so how tall are your tomato plants and how many ripe tomatoes have harvested.
I have:
15 Delicious plants 8 ft high. they have produced about 15 tomatoes each so far.
15 early planted San marzano 5 ft high production so far on the early plant 10 lbs of tomatoes so far each.
Great's the word!
When planted & where?
Not one tomato here yet, in Kent, happy to wait.
Phew! Me neither, loads of flowers though. I sowed rather late this year so it's not really surprising I suppose.
I have 2 tiny tomatoes on my plants so far (which a lot more than last year) I haven't harvested any yet but they only went to the allotment about 2 weeks ago. There are 12 Gardeners Delight and I have 4 Shirley as well.
So far only 2 rip Sungolds :) by hey I'm in Scotland so thats pretty good! ;)
Lots of flowers on my Tumbling Toms
Just realised who started this thread.would take it with a pinch of salt if I were you!
Got about 70 toms on 3 tumbling tom plants (and one is almost ripe!). Then a small smattering of toms on the tigerilla and brandywine plants.
loads of tomatoes, all green, 1 tigerella last week was ripe, we ate it ;D
post some photo's please TGG (see mine of two weeks ago!!) ;D ;D ;D ;D
I would love to see your garden, i make no wonder your aptly named the great gardener, im thinking maybee you could learn us newbys(30 years) some stuff, what do you say Tim >:(
I seldom speak out of turn?
Sungold gone red this week in Barnsley. I'm hoping it continues i've told wife "you won't need to buy any Tomatoes While November now"
In Glasgow greenhouse, I have eaten my first Yellow Currants, with first Sungold and Sun Cherry Premium due shortly.
i have lots of toms on lots of plants only a few are of a good size and none are ripe yet
I am glad this subject was posted. My tom plants about 6 ft - flowering nicely with a handful of small fruit but nothing else......i thought i had failed again (didnt do to well last year either - but i did to something wrong last year - dont ask! :-[ ) so hopefully time will tell!!!!!
Mine are about 2 ft tall in the greenhouse with dappled yellow leaves on the bottom half. A few flowers but can't understand it! >:( ??? :-\. Any clues?
You're not feeding them are you?
I have 15 different varieties, some of the plants are 6' tall, others abut 4' - most have little tomatoes on them but none are ripe yet. I'm glad I'm not alone!
Helen
TGG - are yours indoors or out? Outdoors one assumes, since this is not in 'Under Glass'??
Salt? Well - indoors, one hopes to get 8 lb per plant in a whole season!!
Ate my favorite tomato Cherokee Green last night!
Harvesting, Brandywine, Green Grape, Fuzzy Peach, Matina, Jap Black Trifle, Yellow Pear, Black Plum, Orange Bourghese, Wild Rose Red and Dr Carolyn ;D Makes for some vivid tomato salads!!! :D
I build a polythene tomato house each year and the toms in there are doing okay - plenty of leaf, flowers and little fruits but its going to be a while before they ripen. The rest are all outdoors and although a bit smaller plants also seem to be doing okay. Looks like the outside gaternperle and tumblers wll be the first to crop though. I am realy waiting for the jap black trifele, yellow pear, cherokee purple, emerald evergreen, black plum and others I have received from swaps to ripen - I am looking forward to a colourful tom salad like Biscombes ;D
What climate zone are you in TGG? Britain is about Zone 8, apparently, so your results may not be comparable.
and Biscome is in sunny Spain..... ;D We have some ripe Whippersnapper in baskets but don't expect proper toms until Mid July .... :-\ can hardly wait...
I have had 7 yes 7 gardeners delight cherry tomatoes ;D
and another type that is blushing a little this morning, i will have to find the label to see what it is
lbb
Robert_Brenchley zone has nothing to due with it. Since zone only tells the lowest temp range during winter. Which is used as a guide for survivability of perennial plants though winter.
The secrets ,tips and techniques I used to get such an early crop are quit simple.
well my 6 tomato plants that i raised from seed are about three tall and loads of green tomato's on them and dare i say it a few nearly ripe. Ive kept them in the greenhouse but i do have one outside and its got a couple on it as well cant wait to eat one yummy
Quote from: thegreatgardener on July 12, 2008, 13:40:05
The secrets ,tips and techniques I used to get such an early crop are quit simple.
Any chance of sharing them then.... don't leave us hanging!
Quote from: thegreatgardener on July 12, 2008, 13:40:05
Robert_Brenchley zone has nothing to due with it. Since zone only tells the lowest temp range during winter. Which is used as a guide for survivability of perennial plants though winter.
The secrets ,tips and techniques I used to get such an early crop are quit simple.
If your summer temperature is higher than mine, that certainly does affect the results! I know very well that climate zones are decided by lowest temperatures, but I think it's obvious that Zone 1, to take it to extremes, will have a lower summer temperature than Zone 11. Now do you have anything positive to contribute?
Quote from: northener on July 11, 2008, 22:18:42
You're not feeding them are you?
Yes on tomato feed.
When I said 2 ft that was very optimistic. Nothing much is growing well in the greenhouse tbh (cucumbers and peppers look dodgy as well (shrivelled or yellow (some leaves) but the marigolds (unfed are flying!).
on a couple of my tomatoe plants (millions) one or two of the leaves have got white marks on them, almost as if they have been scorched, which obiviously they haven't due to our british summer? Any idea what that could be?
Robert_Brenchley in the case summer heat you might check to see what heat zone or degree days your area in if someone has bothered calculated them for area.
jonny211 sure I post them when I get chance in day or two.
And an idea of your total harvest for one plant? If you can get 10lb by this time, the total must be immense - ie on a commercial sale, growing to 30' or so?
And you're unheated??
These yields are pretty poor for a troll!
Mine are rather chilly.
Clueless- I think you've started feeding them too early thats why the leaves have gone yellow. Wait till they get little green toms on the lowest truss.
I'm renaming my Sweet Millions - Sweet FA ::)
Quote from: Trixiebelle on July 13, 2008, 08:58:23
I'm renaming my Sweet Millions - Sweet FA ::)
PMSL me too!!!
Ollie so how many pounds of tomatoes do you get off your san marzano plants, do you get them all at once or over a period of time, and how big is each fruit.
Quote from: thegreatgardener on July 13, 2008, 10:42:35
Ollie so how many pounds of tomatoes do you get off your san marzano plants, do you get them all at once or over a period of time, and how big is each fruit.
I get far less than you, in a worse timescale than you, and they are invariably all smaller than even your smallest. But I'd expect that because you're so clever and brilliant. Yawn.
Before this gets overheated, may we learn how any Lotterer can get 10lb of fruit per plant before most of us have a handful? And where do they go??
It would surely be a great boost to the movement.
= Tim
Have you thought of changing your name from 'thegreatgardener' to 'thegrategardener' because you certainly grate on the nerves of a lot of the lovely members of this site.
valmarg
tim most of my success has to do with the fact that I planted out in ground, extra early (feb 15 )in my garden with special protection devices and soil heating cable.
Fascinating! Must be a 'first'.
So how many plants can you grow, & how many trusses can you set within that protection?
When do you pick your first? And can your system carry them through the Autumn frosts? We have to clear out in mid-October.
You must also have a canning factory!!
Nice one Ollie. Tim don't encourage him.
olliec,valmarg,northener guess you did read message Dan the moderator in this posted
in the melon,or cucumber thread.
Quote2 Produce / Edible Plants / Re: melon,or cucumber on: Yesterday at 09:28:23
I'm not sure what is going on in this thread, or between the posters in the thread.
However, if everyone does not step back and act in a responsible manner,I will take action.
Thanks
Dan
so basicly I suggest you 3 answer the question like proper posters and stop acting in an improper manner. Or "DAN" may seek to take action against you.
"ignore" & I'll keep it on this time.
tim you need to realize that it takes 6-7 lbs of paste tomatoes to make 1 quart of sauce after seeds,core, skin is remove and it is cooked down.
The canner holds 9 quarts so one full batch uses 63 lbs of paste tomatoes.
Each protection set up which I have can hold between 20-25 plants.
tim As for trusses on the paste varieties, I don't set any till April. on the paste varieties.
But the plants usually don't flower till they are 5 ft high because of how I fertilize them.
Bigger plants produce more heavily then small ones.
Ditto Ollie.
Now, you see - that's bucking the trend?
Maybe we are too hidebound in witholding fertiliser?
So - say 20 plants X say 2 units X say 30lb divided by (why don't I have a sign for that!!) 6 = 200 quarts?
Your cupboads must be creaking?
And speaking of quarts - you're in the States?
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 12, 2008, 08:59:07
What climate zone are you in TGG? Britain is about Zone 8, apparently, so your results may not be comparable.
Zone 7 according to what he wrote on an organic gardening forum in a thread he started titled "Today is tomato seed starting day !! Dec 15 2007"
http://forums.organicgardening.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8041078301/m/3121001493/p/1
Missed the beginning and middle of this thread - away from work for a few days!
Well - not being one to brag - but I have had quite a few tomatoes from both inside Tumblers and Gardeners Delight and outside Tumblers!
This year I am growning a few italian seeds from Franchi and they are plum types that look as though they are producing very well - also my beef ones - Marmande and an italian variety which I can't remember the name of seem to be doing well - all in the polytunnel.
In my greenhouse at home I have the same variety but none of them are near ready yet! The Gardeners Delight have set really good long trusses though - so with a bit of sun and the right amount of moisture and feed I should be OK.
did I tell you all that I am going to try drying them on the dashboard of the car?!
Obviously I will move them before driving - but on the warmth angle should be properly "sund dried"! We will see how that experiment goes!
I never weigh my produce - so can't enter that debate - probably just as well having read through this thread! I eat as i go! Yummy!
Old Bird
;D
QuoteZone 7 according to what he wrote on an organic gardening forum in a thread he started titled "Today is tomato seed starting day !! Dec 15 2007
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
OK - but even then, 10lb per plant in 2 months is something amazing?
tim it not only how much fertilizer it what the components are.
The set-up I use is scalable from as little as one plant to an even a more.
But then space and cost would become an issue.
Baccy Man: but those tomatoes plants where for fruit size not fresh eating or sauce.
As long as the temps where you live do not fall below -10 C for an extend period time
they should work anywhere.
Zone 7 is colder then zone 8. So it should be easier to do in UK.
Tim I don't eat all or use all tomatoes I grow for in house use. I trade and give a away quit bit
to others.
Keeps you busy!!
tim less then you might think.
Expected yield from an indoor Tomato plant is 8lb.
Expected yield from an outdoor plant 4lb.
Approximate time between sowing and picking indoor plants is 16 weeks.
Approximate time between sowing and picking outdoor plants is 20 weeks.
Sown and in a minimum temperature of 50 to 55 deg. mid December.
Planted out in mid February to early March maintaining the minimum temperature
This should give the first crop of tomatoes in late May early June.
Taking Shirley as the heaviest cropper of normal size tomatoes, approximately 6 tomatoes to the pound at best you would have to have 64 plants yielding 10% of ripe fruit at once.
In your case you only have 30 plants so 20% of your plants are ripe at any one given time.
Is that correct
davyw1 so what is the source of your info.
My personal knowledge i time various veg so i know when it is going to be ready.
Well one of my Italian neighbours has 230 plants (indoor & outdoor) We did do a sort of 'calculation' about it all the other week, but all he's bothered about is getting loads off the plants and bottling it all for pasata.
He uses the lot (or Mama does) every year as well (apart from last year when they all got blight)
I think calculations are a bit pointless really ... unless you're SUPER COMPETITIVE??!!
Naming no names ::)
More grist to the mill!
Calculation help judge how many plant you need to provide
the production you need to fill a need.
With it garden is brought down to the act of picking a few snacks and hacking weeds.
Which might good for some but a waste time in eyes of others.
Quote from: Trixiebelle on July 14, 2008, 16:28:15
Well one of my Italian neighbours has 230 plants (indoor & outdoor) We did do a sort of 'calculation' about it all the other week, but all he's bothered about is getting loads off the plants and bottling it all for pasata.
He uses the lot (or Mama does) every year as well (apart from last year when they all got blight)
I think calculations are a bit pointless really ... unless you're SUPER COMPETITIVE??!!
Naming no names ::)
Trixie, I have to agree regarding calculations as far as counting the amount of veg you get but not when it comes to calculating when a certain veg will be at its best.
Quote from: thegreatgardener on July 14, 2008, 17:52:45
Calculation help judge how many plant you need to provide
the production you need to fill a need.
With it garden is brought down to the act of picking a few snacks and hacking weeds.
Which might good for some but a waste time in eyes of others.
TGG do i get an answer to my question or do i get another question.
I would love to see some photo,s, this may help me improve on my tomato growing.
Sorry Tim ::) :)
TGG: Well live and let live is what I say! I don't even LIKE tomatoes ... and it amuses me NO END when someone such as your good self comes on to a forum like this and pontificates about them!
How about joining in and ...
.. nooooo! I take it all back!
I am huge great fan of tomatoes but then again I am not a tomato taste snob like some.
Well you obviously go for quantity not quality TGG. Nothing to say that's WRONG or anything. What is classed as tomato 'snobbery'?
Hi Trix... seems I am chasing you round the board today.
My two penneth here, is that I have 42 varieties..1 or 2 per type only as we are not using lotties this year.
Most are green and just starting to turn but the Tumblers have almost finished now, grown under lights with heat and started before Christmas they have been fruiting a long time, not the best taste in my opinion but they are fast maturing and they get us very earlies if we mess about with them. I usually only grow two of these to tied us over .
Whippersnappers, new to me are loaded and probably very early. I think next year I will use those instead of the Tumblers.
We have had a few Piccola but not many yet.
We started way behind this year apart from the Tumblers and a couple of minis that have long gone too so on the whole we are doing just fine here. Certainly nothing to brag about but we are happy especially as it looked as if gardening was off the agenda totally for us this year.
You all sound as though you are doing very well..well done to you. I am a bit envious of you lucky lottie growers, but next year..
XX Jeannine
those who argue which variety tastes best compared to some other variety.
?
Oh shut up you thingy!
thingy = ****
Admin here - the profanity filter is easy to get around - but please don't!
NOT YOU JEANNINE!
Was that meant for me...LOL...don't answer that
Oh good, .I will leave you on the Christmas card list then
I do find all this of interest - it would be nice to do better.
But there's a limit. 230 x (say) 8lb = 1840lb/6 = "306 qts" = 612 pound jars = 1.5 jars per day!
Well, Italians do have extended families??
I'm glad that I gave all our jars to Sarah, the Supersprout. And nice to think that Son, Will, learned the ropes of Passata making from her. Been there, done it - too much hassle these days.
As for us, it's our worst year. Three lots - 6 Gardener's Delight from seed, & 6 each of Black Krim & Costoluto Fiorentino plants are a disaster. Plus 3 Cucumber plants. For no apparent reason.
Just to add my fourpennyworth and throw a spanner in as well!
Surely it depends to a large degree what variety you are growing?! My beefsteak tomatoes are getting huge and I would expect - even though I don't bother with weighing things - that I would get well in excess of 15- 20lbs per plant? Whereas the more plentiful Gardeners Delight produce masses of tomatoes but weight wise probably would not come close to the weight of the beefsteak ones!
I don't understand all this competetive thing about who has more or is better than - and a few getting very hot under the collar - to me it is all nonsense!
Old Bird!
;D
still on the original question here, ha ha
I planted FAR TOO CLOSE!!!
but it doesn't seem to matter as they are filling up with toms! Especially the cherry tomatoes
note to self - next year, plant cherries in little chicken wire "pots" to keep them upright and not spreading all over the shop.
I planted Marmande, herzfeuer and gartenperle, which are covered in MASSES of tiny green things!! (toms, not caterpillars).
I didn't prune very well or for that matter tie them up especially succesfully, but they are doing their own thing it seems. Too many for salads, well they will go into ratatouile, passata and home made salsa and frozen cherry tomatoes for pies.
What gets me hot under the collar is this. I have a father with a large tumor and a poor prognosis for long life, my business is really struggling due to the state of the mortgage market, I'm in court in 2 weeks having to prove my innocence in order to avoid a 4 year prison sentence, and I come on here for some pleasant company and a bit of gardening related escapism.
Then some tit comes along and wants me to argue with him about tomatoes and squash, picking fights with anyone who questions the validity of some of his claims and generally causing friction... he then moans when anyone tells him to pull his head in... I wish I had such poxy little things to worry about!
{{{{OllieC}}}}
Hot? Not me, Old Bird! And I'm not competitive - just struggling to get enough! And interested. Would truly love to know if you do get that much off any plant. And how tall/trusses you go for.
Typically, I get trusses of 20-30 fruit off say, Nectar. That's 12-16 oz per truss. Typically 5 trusses. So that's 5lb. Not bright.
With Beefs, I find that I get up to 6 per bunch low down, & then 4,3,2 etc as you go up, ending up up with possibly 8lb. Never weighed.
And, Antipodes, the Cherries for stews & curries.
I planted close too, but in staggered rows - and after the Mistral blowing for all its worth for three days I had to spend all yesterday afternoon rescuing the plants! I hadn't anticipated being so lucky and getting so many large tomatoes, but we have been spoilt with more rain this year than normal.
I now have a terrible DIY framework of canes supporting the branches - it certainly wouldn't win any prizes in a "best kept allotment" competition, but its doing the job just fine.
But I don't care - cos the prospect of all these tomatoes ripening (or not - green chutney here we come!) is wonderful. Many thanks to the couple of seed swaps I took part in - we have just had our first very colourful tomato salad at lunch and it was deeeelicious.
I have a selection of Black Krim, Black Seaman, Black Prince, Tigerella, Striped Turkish, two wonderful Italian ones and some Orange variety. The Italian ones and the striped turkish are the most successful at the moment.
On the other hand, my courgettes are lousy - barely three inches long and very sad! Still, you can't win them all!
I don't grow tomatos because last time lost most of my crop to blight and Only 2/4 of us eat them anyway. I bought some from the supermarket earlier this year a variety of cherry tomato called conchita and the non-tomato liking son kept pinching them from the fridge they were so nice (yes even from the supermarket). Has anyone grown any of these?
Quote from: Baccy Man on July 14, 2008, 10:26:21
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 12, 2008, 08:59:07
What climate zone are you in TGG? Britain is about Zone 8, apparently, so your results may not be comparable.
Zone 7 according to what he wrote on an organic gardening forum in a thread he started titled "Today is tomato seed starting day !! Dec 15 2007"
http://forums.organicgardening.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8041078301/m/3121001493/p/1
Baltimore.........US of A (judging by the "day 4" picture posted later in the above thread. ;D
Oh oh oh, tomorrow I shall harvest my first tomato of the year!!! Well, if not tomorrow then the day after. All organic, (apart from the feed & slug pellets) & outside (apart from the open mini greenhouse).
I shall photo it first...
I also have 2 sungella on the plot that will be ready within a day or 2.
It all starts here!!!
Salt pot on standby, i know you should'nt but i can't stop.
None for me yet, they've only just started flowering.
QuoteI don't understand all this competetive thing about who has more or is better than
Well said. Give me quality any day.
However, within reason, yield is important within bounds of reality as a healthy plant will support a greater number of fruit than a sick one. Jealosy and infighting though is normally reserved for the showbench and has no place here.
Eristic there is no reason that good quality and good production have be exclusive.
Quote from: thegreatgardener on July 16, 2008, 00:52:47
Eristic there is no reason that good quality and good production have be exclusive.
IT APPEARS IT IS WITH YOU. One of the great things about this Forum is we try to help each other, we share our methods of growing and try to pass on what knowledge we have to assist the people who are new to it.
I have asked about a few photo,s others have asked about your method with a view of trying to improve their knowledge of growing tomatoes none, have been forth coming.
Its my opinion that you are not on this Forum to assist any one but yourself
DAVYW.
Cool................??
Quote from: tim on July 16, 2008, 12:05:29
Cool................??
I am chilled Tim............Chilled...........well i am now.
this is a pic of one of our supersteak, producing a new plant from the leaf axil :o
davy I will be posting pictures this weekend.
TGG, is that a threat or a promise? ;D
valmarg
Have plants outside - gardener's delight (from seed), sungold (from ebay - couldn't find seed anywhere!), sub arctic plenty (from seed), hector F1 (seed from france) and golden sunrise (from seed).
All grown to between 4' and 5' tall. (In my humble opinion) they seem to be doing well - plenty of small green fruits, none ripe yet.
Sorry no amazing tips........
Planted seeds, watered (probably too much or too little!), grew on inside then stuck out in may (we live in SE England)
No pics (sorry again....)
(a) haven't work out how ;D
(b) kids have "lost" camera >:(
Will not feel inadequate though..... if others have tonnes of tommies then good for them. If it's all just fantasy then good for them too ( but there must be plenty of other more suitable online outlets for that sort of thing...)
Now, where's the bl%$&y camera..... ???
Sneaked a sungold while tidying up the plants this evening...... lots of Whippersnapper and Gartenpearle...... ;D
getting there
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/neil_1_1956/DSCF5262.jpg)
wow they look good fork
my biggest one is one of my purple russian, the photo doesnt do it justice just hope it ripens before i go away lol though at this rate it will still be green when i get back ;D
Scousers - that's just a sideshoot that you missed?
Do they get much sun Deb ?
Only it looks like it got a bit of "greenback" to me,maybe they need a bit of shade
yes they do probably one of the sunniest spots in Devon but only when the suns shines obviously which it has done about twice this year i dont know what they are supposed to look like cos never grown purple russian before lol
Don't think that that is greenback.
Like these?
Woohoo!
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/Big_Cheesus/FirstTom2008-1.jpg)
Tim
I really haven't got a clue about the amount weight wise as I said before but I was reckoning on the beef ones being probably about half a pound each?
They are not massive in height but the stalks seem to have loads of tomatoes on them and they are being weighed down with them. Anyway I will try to remember to keep count when I am cutting them.
Talking about height, I was watching a programme on TV sometime during the last week and they were talking about some energy conservation and re-use of spent energy type of thing. I think it was carbon dioxide or whatever that was being re-used. They took us into Europe's largest greenhouse which was packed full of tomatoes. (This is in England but didn't catch where!) The tomato plants were ginormously tall they appeared to be about 10 ft. high. The firm is the largest tomato grower certainly in this country. Fascinating though!
Old Bird
;D
well all my tomatoes all still green lol, but maybe now i put my greenhouse up round them maybe they get along better
Quote from: Old bird on July 17, 2008, 15:07:48
Talking about height, I was watching a programme on TV sometime during the last week and they were talking about some energy conservation and re-use of spent energy type of thing. I think it was carbon dioxide or whatever that was being re-used. They took us into Europe's largest greenhouse which was packed full of tomatoes. (This is in England but didn't catch where!) The tomato plants were ginormously tall they appeared to be about 10 ft. high. The firm is the largest tomato grower certainly in this country. Fascinating though!
Old Bird
;D
hi Old Bird, that was the first in a new series by Jimmy Doherty (the guy who farms pigs in Essex, did a couple of series called Jimmy's Farm) all about farming in Britain, and very interesting it was too (probably on iPlayer if anyone is interested). he's in East Anglia and the tomato greenhouse uses the waste products of the sugar beet factory: CO2 and hot water. they're called Cornerways and here's a link to their website: http://website.lineone.net/~neilbussey/
Really good programme, the guy in the greenhouse also gave the tip of never putting tomatoes in the fridge because it kills the flavour. What about the Celewry picking machine?
commercial tomatoes are (mostly I suppose) grafted onto an extremely vigorous rootstock which produces enormous plants
greenhouses use high levels of CO2 to increase photosynthesis and yields
Ginormously tall? How about ginormously long?
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,43935.0.html
Quote from: tim on July 17, 2008, 13:14:58
Scousers - that's just a sideshoot that you missed?
it's coming from the middle of a leaf though, not the joint ???
grafting is mostly about disease resistance and for growing in difficult situations. At $60 for 250 rootstock seeds it must do something good. You can graft toms onto aubergines too
Quote from: thegreatgardener on July 16, 2008, 19:32:59
davy I will be posting pictures this weekend.
So where are they? Waiting to see the proof!
I really hate to stir all this up again but did we find out how to produce so many toms from one plant ?? ??? because either I have missed it along the way of this thread. Is it hidden in there somewhere ?
Duke :)
Manics - oh!!
Yes, I've seen that too.
Not familiar with Purple Russian, Debster, but a lot of Heritage varieties have darker shoulders... :-\
More shots of my toms..
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/neil_1_1956/DSCF5940.jpg)
Variety?
They look like my Tigerella, Fork, only healthier!
Plenty of flowers , but will they fruit?
[attachment=1]
bugg3r. I thought that if you got flowers you get fruit. Is this not the case ?
Reckon so, provided you don't stress the plant out. Most modern toms are self pollinating. But this variety, MilleFleur, is a type called centiflor that is very different to any I've grown before.
These are the worst tomatoes i have ever grown thank to the local farmer whom delivered my manure
[attachment=1]
20 plants outdoors on the allotment; 3 varieties - Alicante, Gardener's Delight and Ferline - but none ripe yet. Also growing 3 Gardener's delight against a south facing wall at home, by ring culture (pots with bottoms cut out in a gravel bed) and 3 more in a flower bed - again, some good sized tomatoes but none ripe yet. It's been a funny old summer.....
well i bought and was sent some wonderful varieties of tomatoes, i even paid out for some early variety and out of all the ones ive grown which looks like the first to ripen? that would be the gardeners delight ::)
The tomatoes are Tigerella Tim.
These are a bush variety called Totem.
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/neil_1_1956/DSCF5941.jpg)
we've had our first 6 toms ripened, tigerella :)
plums are on the way, 1 golden sunrise needs a couple more days and the beefsteak will be next weekend, unless it gets really hot ;D
the san marzano are nearly there, golden sunrise and tigerella are on the menu today ;D
I had my first ripe sungold yesterday, delicious. :-*
Drove in the drive after work feeling a bit frazzled to see this orange jewel just waiting to be picked. Made all my stresses melt away . Then i patroled the garden gobbling peas and raspberries .
July is a great time to be a gardener!
Sungold rule!
sunloving
i'm nearly "just" about confident we'll get tomatoes this year, and the first ones will be .....Gardener's Delight unless the lime Green Salads are already ripe and we don't know :D
Try putting some Potash on to help them along.
not very well this year - very few flowers, no fruit so far and the tomitilos i planted have turned out to be tomatoes - well disapointed
Potash? But we all feed weekly, don't we?
Barnie - mille > centi - strange??
Fork - wish I could grow them like that - so healthy!
I gave mine a dose of Sulphate Of Potash last night.....but only a small helping just to help the ripening along.Too much will "stop" the smaller tomatoes growing any bigger I think?
Im getting impatient for some red tomatoes ;D
Thanks Tim.The fruit looks healthy enough but the leaves looked terrible thats why I removed so many.
Quote from: manicscousers on July 21, 2008, 19:26:44
we've had our first 6 toms ripened, tigerella :)
plums are on the way, 1 golden sunrise needs a couple more days and the beefsteak will be next weekend, unless it gets really hot ;D
when did you sow the seed , manics? I'm harvesting enough to be giving 'em away at the moment!! ;)
the golden sunrise and tigers were end of january, the rest were early march..I don't think the weather has helped up here ;D
I'm over the moon with my tomatoes this year, all to the kindness of members on here who sent me seeds, I did lose the names on them but have loads and loads of fruits but haven't a clue what they are but I don't care, a home-grown tom is a home-grown tom and after so many years of losing the crop to blight I have high hopes for this year.
I picked my first nearly red one today and am finishing the ripening off on the windowsill, I just couldn't wait any longer to pick it, it seems to have taken ages to go nearly red :)
Sinbad
Okay probably a very daft and very open ended question but when should i have planted my tomatoes in a non-heated greenhouse?
I have a feeling i maybe of been far too late - they went in at around april - but have hardly any fruit.....or do i need to be patient..... ???
Should i be excited i've just got flowers on my millions or like the post above are they going to amount to nothing as i was late planting them?
Mine are very late, no ripe tomatoes yet
I suppose we are all in the wrong zone.
lol davy!
Quote from: beanie3 on July 23, 2008, 22:14:09
Okay probably a very daft and very open ended question but when should i have planted my tomatoes in a non-heated greenhouse?
I have a feeling i maybe of been far too late - they went in at around april - but have hardly any fruit.....or do i need to be patient..... ???
My tomatoes went in the cold greenhouse in the last week of May.We had a couple of late frosts but they didnt get caught.
phew!
just caught up-sorted the wheat from the chaff-so pleased to have some chums to base comparisons on-
i spent the last of me money on a small polytunnel last year-after the blight!!-
this year i was getting a bit worried that altho i have a reasonable score on the amount ,i have only just picked the first edible one last night-it was gardeners delight-lovely but so small that unless i fit a special lense to the camera no-one can see it!
there seem to be a fair few on the plants which are mixed varieties-but the best seem to be cosoluto fiorentino(sorry tim!)and tigerella....
i was wondering-you know bananas produce ethanol which ripens other fruit-what do you think to putting a buch of nanas in the greenhouse lateron in the season to finish off ripening-theres only so much green chutney you can eat!
would it work?
kitty
xx
I have seen bananas in the tomato greenhouse at Chatsworth.;....I did wonder why they were there!
o goodo!!
thought i was losing me marbles-it was one of those ideas when sleep wont come and you lay there thinking....
i know.... ;D
so-ifits good enough for the devonshires!!! ;)
I THINK I may have one ripe Gardeners Delight ready for eating today, think I will go and stand guard!!!
hey Lorna me too but seeing as its not very big i dont think im gonna offer to share it lol
Well !!! Thursday and a weeks gone by since i took these photo,s ( 17th ) and i was so hoping that he who grows in zone 7 would have put some photo,s on of his tomatoes and give a few tips on how he does it.
I thought i may have learned something to increase my crop and get earlier tomatoes, not to be i suppose.
What can i say other than ?
[attachment=1] [attachment=2][attachment=3][attachment=4]
sorry all for not posting my pictures of my early set out set-up last weekend but my camera has been giving trouble I will post the pictures this weekend since I have lot on my plate till Sunday. some of are bit impatient but good things come to those who want and those who complain have no reason to since the set-up will not help this time year anyway.
hic ! ;D
Don't forget the fried green tomatoes if you are only thinking chutney for spares. We pick some green specifically for this and they are smashing..recipe available if anyone needs it.
XX Jeannine
[attachment=1] ;D ;D
jeannine i would love the fried green tomato recipe always wanted to try them and also i might be able to get to try some of my tomatoes before i go away ;D
I would really love the fried green toms recipe as well thanks Jeannine as Ive still only got one tom showing slightly orangey colouring....all the rest are green despite being in a greenhouse ::)
got some more tigerella and golden sunrise , still, no panic, it is only july and we're usually still picking into november ;D
Don't you get blight?
it's inside, grawc so they seem to be okay, at least they were last year :-\
probably shot myself in the foot now ;D
taken late october
Jeanine-would love the recipe for fried green tomatoes please!
kitty
xx
Green tomatoes - I reckon that they should just be on the turn.
Here's our state of play. Foliage is a disaster, but we've been picking for 3 weeks - only Cherries & small varieties so far. Second showing of Nectar.
My toms are a little late this year . Took this pic this morning I noticed one or 2 are on the turn .Still a bit early to take salt pot with me. :)
Types Shirley and Buffalo..
(http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6689/dscf0010yn2.jpg)
Everyone's pics look so good :)
My tomatoes, sown & planted out a little late are all flowering well, and I see some have started to set fruit.
As to yield, well, sometimes theres good years and sometimes bad. Grown outside, sown and planted really early, I'm fairly certain I've had 16lbs (approx 8 kgs) per plant from Roma and Incas plum tomatoes - no trusses removed or any care really except keeping them off the ground. Don't even water them after they're established, but then suppose that's one of the advantages of a clay soil (pretty dreadful to work with, but does hold the water well).
But then last year was awful, remember we all got blight really early, around first week July? Lets hope this year is better.
WOW Jim!!
So why, Jenny, can I not get half that harvest? Even INDOORS! Or maybe I haven't measured well. I'll try a plant this year.
Loads of flowers, but not one tom yet, think i got a "inadaquete" pack! have some in the greenhouse that have started to wilt..think i'll lose the lot..still cuc's comming along lovely!
I've been excitedly planning the harvest of my first ripe tomato for the past week, a Jaune Flamme....watched it slowly turn a burnt orange colour....couldn't wait any longer this afternoon, so picked it and turned it over....only to find a slimey had beaten me to it and knawed the bottom off! >:(
I cant really complain, so far been quite good.
Had may be 20 Sungolds and 1 plum tomato, which I dont know the name of.
"Jelly Bean" tomato will be interesting this year.
(http://backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/24.07.08/IMG_2414.JPG)
(http://backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/19.07.08/IMG_2356.JPG)
Jelly Bean-
(http://backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/19.07.08/IMG_2353.JPG)
(http://backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/19.07.08/IMG_2345.JPG)
Fantastic pictures everyone! Yum!
Last year was the first time I tried to grow outdoor tomatoes, and as everyone knows blight was a nightmare and they all died only a few weeks after being planted out. I nearly didn't bother this year as it was so depressing seeing my poor babies nutured from seed going brown and frazzling up before my very eyes.
However I DID bother and (touch wood) so far they are going crazy out there...every day they seem to have grown another 6 inches and I have loads of tiny green ones. I'm hoping for a good crop of gardeners delight (my favourite) and 2 others I have never grown before due to lack of space until I got the allotment: marmande (seem to be developing in all sorts of wierd shapes) and tigerella (started off quite slowly but are catching up fast).
Next year I want to try a plum variety and if possible some more unusual ones....the trouble is I want to try ALL of them. But there's only so many tomatoes I can force my folks to eat. :)
Tomatoes'n'custard anyone?
Mmmmm sounds lovely! ;D
Ours arer starting to ripen now - 1st few sungold were snarfed by daughter last weekend... a few G delight are currently a pale orange colour
....... HURRY UP ! ! ! ! ! Please!!
LOL Electric Landlady...I can give you a recipe for green tomato pie..no kidding, it is actually very good. with spices and topped with custard it is one we enjoy.XX Jeannine
Quote from: Jeannine on July 28, 2008, 21:28:13
LOL Electric Landlady...I can give you a recipe for green tomato pie..no kidding, it is actually very good. with spices and topped with custard it is one we enjoy.XX Jeannine
Jeannine i would love some green tomatoe recipes, is it ok to eat the green tomatoes that the plant drops? (they get knocked by the children)
lbb
Hi, use your usual pie pastry..
It is one of my US recipes so is measured in cups. not by weight but by volume, if you don't have a measuring cup, use anything that would hold just 250 ml of water and use that.
For filling use
Sliced firm green tomatoes, sliced thin and with skin left on. but cut the stem end off ,use about 3 cups full.
3/4 cup of soft brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Cover the tomato slices with boiling water for about 10 minutes then drain, place them in an unbaked pastry shell, mix the spices, sugar. flour and water together and pour over the slices, cover with top crust and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for a further 30 minutes.
Fried Green tomatoes..oh there are so many variations on this one..here is my favourite.
Slice toms into 1/4 inch slices, dip in beaten egg, then in flour to which I add a bit of finely grated Parmesan cheese(not too much as it will get too salty)
Fry in butter or what you personally prefer,( my favourite is goose fat)and serve with bacon and egg.
They take longer to cook than red ones so allow for that when frying..not too fast or they will be browned before cooked through.
Yes ., you can eat the fallen ones. it is only the foliage that you can't eat.
After this they go into chutney, or a green tomato mincemeat, or a relish that is chopped smaller than the chutney and ends up more like a thick chunky sauce.
There is a start for you, I do have others.
XX Jeannine
excellent, thank you Jeannine
lbb
So green toms are ok to eat then?? I knocked some little gardeners delight off by accident and wasn't sure if I could eat them. Not enough to make a chutney out of but I can fry them and eat them then?
No problem at all, we specifically pick some green for some things. XX Jeannine
Green toms sliced and fried aren't bad at all.
Quote from: Jeannine on July 28, 2008, 21:52:30
Hi, use your usual pie pastry..
It is one of my US recipes so is measured in cups. not by weight but by volume, if you don't have a measuring cup, use anything that would hold just 250 ml of water and use that.
For filling use
Sliced firm green tomatoes, sliced thin and with skin left on. but cut the stem end off ,use about 3 cups full.
3/4 cup of soft brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water.......
Jeanine, what does a green tom. pie taste like with those seasonings? Apple pie?
No not quite apple although the texture is the same but I don't put brown sugar in my apple and also no molasses, so the taste is different, taste is more like shoo fly but not the same.
These are my first few tomatoes picked at 10:20pm last night by torchlight!
Strange you may think but I work shifts and I needed to water after work last night....I dont trust anyone else to do it.
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/neil_1_1956/DSCF5947.jpg)
Here is the other Fried Green tom recipe I mentioned.this is a bit more seasoned than the first one and is probably the most common one.. This is my favourite by far but is more faffy to get the ingredients together so i sometimes use the other one if rushed.
2 1bs green firm toms..large ones are best.
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup of cornmeal..you can find this is in the UK..it gives the crunch to the slices, which is very authentic.
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the same amount of lemon pepper if you have it..if not double the black
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of icy water
2 tablespoons butter AND 1/2 cup oil oil oil for frying.
Slice the toms into 1/2 inch rounds.
Mix the dry ingredients in1 bowl and in another beat the eggs with the water.
Heat the butter and oil.
Dip slices into dry mixture, them eggy mixture, then again into dry
Fry gently and slowly till golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
These are good cooled to room temp if you have leftovers.
By the way, if making Green tomato Pie, you can use half apples and half green tomatoes if you are short of green toms.
XX Jeannine
thank you Jeannine
fork what variety of toms are those???
Looking good Fork. I was over the moon when I picked a dozen Gardeners Delight today. ( I am easily pleased ;D)
Quote from: debster on July 29, 2008, 22:46:49
thank you Jeannine
fork what variety of toms are those???
They are "Tigerella" Debs.We prefare to pick before they get too red.
[attachment=1] whippersnapper and gardeners delight + a couple of marmande ;)
fantastic tonybloke!
mine are all just starting to turn-tigerella and costoluto fiorentino are doing the best so far...had a few gardners delight
once they start they really start!!
kitty
xx
picked our first plums today, although they look more like a pepper shape, san marzano, made pizza topping for tonight :P ;D
One of mine, I think the Gartenperle is making PINK tomatoes!!! Rather odd - actually I find they are not that nice, I am a bit disappointed, even when they have fully ripened, they are not that juicy.
But the small salad tomatoes from Lidl seeds are delicious, I have had 4 or 5 of those and some of the Marmandes are just ripening up now (outdoors)
Our first outdoor Krim - better than indoor - 650' up!
Quote from: antipodes on July 31, 2008, 09:45:51
One of mine, I think the Gartenperle is making PINK tomatoes!!! Rather odd - actually I find they are not that nice, I am a bit disappointed, even when they have fully ripened, they are not that juicy.
But the small salad tomatoes from Lidl seeds are delicious, I have had 4 or 5 of those and some of the Marmandes are just ripening up now (outdoors)
My Gartenperle have were pinkish last year. Also not enthralled by their taste but because they were so prolific and unaffected by the b****t and also had an element of mistreatment (erratic watering and and feeding), I'm giving them one last chance. None ripe yet.
So far have picked just two tiny Sungolds.
I have taisted my first Russian Black this week and well impressed with the flavor
more plums today and our first 2 beefsteak ;D
mine are all still green! think i planted them too close.... outdoors at the lotty are doing better than in growbag by the house... more light i think? oh well, wheres that chutney recipie anyone???
Tonights just picked selection.Tigerella,Alicante,Ailsa Craig and Golden Sunrise.
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/neil_1_1956/DSCF5951.jpg)
they look great fork :)
cheers
Bonanza, Fork - but not fully ripe??
Her indoors likes them like that Tim.She doesnt like them too ripe.
Im easy.....but dont quote me on that ;D
I think mine have got blight. Woe, woe and thrice woe! There's a plot a few yeards away where a potato patch has been completely neglected for years, and I've thought for a long time that it was probably acting as a reservoir.
thats sad robert-maybe the council should clear that plot-we had someone grow tats on their plot for the 4thyear running-the plot was all taters nothing else and last year thats where the blight hit first-you could see it sweeping across the lottie-then they gave up and this year we have sensible people on there-so far we've remained blight free....
kitty
xx
Tumbling toms.Some have ripened on this one and were eaten by my neighbour while we were away........He said they had great taste ::)
That plot's been a running sore for years, but we do at least have the council behind us. Say no more; we've got our eye on the situation there.
As for my toms, I had another look today, and I'm not sure whether it's really blight or the effects of the flooding. If it's blight, they should be rotting wholesale before long, after this rain, so I'll soon know for certain.
Not to good been away for a week and come back to this
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/wrigs_2006/Toms2.jpg)
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/wrigs_2006/Toms.jpg)
Tomatoes: the test of one's Endurance!
Quote from: sunner on August 12, 2008, 09:12:54
Not to good been away for a week and come back to this
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/wrigs_2006/Toms2.jpg)
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/wrigs_2006/Toms.jpg)
commiserations those pics have brought back bad memories from last year and will probably give me nightmares tonight. :'(
Nothing like that here .... yet! :-X
Some of mine have green toms coming, but they were hit by the flood (I thought it was blight at first, but it isn't) and I don't know whether they'll recover enough to start growing again.
b*gger
I haven't been on here for a while, this is the first thread I've read today and got ingrossed in it, dying to see the pics of TGG's tomatoes. I read all 11 pages..............and nothing! it's the middle of Aug and he's been promising the pics for about a month now! grrrr!
My toms are slow, had a few maskota and gardeners delight out the hanging baskets. loads of flowers, half full of unripe fruit. Got roma, red cherry, alicante and golden sunrise in g/h. much the same as the o/door toms which are marmande, alicante, golden sunrise and red cherry, a fair few flowers, a fair few fuit but none ripe!
Going away on Sat for 2 weeks, what's the betting that they will ripen while i'm away? hopefully my sis will store them for me till I get back, can't wait to start making my passata! yummy! :)
well mine have been hit by blight there all in the greenhouse .
had them too close to the spuds ,all getting very large now but im cutting leaves of the plants at a speed you cant believe trying to save as many as i can trying every day to push it to the next.
or i might have to continue to ripen them in the airing cudboard in brown paper .
looks like it will be a complete sanitation of the green house this year get rid of any bacteria
Quote from: daileg on August 13, 2008, 07:14:36
well mine have been hit by blight there all in the greenhouse .
had them too close to the spuds ,all getting very large now but im cutting leaves of the plants at a speed you cant believe trying to save as many as i can trying every day to push it to the next.
or i might have to continue to ripen them in the airing cudboard in brown paper .
looks like it will be a complete sanitation of the green house this year get rid of any bacteria
my neighbour says if you hang banana skins in the greenhouse it speeds up the ripening process.
Sulphate of potash will speed up the ripening process too but if used too heavily will actually stop the fruit getting any bigger.
No blight here yet either,well not on the tomatoes.Potatoes have suffered though.
The inevitability of blight.........
Just paid a visit to the allotment and after a smith period lasting 9 days (according to blightwatch) almost all my toms have got blight. I've been picking off infected leaves for about a week now but it's now spread into the stems which I think means its game over.
Real shame because although they've been late this year, they are all really hanging with fruit waiting to ripen. Only ones that have ripened in any numbers have been Sungold which have been absolutely delicious.
I know that you can ripen green tomatoes once they're picked, But is this limited to tomatoes that are close to being ripe or can you do it with tomatoes that still have a long way to go.???
By the way, my one Ferline plant still appears untainted. Fingers crossed.....
Quote from: Fork on August 13, 2008, 11:48:44
Sulphate of potash will speed up the ripening process too
where can i obtain this ? my tumbler has maybe 50 fruit on it but due to the weather in scotland (I`ve never seen so much rain !!) they just arent going red !
cheers
stupid hat on, ignore me !!
cheers
Here is picture of yesterdays harvest of san marzano's for sauce. about 4 kg of them
(http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg268/thegreatgardener/sanmarzano.jpg)
If it's any consolation thifasmom, I appreciate your pictures, as I didn't know what blight looked like. I feel very sorry for you. It must be devastating.
valmarg
mine have done well but one variety has done far better than the rest with huge well shaped tomatoes. I grew four plants from a packet given to me by a friend who'd been abroad. They were called "gross libre" which I suspect means something like "big lovely" but I have no idea where they came from. Has anybody any experience of this variety. I will of course be keeping seeds for next year having thrown the packet away.
Can't seem to locate it anywhere on the web, Bill, any other details?
Quote from: valmarg on August 15, 2008, 18:56:00
If it's any consolation thifasmom, I appreciate your pictures, as I didn't know what blight looked like. I feel very sorry for you. It must be devastating.
valmarg
whole up a second Those pics weren't mine it was part of a quote. i was telling the unfortunate recipient of the blight that i also knew what that was like, as i also experienced complete failure of my crop last year. so far this year nothing and i can assure you everything is crossed and prayers have been said, so hey you keep Your evil eye off my toms ;D, only joking.
but seriously check out my posts in this topic for my hopeful solution to the problem. i will let everyone know at the end of the season if it worked i do have on outdoor tom which is not covered as control ( i refuse to sacrifice more ;)).
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,44646.0.html (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,44646.0.html)
I gave about 4lb of toms away this morning ..Here is what I picked this evening ..
Shirley, Buffalo and think the yellow is Apricot brandy wine which was grown from saved seeds..Our zone unknown ;)
(http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/6572/dscf0078ek7.jpg)
Ooops sorry pardon thifsasmom. It doesn't matter who the crop belongs to, it must be devastating. Have never had the misfortune to have anything more than botrytis.
valmarg
Bill Barnes..had your friend been to Oz by any chance, there is a very popular tomato there that I had sent over some time ago called Gross Lisse..it is isn't known outside of Australia by this name but can be found as Trophy in pther parts of the world. I know the name is a bit different but could that be it.
The French Canadians call it Big Smooth.
It is...
Old tomato. large. round and red.
XX Jeannine
I'm growing Grosse Lisse (which I refer to as Fat Lizzy) in the greenhouse and I think it may have been Mikey who sent me seeds a couple of years ago? Lovely large fruit, but still green atm..there again, all my toms are green ::)
What a fantastic crop of Tomatoes Growmore. I am sure you must be supplying your neighbours as well. I especially like the yellow ones, am sure they will be so so sweet. Good stuff. ;) ;)
Hey hey hey!!! One of my tomatoes is orange! ;D ;D ;D ;D so there's a chance it might end up red.
Quote from: grawrc on August 17, 2008, 18:18:23
Hey hey hey!!! One of my tomatoes is orange! ;D ;D ;D ;D so there's a chance it might end up red.
ME TOO ME TOO ME TOO
Quote from: daileg on August 13, 2008, 07:14:36
well mine have been hit by blight there all in the greenhouse
looks like it will be a complete sanitation of the green house this year get rid of any bacteria
blight does not over-winter in soil in the u.k., only survives in infected potatoes!!
don't water your greenhouse at all any more, you might be surprised at how the tom's can continue growing! ;)
Today,s pickings so many different flavours.
[attachment=1][attachment=2]
Great crop :)
picked these on Saturday
look good, but the taste was insipid, well dissapointed
marmande and Tigerella ???
well i still have loads of tomatoes all green even though i have been away for 2 weeks, none of the dreaded B word just yet though sure its imminent! my fence was repaired whilst i was away and a few branches have been damaged and died, at least im hoping thats what it is, a few of my sub arctics have ripened in my absence and came back to a ripe black cherry and one golden surprise? please let them ripen just a day or two of sun is all i ask for ???
All of ours are ripening now so we are in the middle of a glut and feeding the neighbours. We grew quite a few small(as in not high) bush types this year in pots along with the regular mix of varieties, part of the gardening in small places experiment I have done in my minature back garden. Many worth growing again, some not.
The outside ones are not much behind the greenhouse ones which is interesting.
XX Jeannine
I've noticed that several neighbours are getting at least as heavy a crop from their bush plum tomatoes as I am from my cordons. I suppose up at the allotment the lower plants are less exposed.
Mine are OK, although a bit small. I thought you said condoms, sorry, that is so rude!!!!!
Thought San Marzano was red - are they red inside?
I have approx 30 or golf ball size / 0.5 golf ball size toms from a tumbling tom however they are all green
In scotland so its been constant rain for a least 3 weeks !!!
Any tips on how to get them to ripen
Cheers
Quote from: baronvon on August 20, 2008, 16:19:54
I have approx 30 or golf ball size / 0.5 golf ball size toms from a tumbling tom however they are all green
In scotland so its been constant rain for a least 3 weeks !!!
Any tips on how to get them to ripen
Cheers
Sulphate of potash
But, surely, they are getting that weekly??
Quote from: baronvon on August 20, 2008, 16:19:54
I have approx 30 or golf ball size / 0.5 golf ball size toms from a tumbling tom however they are all green
In Scotland so its been constant rain for a least 3 weeks !!!
Any tips on how to get them to ripen
Cheers
if they are in a greenhouse try hanging an over ripe banana/ a few banana skins around the plants, my neighbour says it works for him.
My dad left some that had fallen off in the bottom of a deep flower pot (the ones used for raspberries) with some runner beans on top, then forgot about them for a few days. When he found them, they were all perfectly ripe.
Quote from: tim on August 20, 2008, 17:03:57
But, surely, they are getting that weekly??
Possibly so but sulphate of potash used on its own will speed up the ripening process if used correctly as per the instructions on the packet.....if you use too much you will actually stop the fruit from getting any bigger.
as if by magic, tonight when i got home i found 5/6 starting to turn :)
for info they are outside and get fed tomorite (10ml) once a week
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2782340732_ac9f17981b_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2781478057_c5b8dae77a_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/2781489983_9c0f47afc5_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/2781486043_9c9cddcb26_b.jpg)
cheers
havent got a single tomato this year - nothing - flowers dont seem to be polinating - even when done by hand no idea whats happened >:( :'(
Good looking Tomato basket there, Baronvon... what variety? ;D
Mine are geting better-the `big` ones are just coming-had the first Caspian Pink for lunch
As to new(to me) so far-Piccolo(cherry) is nice but no better than sweet Million
Japanese Black Trifle-oh yes-another `must grow`
Larissa-it`s OK
Vanessa-I don`t grow many F1 types-I`ll offer it for sale next year as I have some seeds left but it isn`t going onto my `must have` list
Slowly getting some ripe to try.........
Goodies so far.... ;D
Garden Peach: Slightly furry skin, very very sweet, a bit like a peach!
Realeza: Had a go with one grown from a supermarket tomato. Lovely firm heart shaped toms, with good flavour, good experiment!
Speckled Roman (largest). I kept the seeds from the largest of these last year, and now have big heart shaped stripey toms. Will save some more of the best this time too. Great taste as well.
Disappointing... :(
Jaune Flamme: Dull orange colour, no real taste of anything.
Darby Yellow & Green Striped: These go completely yellow if left to ripen, also taste of cotton wool!
My outdoor tomatoes have now got blight, both of the Golden Nuggets have succumbed completely, the others I have cut off the affected leaves, of which there are only a few at the moment. Lots of green fruit on them, hope it gets to ripen! :-\
Best for flavour and texture so far - Speckled Roman and Legend, Tamina and Black Krim not far behind.
Quote from: saddad on August 24, 2008, 11:55:02
Good looking Tomato basket there, Baronvon... what variety? ;D
Tumbling Tomato ?
got it from B&Q about 3" tall for £1.50 :)
Cheers
I started a bit late this year and I still haven't got a red one . :'( ;D ;D ;D
been n checked mine at the lotty 2day, some have blown down some have black spots on stems and leaves, some of which are yellow, loads of green toms tho!!! sun come out come out wherever you are!!! the lotty ones r doing so much better than my ones at home too, siigh, another failed yr! can i chuck black bananas round the bottom of the toms aty the lotty to help them along at all? or do they need 2b in a confined space? i reeeeeelly wanted some decent toms this yr!!! poo! :'(
My tomatoes have been rubbish, even the red ones taste like supermarket stuff, I think its the lack of sunshine.
>:(
Quote from: loopyloulou on August 25, 2008, 19:59:23
been n checked mine at the lotty 2day, some have blown down some have black spots on stems and leaves, some of which are yellow, loads of green toms tho!!! sun come out come out wherever you are!!! the lotty ones r doing so much better than my ones at home too, siigh, another failed yr! can i chuck black bananas round the bottom of the toms aty the lotty to help them along at all? or do they need 2b in a confined space? i reeeeeelly wanted some decent toms this yr!!! poo! :'(
the bananas around the toms seems to work in confined places i tried it on my outdoor ones with no success, but my neighbour used it in the greenhouse with success.
My toms are brilliant this year even though they are slow to rippen, have frozen some and have two punnetts of them on the window sill. I just wish I hadn't got the labels mixed up so knew what one's were which. Impressed with Siletz and Oregon something.
Have to say after not having any toms for the last 3 years through blight any toms would delight me.
Sinbad
All of toms at plot (outdoor varieties) had got blight when we went on the weekend, stripped all unaffected green toms off and last night made HUGE batch of green tomato chutney which does taste lovely. :P
The toms at home are now all showing signs of blight :'( (outdoor ones too) so more chutney making for me I think! I really was looking forward to some proper red homegrown toms this year.
I was looking on google for blight resistant varieties and Thompson andmorgan says Ferline and Legend were both good, does anyone agree with this or have a variety (for outside) that they think is resistant?
Same here Glosterwomble, has lovely large green toms and loads of them untill i got home today to find 95% of them brown topped and all the foliage dieing off :(
Yes Ferline seem to be resistant so far - all my Marmande have keeled over but the Ferline (Interspersed in the same rows) are completely unaffected
8 plants all over 7 feet tall with lots of fruit, so far had about 3lbs of the best tasting toms I have ever had! Cheating though, all in a greenhouse, used a hozelock auto watering system for our 2 week hol, was v dubious but it worked like a dream.
Not bad for a newbie.
I guess i got around 30 plants in all and they are 7 different types shapes and sizes, most are on the allotment but some at home been picking cherry type for six weeks now the stripey ones are still green tho but loads of them so chutney jars at the ready :P
Sean
I would like to say its been a good season for my tomatoes but it has,nt but on the other hand i cant complain i still had a good crop to eat but none for the show bench.
the below photo is Shirley, Venessa and Gold star compliments of the farmer and his hormone weed killer.[attachment=1]
I had two die early in the season so dug down past the compost i had put in and replaced them that the two plants in the back ground
[attachment=2]
All was not lost as i have another three greenhouse what got different compost so i still got plenty to eat.
I picked an Aussie tom today, weighed in at 1lb 11 ounces. First time I have grown this variety, taste was pretty good but not excellent. It was one of my fun ones for this year.
XX Jeannine
I've got several different varietys growing outdoors. I started them off early enough, but none of the tomotoes are showing any sign of ripening yet. There's LOADS of them though. Does anyone know whether it's too late in the year now, or whether they're likely to ripen still? (I know nothing about growing toms!! ;D)
Thanks
of the 15 odd varieties i've grown this year, the star in terms of taste has been the Lime Green Salad, from America via Jeannine. Anyone else trying it? I know Jeannine had some seed
mind you, a couple of the tom seeds in this years seed swap weren't what they said on the tin! ;D Nice tho
Mine are still green. :( ??? :-\ ;D ;D ;D
mine are poorly poorly :(
I put 16 'Beefsteak' plants in a small poly lean-to and I'm very pleased with the results, I will be having anther picking session on Saturday and fried toms for mi breaky on Sunday :)
i planted 6 Balconi mini-toms this year - some yellow and some red. Put them in greenhouse until May and then moved a few outside. Only just started cropping a few weeks ago, but i am getting a handful every few days. They seem to have taken a long time to ripen - is this the lack of sun?
I would reckon we prob got a month left of tomato growing...
Mine are well grown, with lots of flowers and teeny tomatoes. These are outdoor varieties, but even the greenhouse ones are few and far between. Most of the ones on our allotments are the same. I thought it was just me! Not much sun for ripening. Its not for lack of watering either!
Mine are dead. RIP.
Mine are ready to be burnt. I AM NOT GROWING THEM NEXT YEAR.
Ours are hanging in there...... plenty of green toms and a few ripening slowly ......... orange "sungold" good, yellow "golden sunrise" and "ildi" coming .......... still waiting for red "hector" to colour.
Must find a good recipe for green tomato chutney, fried green tomatoes ...... etc......
I put some recipes on a couple of weeks ago for fried green tomatoes, two variations that I do, also a recipe for making a sweet pie filling with the greens. I made chutney today .
XX Jeannine
Thanks Jeannine.......... I'll definitely need those! ;D
just pulled up all of my tom plants from grow bags in the greenhouse all infested with blight and i have had a major infestation of slugs snails and even caterpillars totally destroyed
getting there slowly, ripening a pain but i`ve but 3 bananas in the tumbling tom and must admit they are ripening faster
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2806250218_ed00b3dfc0_b.jpg)
if it doesnt happen there is always photoshop lol
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2806273512_7fe1ed519c_b.jpg)
cheers
just threw out all my plants all have had small fruit eatenby slugs and cterpillars others fallen to disease in my greenhouse too wet too damp
Is that why they are called greenhouses? Two of them full of green toms and we don't eat chutney :'(
Outdoor toms at the plot will make a lovely bonfire tomorrow :'( we nearly had a great year judging by the amount of green and ripening toms
Plot g/h toms are great - Zogola/Earls Faux/Cherokee Purple ;D
Jap Trifele in Grandma's g/h are nearly ripe - cant wait, maybe next week ? 8)
Next year will be even better ::)
hmmm...dont think we've done too bad in lincolnshire.......my toms were a little slow to start ripening but once they got growing they went like a rocket-did the last big picking last night cos the plants seem to be going over now,
costolutos,gardeners d.,red pear but the best 'do-er'has been tigerella
kitty
xx
All mine have been grown inside greenhouse. They are looking gr 8) 8)eat although have not ripened yet.
Patiently waiting for the sun to shine, shine, SHINE 8) ::)
whoops ;D
Thought I'd share a pic of my first born with you! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :'(
Bless it Grawc ! Was the bottle opener for the christening?! ;)
got it in one! Drowning my sorrows. ;D
Probably the first of many if you hold on there. The weather forcast says it's going to get better next week. We can but hope!
Looked on Gardeners World BBC web site and Alys Fowler has blight on her toms and is upset. Quite an interesting post I thought. Watched programme last Friday but went to sleep half way through. Too much digging. Joe Swift is back from holidays so is going to check his allotment tomorrow. I think his toms have got it as well but he will see tomorrow. It is OK but plenty of weeds, not allowed holidays with an allotment. I think I will leave toms to the experts, or wait for a blight free variety. Had a few then just as they were turning red they gave up, went black, and have dug them all up.
Quote from: pippy on August 29, 2008, 19:07:17
Probably the first of many if you hold on there. The weather forcast says it's going to get better next week. We can but hope!
which weather forecast have you got pippy? and can i have it too :D
That appears to be a double jointed waiters friend - used by pro's and me; it has a cunning 2-step extraction, giving an all round happier result than a conventional 1-step extraction process...
Well - at least the weekend is okay - make the most of it! After that it fluffs up again (sigh).
Anyway, it's one more than I got last year ;D ;D This year I'm sitting pretty on 18 cherry toms and hoping for a few more before the blight arrives :o :o
The weather always gets better when the children go back to school. Spent too many wet holidays in years gone by.
Mixed results this year, but far better than last year. About 30 plants out of doors on the allotment with lots of red ones (and green ones too!) there to greet me when I got back from holiday last week - Gardeners Delight, Alicante and Ferline. But now the dreaded blight has arrived so I'm harvesting the lot, even the Ferline which are genuinely blight resistant and so far unaffected. Will keep the green ones with bananas and apples until they ripen.
Six plants in the back garden at home as well - including 3 grown by ring culture. The ones grown by ring culture are beginning to go red and are not blighted so far.
Quote from: OllieC on August 29, 2008, 19:13:03
That appears to be a double jointed waiters friend - used by pro's and me; it has a cunning 2-step extraction, giving an all round happier result than a conventional 1-step extraction process...
serious boozers chez moi Ollie! ::)
Pulled up all the rest of the outdoor toms tonight, even Ferline has blight! Ho hum, one empty bed to get ready for the garlic in a couple of months time, think I'll put some more salad in for a couple of months......or perhaps try a couple of melon plants out under cloches for a laugh?!
1st banana skin in the greenhouse this evening.
Good job our dog loves bananas after her supper ;D
Tumbling toms.
they look bootiful, betula! ;)
Arrrrrrr thanks Tony mate,they are the only toms I have grown this year and the yield has not been great,just wanted to experiment with growing them in a hanging basket.I think they are great for flat dwellers.
:)
My Tumblers haven't done very well either this year, but thats down to weather. Lots of flowers were spoilt so did not fertilize. But the fruit I do have is lovely
serious attack of the killer B overnight. Green tom chutney time i think
Quote from: OllieC on August 29, 2008, 19:13:03
That appears to be a double jointed waiters friend
I must be getting better as a person. Time was when I'd come out with some pure Humph filth here............
Quote from: thegreatgardener on August 15, 2008, 16:10:49
Here is picture of yesterdays harvest of san marzano's for sauce. about 4 kg of them
(http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg268/thegreatgardener/sanmarzano.jpg)
Didn't Aldi say 69p specials this week lol , oooooh saucy!!!
do them San Marzano.s look like my San Marzano,s
[attachment=1]
Whats happening to my garden toms their still green. :o ??? :-\ ??? ??? ??? :( ;D ;D ;D
One or two turning now in the greenhouse, think the banana skins are working at last!
Well they are finally ripening...only to simultaneously start splitting and going mouldy due to all the rain :(. Plus blight has arrived :'( :'(
Nevertheless I am determined to get at least some edible tomatoes out of them so am harvesting the split ones before they get too mouldy and the green ones before blight gets them. I am also picking off all the blighty fruit and leaves as I spot them and spraying with bordeaux mixture at every opportunity...and it seems to be working...(not saying that out loud in case the blight overhears and sees it as a challenge :o)
As a result I have a sackload of split, partially ripened and green tomatoes..but I don't care!! They are mine all mine.
Tonight, we shall be eating Jeannine's Fried Green Tomatoes so I just wanted to say thankyou very much for the recipe - looking forward to trying it. Going to try the pie as well.
Tomorrow...chutney and more chutney.
Finally two toms are going red with the aid of bannana skins drooped over the branches. :o ;D ;D ;D
all cordon variety have failed this year.
1 tumbling tom has produced approx 60 fruit :)
THE BARON
Quote from: baronvon on September 22, 2008, 00:41:44
all cordon variety have failed this year.
1 tumbling tom has produced approx 60 fruit :)
THE BARON
Mine have not failed, but are about two months late. I now have a glut of tomatoes ripening, The glut has been spread out slightly by the tomato cuttings which were cropping slightly later than the main plants.
Runner beans have also suffered, firstly, eaten by slugs when planted out. The six which did survive did not start cropping until August.
Ours got the blight last weekend so have been "harvested" :'(
Sungold, Ildi and Hector all outside...... got a few lbs first which is now sauce/eaten.
Some green in paper bags (plus banana skin) so hoping for the best (but picking out the ones that are going brown!)
Oh well, next year..................
Mine are still growing strong and producing nicely... several types with different maturity dates but I fear they will not last into November like they usuually do. We usually manage to bring one plant in to keep for Xmas Day but I think not this year.. maybe a greenie ripening undre the bed with a bit of luck.XX Jeannine