant sales.

Then there are the pepper and chilli plants....... :-[
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: posie on April 08, 2008, 19:09:06
And I thought I was bad Debp! I went to Wilkinsons today for a seatbelt harness for the dogs, came out with 5 seed trays, 6 strawberry plants and yet more tomato seeds! I now have Minibel, tumbling tom, golden sunrise, red pear and costoluto fiorentino - no idea what any of them taste like but they look funky! I need to stop now....... somebody help me!  :D
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Chris Graham on April 09, 2008, 12:06:31
I'm going to have 4x Sungolds, 2x Sweet Million and 2x Jelly Bean in the greenhouse this year.

Outside going to try Gardeners Delight, but with a Scottish climate they probably wont grow too well.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: gordonsveg on April 09, 2008, 16:04:13
I thinknI will as well. 4 of each type i can get my hands on.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 09, 2008, 17:34:40
I'll be growing 4-5 each of the reliable ones (Clear Pink Early, Taxi, Prima, Stupice and buckbee 50 Day) to provide my main crop, and a couple each of the others to see what they do out of doors.
Title: Re: Im only growing 4 tomato plants this year!
Post by: posie on April 09, 2008, 17:36:21
Oooooo I've just discovered another 8 varieties I haven't heard of rofl - i must not buy more, i must not buy more, i must not buy more!!!  ;D ;D ;D