I would like to have a go at some heirloom tomatoes next year. Can anyone point me in the right direction of a good website to buy the seeds from, and also let me know which varieties you recommend.
I'm looking for some medium sized tomatoes and also cherry tomatoes, not beefsteaks or plums.
Thanks,
Jo.
We are intending to sell plants next May at an Open Day... we have over 50 varieties...
Whereabouts are you? We could let you taste some at our Open Day next Sunday... ;D
Ooooooooh tastings. I love tastings.
Shameless plugging of your open day, Saddad ;D I'll let you off ;)
Unfortunately, I work on Sundays, so can't make your open days. Any recommendations you can give me?
Jo.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/index.html
http://www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk/
http://brownenvelopeseeds.com/index.php/
Seed swaps here are a good source as well.
Where to start... I know of about 500 varieties, although only grown about 50. If you join HSL you get 7 packets a year and they have a really wide range of heirloom toms.. Do you have any colour preferences?
Black are very popular at the moment... but not every one likes them, I like greens but not every one does...
:)
p.m. me your address, i'll send some! ;)
Thanks for your replies.
Those websites look good, Robert. Thank you.
Saddad, I've only grown red tomatoes previously, but don't mind trying other colours.
Tony, many thanks for your generous offer. PM sent.
Jo.
Quote from: saddad on August 29, 2009, 20:52:06
I like greens but not every one does...
:)
i tried a green in 2007 but was in a quandary as to when to pick them :-\, so gave them away in swaps last winter.
Are you intending to try outside or under glass Jo?
Under glass. I've only got a small greenhouse so don't grow many plants, but like to try new varieties.
I can understand what you mean Thifasmom. I would probably be in a quandry over whether they were ripe too!
Quote from: jo9919 on August 29, 2009, 21:16:02
I can understand what you mean Thifasmom. I would probably be in a quandry over whether they were ripe too!
it was really silly i wanted to try them both raw and cooked but all the ones i tried raw tasted well... green and unripened so used them cooked only.
Most greens take on a "yellowish" and translucent "hue" difficult to describe but easy to spot... avoid Green sausage... I love it but it is prostrate and the slugs love them... as soon as the skins soften they get eaten... :'(
:) I grow loads and use Plants of Distinction for seeds and the Heritage seed Library(membership not renewed.. how stupid am I ::))
My faves are Cherokee Purple and Black Krim which are very large toms but taste fantastic,
for a cherry tom try Brown Berry I will grow this again next year, wonderful sharpe taste/ shades x
Quote from: saddad on August 29, 2009, 21:27:35
Most greens take on a "yellowish" and translucent "hue" difficult to describe but easy to spot... avoid Green sausage... I love it but it is prostrate and the slugs love them... as soon as the skins soften they get eaten... :'(
i think it was a green sausage variety i grew as well. i grew it as a cordon, why are you growing prostrate?
with your tip about when to tell its ripe, maybe i'll give a green one a go again next year but only if i get some in the winter swaps.
Can I suggest Aurora and Tangella.
I'll send you some "Charlie-Green" if you want... Rekellah. It is a cordon, mid to large fruit, lovely...
Sometimes especially through swaps you get different toms under the same name.. all the "Green-Sausage" I've seen are prostrate... :-\
Forgot to say I'd agree with Tangella as a choice...
Why buy when you are one PM away from those who would gladly send you some seeds??
Together we can defeat `Money Maker` ;D
Thanks everyone.
I've just looked up the one's you mention and the Brown Berry and Tangella sound good choices for what I'm looking for.
My dad swears by Moneymaker, Cleo ;D He needs educating ;)
PM me and I can send you some Tangella... :)
Quote from: saddad on August 29, 2009, 22:09:47
I'll send you some "Charlie-Green" if you want... Rekellah. It is a cordon, mid to large fruit, lovely...
Sometimes especially through swaps you get different toms under the same name.. all the "Green-Sausage" I've seen are prostrate... :-\
Forgot to say I'd agree with Tangella as a choice...
that's very kind of you saddad and i would be happy to try some of 'Charlie-Green' as its growing habits are more in keeping with how i grow my toms, I'll pm you.
but i was wondering some more about the prostrate growing habits of 'Green Sausage', have you tried prostrate but over a low mesh tunnel of sorts to help keep the fruits off the ground and therefore less out of reach of the slugs?
now that you have jogged my memory i think i do remember they didn't get much higher than about 2ft, when grown prostrate do they grow longer or are they generally small plants?? oh and do you prick out side shoots or is the plant just left to get on with it??
sorry jo9919 for hijacking your thread but saddad really peaked my interest again in growing green toms :).
They are just small and sprawling like whippersnapper.. :)
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/DSCN2390.jpg)
Here's a few we prepared earlier... (last Summer)
There's a "Charlie-Green" top right by the vase...
Oh i see it :), do i also spy black trifle and vintage wine?
Some of the American/Canadian seed companies have truly awesome collections and are great to deal with. I'd recommend:
Sand Hill Preservation Center (http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/) (Sic)
Tatiana's Tomato Base (http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Category:Tomato_Seeds)
Territorial Seed Company (http://www.territorial-seed.com/)
Blue Ribbon (http://blueribbontomatoes.com/)
Baker Creek (http://rareseeds.com/catalog/)
I didn't have trifel last year... so it's Black Prince in the foreground, Mavr ( plum shaped) and some black cherry..
The blocky one on the right is striped stuffer but the stripes were lost in the pic... :)
Quote from: saddad on August 30, 2009, 15:01:58
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/DSCN2390.jpg)
Here's a few we prepared earlier... (last Summer)
There's a "Charlie-Green" top right by the vase...
Orange Banana in there?
yep... and Garden Peach in the tub on the left... ;D
Quote from: saddad on August 30, 2009, 23:30:34
yep... and Garden Peach in the tub on the left... ;D
My daughter loves peach tomatoes.
I had "red peach" from HSL which was great but after about 15 years it lost it's furriness... when it comes up again I will get it... it's probably the finest tomato in the world.... (IMHO) ;D
Quote from: saddad on August 30, 2009, 23:25:51
I didn't have trifel last year... so it's Black Prince in the foreground, Mavr ( plum shaped) and some black cherry..
The blocky one on the right is striped stuffer but the stripes were lost in the pic... :)
i got those two wrong then :-\. what's the pink ones i'm seeing?
how do you have a tendency to use all these toms, eg specific eaters such as salad toms for salads, cookers for cookers or do you just use as they ripen and are they all turned into sauce when you have hit large harvest proportions like in the picture.
Tomato porn...... stop it Saddad... ;D/ shades x
Quote from: saddad on August 30, 2009, 11:26:32
PM me and I can send you some Tangella... :)
Many thanks. PM sent. :)
Clear Pink Early... which in my experience is non of those things... :-X
We have some favourites for salad use... but don't grow any we don't eat raw... and they all go in slop! :)
Quote from: saddad on August 31, 2009, 10:40:50
Clear Pink Early... which in my experience is non of those things... :-X
We have some favourites for salad use... but don't grow any we don't eat raw... and they all go in slop! :)
thanks for answering my numerous questions :)