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Best tomato plants to grow...
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Message 1.Â
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Sunday, 28th November 2010
It's that time of year when thoughts turn to buying seeds.
This Q has been asked numerous times before but there are some new names on the boards so all advice is welcome from both old and new.
I grew toms for the first time this year and was really pleased with first results although seeing other posting realise theres lots of room for improvement.
There's such a hugre choice I can't decide which seed varietes to buy, where from or whether to cheat and buy plugs
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I'd like to grow cherry toms outdoors in deep pots 2 or 3 plants. In the GH I'd like a couple of cherry tom plants in pots and a couple of salad tom plants in the bed. Any suggestions both for a large cropping variety, taste and resistance to blight would be welcome
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Message 2
Posted by Swedboy (U14400604) on Monday, 29th November 2010
The best I have grown are Sunny Gold. Fantastic tasting yellow orange fruits. I can also recommend Yellow Balconii, grew them on a windowsill for a couple of years and used to have fruits up until November December.
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Message 3
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Monday, 29th November 2010
I did grow some red cherry toms last year but only 2 plants, bought them as plugs so didn't really count that as growing toms for the first time, me thinks you need to grow veg from seed before you can say you've actually grown something
I'd like to try different varieties and growing yellow cherry tomatoes certainly appeals. -
Message 4
Posted by bogus the fungi man (U14705597) on Monday, 29th November 2010
I tried Tumbler in two hanging baskets this year and was very impressed indeed. I had nearly 12 kg from the baskets. Small fruit like Gardener's Delight with a good flavour. No need for side shooting just difficult to keep watered. Also the basket chains can part under the weight so recommend using additional strengthening wire. Would work well in a trough provided it was 18" off the ground. Be careful of so called trailing varieties that are actually uprights. Hope this helps, Pip.
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Message 5
Posted by grandcottagegardener (U14258183) on Monday, 29th November 2010
Zoomer - I would recommend you try Lidi. Lovely taste with a hint of lemon smell. Abundance of fruits. Yellow in colour.
Only problem with this variety is that it produces more than you need. I was giving loads away to the neighbours to a point that when they saw me coming they ran for cover! -
Message 6
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Monday, 29th November 2010
Tumbler and Lidi both appeal.
I like to have fresh fruit to take to work in my lunch box so grow strawberries, blueberries and have recently planted three varieties of currants all diffrent colours and a gooseberry to replace rasberries.
A cherry tomato which produces fruit over the full growing season would be ideal. -
Message 7
Posted by hereisabee (U2342191) on Wednesday, 1st December 2010
Sakura is such a cherry tom, also Suncherry which is also early to fruit. Ferline must get a mention as it really is blight resistant. If you want a tomato meal then Beefmaster F1 fully ripe, will give you taste that can only be dreamed of.
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Message 8
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Wednesday, 1st December 2010
They all sound like good options hereisbee. I thought I'd have trouble finding some varieties but Sakura F1 is sold by a few seed companies. Sun cherry sounds good for the GH with supports in a bed. Feline also sounds goood both in the GH and outside.
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Message 9
Posted by luckydavid (U14704974) on Wednesday, 1st December 2010
I've grown Toms for many years, though usually only a few plants as I don't have a garden, only a balcony.
This year I helped a friend from church with his allotment & we grew a LOT of Tomatoes! Both in the open & in the greenhouse, in Growbags.
I grew some Alicante toms from seed & later planted them down on the allotment, at the end of May, keeping a couple to grow on the balcony (sort of belts & braces policy!) My daughter gave me 6 plants of MoneyMaker for my 60th birthday in May. I planted these on the allotment, too. My friend, Gerry, also planted some Toms but didn't know what variety. Later he remembered they were Gardener's Delight. At that time a lady form an allotment in front of ours also gave me a few plants that she had left over & really didn't want to throw away.
All these plants went into the same bed, making up 3 rows the width of the plot. Most of the plants did very well. As I'd never grow Toms directly in soil before I was amazed at how much fruit we got from them. Gerry's plants started to produce the first fruit & went on to produce the last as well! It seems that Gardener's Delight has some resistance to Blight. Alicante & MoneyMaker didn't do so well & I had to destroy the plants. I was able to leave Gerry's toms in a couple of weeks longer!
The ones (6 plants) in the GH lost ALL their first truss due to Blossom End Rot! They were growing in Growbags, 2 to a bag, but unfortunately got too hot one weekend & when I got down late on Monday I found all the plants wilting badly. They recovered very well after a good watering & the tomatoes continued to grow on the plants making me feel lucky. The one fruit started to go red & when I got down to look at it close up I saw the black sunken area where the flower had been.
After that the plants were alright & I got 3 or 4 trusses on each plant till the blight killed them. I must have brought the spores into the GH on my clothing.
The few plants on my balcony didn't do as good as other years & also ended up with Blight! Again probably from spores carried home on my clothes. I'd never seen blight before on any of my plants on my balcony, so that seems to be the most reasonable explanation.
We ended up with tons of tomatoes, much more than either of us could eat. I made tomato sauce & put it in bags in the freezer, still got at least 3 bags! -
Message 10
Posted by Swedboy (U14400604) on Wednesday, 1st December 2010
Is moneymaker that a nice tasting tomato? Got the impression that it produces loads of fruit but that they are not that tasty.
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Message 11
Posted by BigDave (U3975543) on Thursday, 2nd December 2010
Hi there
I think moneymaker can be ok but there are better toms out there....for taste that is.
I like french black and tumbler as you get a good size tom with the french black and they taste very good, the tumbler are a small bite size tom and also taste good.....you can get red and yellow now to.
Whatsthethemarrow -
Message 12
Posted by luckydavid (U14704974) on Friday, 3rd December 2010
I found the taste to be OK! I grew it for at least 3 years on my balcony. Always been happy with the plants & the fruit.
As for Gardener's Delight, now there's a delicious tomato! Once Gerry's plants started producing ripe fruit I found myself eating them like sweets! A whole one pops in your mouth quite easily, only very few fruits need a second bite. I found them lovely & thought of growing some plants on my balcony, as well as on the allotment, next year. -
Message 13
Posted by Engineer (U3135859) on Friday, 3rd December 2010
"Tommy Toe" is a good alternative to "Gardeners Delight", IME, if you have had disease problems with that variety. I've grown TT for the last few years and it has a similar great flavour but better disease resistance and is less prone to split (ie if watering gets a little erratic.) It was also the first to crop and last to die for me this year, which was a nice bonus. I find "Super Marmande" difficult to beat as a tasty, large fruited, variety.
HTH -- Bob -
Message 14
Posted by bogus the fungi man (U14705597) on Friday, 3rd December 2010
I'm with you there with the Gardener's Delight. Or any of the little toms, they're so delicious! My wife and I like to sit in the glass house with a pot of salt on a hot day, (toms always have a better flavour when hot) pluck a tom, lick it, dip it and pop it in the mouth. Delicious!
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Message 15
Posted by luckydavid (U14704974) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010
I never had them with salt! I picked them from the plant & "straight down the hatch!"
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Message 16
Posted by Swedboy (U14400604) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010
I learned to eat tomatoes by adding salt and pepper to them when I was little.
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Message 17
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010
The Q was about best variety, taste and resistance to blight.
Can't say I'd want to put salt and pepper on them but each to their own I'm a more down the hatch or cooked in different dishes person.
Thanks again for all the responses and keep them coming -
Message 18
Posted by oldfogey (U8196337) on Wednesday, 8th December 2010
Try adding a sprinkling of sugar,
close your eyes and you would swear you were eating strawberries. -
Message 19
Posted by Formby_Asparagus (U7704501) on Wednesday, 8th December 2010
Try adding a sprinkling of sugar, close your eyes and you would swear you were eating strawberries.
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Ever tried strawberries with black pepper? Pretty good. -
Message 20
Posted by bogus the fungi man (U14705597) on Wednesday, 8th December 2010
try eating pineapple with salt and pepper, delicious!. (I learned to do that in Sri Lanka). Or strawberries with balsamic vinegar! Where are we going with this thread?
I think Zoomer's right.... back to varieties and flavour.
Moneymaker? That's probably the variety you get sliced on pizza, McD's etc.
I grew it once years ago. Looks fab on the vine; perfect size and shape and prolific producer but, unless you sprinkle it with plenty of s&p rather a disappointment when it comes down to flavour. But then some like these characteristics.
Fiorentino is a beef variety I grew this year and what a flavoursome beef tom that is! Well worth considering: meaty, heavy, ribbed and misshapen. Good old fashioned Italian tom. I suggest it needs plenty of heat and sun for you to really appreciate it fully. -
Message 21
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Thursday, 9th December 2010
Well I dipped my toe in the water whilst ordering some seeds from moreveg. They didn't have most of the ones suggested so purchased 12 seeds for 50p of Yellow pear, nearly ordered tumbler, garden delight and various others but the jury is still out on what else to try. You are limited buying on line unless all the varieties come from one stop because of the added cost for posting and packaging. So will be out at the GC over the coming weeks to see if they have any of the other varieties suggested.
Me thinks I'll get about 3 - 4 different varieties. I'm gonna do a seed or plant swap with my brother and he's going to get 3 - 4 different ones..
Yellow Pearl are indetminate what does this mean -
Message 22
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Thursday, 9th December 2010
Hi zoomer,
Indeterminate means the plant will have to be staked or supported in some way because the vine continues to grow until it's killed.
I've always grown the Black Russians because my customers and I love them but I decided to step outside the box this spring. I found a seed company out of South Carolina that had the Tomato I've been wanting to try for some time. The Cherokee Purple. Another heirloom that is said to have a smokey flavour. The seeds arrived here in Canada in 3 weeks. With T&M I was waiting months. -
Message 23
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Friday, 10th December 2010
Hi Zoomer,
Your plot sounds heavenly as ever
I highly recommend yellow tomato Ildi...it's actually ildi not Lidi and they are super prolific and abundant fruiters. They taste lovely and three plants produced around 200 tomatoes! They're small but there are just so many and delicious too.
I also recommend Tigerella simply because it grows outdoors and I live in the frozen North of Aberdeen!
Tumblers are fab too for another outdoors tomato.
But for greenhouse crops it has to be Sungold. They really are the best of the best! -
Message 24
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 10th December 2010
hi, Vixxihibiscus:
No wonder I couldn't find ildi, tigerella look absolutely divine and sungold sound an excellent variety. Victoriana nursery gardens sells two out of the three varieties as plants, at reasonable prices too and if they grow in Aberdeen then I don't see a problem here in the NW.
Spent the New Year in Portlethen (hope that's how you spell it) last year with friends, had a fabulous time and what a lovely part of the world especially after snow. You guys seem to get the snow early and it stays later. I loved Aberdeen, so much to see and so little time to see it in. -
Message 25
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
Hi everyone!
I have been a fan of Tumbler Toms for a couple of years because they seem to resist blight when standard uprights succumb. For two summers I have also grown Sweet Millions as a trailing tomato and again no blight - they are also more forgiving if you under-water on hot day (remember those?) showing less cracking than the big beefier tomatoes. No ties needed no pinching - easy!
The name says it all. Sweet Millions.
I throw down the challenge how many can you pop in your mouth at once, just in passing as you go off to do the watering.
MLx -
Message 26
Posted by bogus the fungi man (U14705597) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
That sounds like a wonderful piece of decadent indulgence seeing how many you can get in your mouth! I've not grown Sweet Millions so shall look out for it. Thanks for that.
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Message 27
Posted by hereisabee (U2342191) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
I also grew Sweet Million this year and would agree they are good, however by letting them sprawl over the ground they were difficult to pick and also found they were very quick to split in the August rain. I would describe them as a grow-bag tomato for the patio, placed in a sunny corner they would do well.
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Message 28
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Saturday, 18th December 2010
Oh yeah, I agree, wouldn't put tomatoes to trail on ground - slugs n snails would get them before me.
Mine were hung on the lowest branch of a Stag's Horn Sumach on a slope, so at chest height for watering. The sun hit them morning, mid afternoon and evening and the lace-shade of leaves protected them from fiercer mid-day sun. Snail safe too.
Some cherry toms seem to be all skin and no fruit but these are packed with sucrose laden juice. Lovely with olives and cheese (and a glass of Merlot of course).
MLx -
Message 29
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 21st December 2010
Hi Zoomer,
Yes it is lovely. We have beautiful beaches and fab shopping...and my allotment What more could a girl ask for!
They're very easy to grow from seed if you can't get plants. I started mine off on a windowsill last March and they (ildi and tigerella) both grew outdoors here. I couldn't get over how many fruits were on each truss on the ildis. Honestly about 50 on each
That's one truss! Mine obviously had much less that ripened due to them being outdoors but I still got about 200 ripe ones from the 3 plants -
Message 30
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 21st December 2010
ildi do look good.
I've found two more sites on the net posted on other threads one's nicky's nurseries which has a big selection of different varieties. The other, my brother is buying seeds from, think it's either heritage or heirloom.
There's such a big choice, we were going to have a seed swap in the New Year, I'd suggested a plant swap but he's probably right we'd both want to keep our best seedlings so agreed to take our chances with the seeds. I've only so much room and pots to plant them in so four varieties is my limit and if he gets the same we'll have a good selection for the 2nd year of growing. Only thing is he'll take some persuading to have toms which aren't red but that isn't going to stop me -
Message 31
Posted by luckydavid (U14704974) on Tuesday, 21st December 2010
This sounds like a very interesting challenge!
When I lived in Spain I grew a tiny tomato that tasted very nice, no idea what it was called & no longer sure where I got the seeds from, I've a suspicion they may have been shop bought tomatoes that I saved some seed from & then later planted. I grew them up stings & seem to remember they reached at least a metre high & produced 100s of small tomatoes. I'm sure I have an album with the photos I took at the time. I could scan them into the computer & then post one or two here. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a function for adding photos. -
Message 32
Posted by 4smilingcat6 (U14338727) on Wednesday, 22nd December 2010
This spring will the be first offering tomato plants without Jen coming up to the greenhouse with a cup of coffee.
Tomato plants seem a bit insignificant just now but I know I must sow-my customers trust me.
Grow from seed if you can but failing that buy from a lover of tomatoes-personal taste is just that so avoid Money Maker,go with your judgement or talk to a seller who knows what they are talking about -
Message 33
Posted by Laura (U9085143) on Monday, 27th December 2010
I tried to buy seeds of Tommy Toe last year without success. Can you tell me where I can get the seed from this year please.
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Message 34
Posted by Oldends (U13875463) on Monday, 27th December 2010
Plants of Distinction list them, one of the few UK vendors.
Info: -
Message 35
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Wednesday, 29th December 2010
Hi Laura,
Mine were from Johnsons in a variety pack of 6. Hope this helps -
Message 36
Posted by jo4eyes (U13654107) on Wednesday, 29th December 2010
Hi Zoomer, I always have Sungold & last year Tried Tumbling Tom for the first time. The latter were in large pots in an un-heated, part-shade greenhouse & were excellent, despite the lack of sun up here in NWest last year.
I also grow Gardener's Delight, but it can be a bit too vigorous so shall not do it this next time.
As the house will probably be 'on the market' all my toms/vegs will be in pots this next year. J. -
Message 37
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Wednesday, 29th December 2010
Well I purchased some seeds at the weekend. To get the 15% discount at homebase bought a pack of toms containing - Golden sunrise, money maker, oxheart and red cherry so in a sense got them for free.
Checking my seed box I''ve also gardeners delight and Ailsa Craig from last year and red and yellow pear bought from GC.
I'm sure you toms will be fine in pots J. Good luck with selling your house. -
Message 38
Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Friday, 31st December 2010
I gave Tommy Toe several chances a few years ago and found them bland. Try Camp Joy (aka Chadwick's Cherry). Massively prolific and delicious. You should be able to find seeds at the better online suppliers.
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Message 39
Posted by Laura (U9085143) on Friday, 31st December 2010
Thanks to all who replied re Tommy Toe. I usually grow Gardener's Delight but heard that Tommy Toe was sweeter. Laura
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