I decided to try "Moneymaker" this year and so far have not eaten one tomato! I realise that lack of heat and sunshine hasn't helped, but am wondering if this is what others are experiencing? Our greenhouse doesn't get sun all day...only during the afternoon. I have up to now got three ripening on separate trusses, and the rest are as green as goosegogs! I've moved one outside to a sunnier spot during the nice weather we're having. Is there anything else I can do to speed up the process please?
My tomatoes are soooo slow ripening this year too. I think you are right, lack of sunshine and warmth have really set them back. Now yours have started to turn at least you know the earliest trusses are almost there and I'm sure more will soon follow, particularly if we get some more sunshine. Some suggest hanging a banana amongst the trusses helps hasten ripening by giving off ethylene gas.
Seems pretty general n our site as well.. .I was told to throw in a banana which lets off ethylene gas and helps ripening...
About blooming time.....I have usually picked a bowlful every couple of days starting late July, this is the second this month, it's a funny old year.....
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/3AC5D470-A9C1-47D9-909E-C577092DC810-1908-000002534FE01E32.jpg)
Up here in North Wales I've had a terrible year, apart from the best courgette plants yet, nothing else has made it past the army of slugs! I started the tomatoes early this year to try and get some earlier fruit, but as of today I've only just seen a change in colour of a couple of toms. I was resigned to a lot of green tomato chutney.
Well, at least I'm not alone....thanks folks.
I have just gone through my greenhouse tomatoes, and have had to cull several plants as they have either not set or produced ANY fruit or have none set that will ripen this year. I won't be growing them again! :-\ The culprits are:
Berkley Tie Dye
Delicious
Flame
Falcorosso
White Beauty
Pineapple
As you can see, mostly large heritage types. I have had much better success with cherry and salad sized toms this year. Best performers in terms of the amount of ripened fruit so far have been:
Tigerella
Cherrola
Tumbling tom
Minibel
Fox Cherry
Jeannine's 'lucky dip' heritage ribbed salad
I guess next year will be different again......... ::)
I've had quite a few large heritage types struggling to produce this year. I've never really got anywhere with found Berkeley Tie Dye and the last few years have found it quite tricky and never managed more than a couple of small fruit at best. Whilst Pink Berkeley Tie Dye, Berkeley Tie Dye Heart, Black and Brown Boar and Pink boar have all made good strong plants and given a pretty good return of really tasty fruit- looks stunning too.
One star performer this year is Kosovo, a pink heart, only just getting the first ripe fruit but loads to come.