Allotments 4 All

Well this year anyhow, and about bl***y time too!

Please excuse the bad language, the tomatoes have been something od a sore point with me this summer.

Finaly though here is my first one to ripen!



A nice juicy 'Shirley'. Mmm!

Now picked and ready to eat

I haven't got one that's even turning orange yet.

 :'( Mine look like Goosegogs :'(

Where do you all live we have been eating ours for at least 2wks, HONEST.

 ;D I live in Birmingham ;D and not used a greenhouse 8)

No greenhouse for us either Roy, just fortunate with the weather, down south. ;D ;D ;D

Nice picture Richard, looks good enough to eat.
I hate to rub it in but like rosebud, we have been eating ripe tomatoes for a while now, on 22 july the first three ripe ones were harvested but they were in the greenhouse.

Quote from: rosebud on August 13, 2005, 22:35:04
Where do you all live we have been eating ours for at least 2wks, HONEST.

Where might you be then rosebud? I'm in Dorset, one of the milder counties, and I've had trouble with ripening.

Under glass, we've been picking since 7/7. But only Cherries at first - always earlier. The standard & beef ones are only slowly coming in now.

It really has been a funny year.

Quote from: tim on August 14, 2005, 06:52:14
Under glass, we've been picking since 7/7. But only Cherries at first - always earlier. The standard & beef ones are only slowly coming in now.

It really has been a funny year.

Ooh tim, dodgy date that. Hope its not a bad omen.

Anyway , however did you get them ripening that early? Whats your secret, you are certainly NOT in a warmer spot to me are you?

August 13th 2005. Must be some kind of record for the latest 'first tomato' to be picked. In the south of england anyway  ::)

Nothing clever - sown 26/3 on heat - planted 1/5. See 'yippee it's red' for today.

Lovely ripe tomato Richard.  Nice to see.  We too thought it would never happen but our toms are just starting to go orange in the greenhouse.  Would have had no chance of growing them outside this year, the weather has been to changeable here in the North East.   :) busy_lizzie

Richard, we live in Old Harlow in Essex,don`t mean to rub salt in but we picked 11 tomatoes this morning the taste of one in particular was really nice. ;D ;D ;D.

All my fruit & veg are outdoors. I've been eating ripe cherry toms since July, but my Moneymaker, Gardeners Delight and beef toms, though tall and lush and covered in fruit, are all steadfastly refusing to turn green. This time last year I was supplying the neighbourhood.
And it's not just the toms either - most of my f & v have been on a go-slow.

Tim, you said it - it really has been a funny year.

And Rosebud - bet you don't know which variety??

Dont worry all - there coming thick and fast now. Picked 3 more yesterday, which were promptly made into a salad for last nights meal. Mmmmm!

Oh did i mention - they're 'Shirleys'. One of the nicest.  :)

Quote from: tim on August 14, 2005, 15:59:36
Nothing clever - sown 26/3 on heat - planted 1/5. See 'yippee it's red' for today.

Still none the wiser - I did little different with mine. ???

But perhaps yours had a more constant temperature to grow in?

I struggled against low night temps and soaring daytime ones in my greenhouse this spring.

Still not one ripe tomato yet!  Plenty of green ones but steadfastly refusing to turn red. Have taken off excess foliage and stroked them nicely but nothing doing with either G Delight or the beef ones  :(  Oh well, when they do turn red (if ever) they will be even more welcome  :)

Quote from: wardy on August 15, 2005, 11:15:58
Still not one ripe tomato yet!  Plenty of green ones but steadfastly refusing to turn red. Have taken off excess foliage and stroked them nicely but nothing doing with either G Delight or the beef ones  :(  Oh well, when they do turn red (if ever) they will be even more welcome  :)

Not wanting to sound pessimistic, but I hope you have plenty of recipies for things to do with green tomatoes! Just in case though as i am sure most will turn eventualy.

Gardener's Delight here in South London - have been turning red for a week now - and have managed to eat a grand total of three so far!!