Best Tomato Varieties

, written by Jeremy Dore gb flag

Several different tomato varieties

Over the past two months we have been conducting a survey of the best tomato varieties that gardeners using GrowVeg.com would recommend to others.  It can be tricky choosing which tomatoes to grow since most seed catalogs contain a wider variety of them than any other fruit or vegetable.  It would be quite possible to spend a lifetime working through each kind to find the best and still not have tried them all.  So what do real gardeners like you and I recommend as the top varieties?

Tomatoes always get the best place in my garden.  Over half my greenhouse is given over to tomato plants and I usually grow several others outside.  It’s not just because tomatoes taste so much better when freshly picked and ripened on the vine.  Nor is it just that they are a high-value crop as they keep producing for almost two months of the year.  It’s also because of the interesting types I can grow – so much more than what is available in the shops.  This year I grew five different varieties, three of which I had never grown before and I was particularly interested to see whether others recommend them in our survey.

Tomatoes

About 51% of those who voted recommended standard shape tomatoes and a further 46% recommended cherry-type ones.  Far fewer recommended the larger beefsteak  and plum types which certainly ties in with my experience that they can be hard to get good results from.  This year for the first time I thinned out my big tomatoes, removing half the fruit as you would thin a fruit tree in order to get a better crop over the wet and overcast summer we experienced in the UK.  I will certainly be repeating this in the future, as getting good numbers of beef type tomatoes to ripen away from sunny climates can be a tricky business.

Of the regular shaped tomatoes, the traditional Moneymaker was top of the bunch with 18% growing it.  Other well known favourites were Alicante and the F1 type Shirley.  A few people recommended heirloom types, whilst others went for the ultra-early Tigerella or the blight-resistant Ferline F1.

Tomatoes

Cherry type tomatoes were headed up by the ever popular Gardeners Delight at 23% – the only variety of tomato that I have grown every year without fail due to its reliable sweet fruit that are produced over a long season.  Other interesting small tomatoes were Sungold, a yellow-orange variety and Tumbling Tom which can be grown in hanging baskets.

Of the beefsteak and plum types, no strong winners emerged with Brandywine being the only one that more than one gardener recommended.  The rest were largely Italian types but with a great range in the varieties chosen.

So next year, I’ll still be growing Gardeners Delight but I’ll add a few of the above to my list.  I prefer the texture of Sub Artic Plenty to Moneymaker and I’d like to see if I can grow it late and harvest tomatoes near Christmas by bringing a plant indoors – unfortunately blight wiped out my chances of doing that this year.  But I will definitely be trying Sungold and I want to get some early season Tigerella growing too.  At least, that’s what I’m planning now.  I’m sure those hundreds of varieties in the seed catalogues will tempt me into a few more come the new year  So do add your own favourites and comments below and perhaps I’ll end up growing your recommendations as well!

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Comments

 
"Thnaks for offering up the above best tomatoes. Where can i go to ask questions and get advice please"
Lynne on Sunday 21 September 2008
"Lynne, if it's about the same subject as one of these blog articles then just post a question here. Otherwise, email us using the contact page."
Jeremy Dore on Sunday 21 September 2008
"For the past two years I have lost all my tomato crops, when in my first allotment year I had a bumper crop. I had Tigrella, Sungold,and a very large variety that i cant recall the name of and some cherry ones. Unfortunately I dont have a greenhouse so advise on best ones to grow outside would be helpful"
Dee on Friday 3 October 2008
"I grew a variety called Latah this year. They're quite weird looking plants, but really easy to grow - they don't need any pinching out, grew well in pots (outdoors)and in the garden in both sunny and a really shady spot where I just shoved in a spare plant to see what happened rather than throw it out when too many germinated. I sowed seed indoors in a propagator in January, planted them out in early April (south coast area) and they were cropping by May and continued until late September early October and no disease. My sub-arctic plenty tomato plants were very poor in comparison. Admittedly I sowed them later but from two plants I got a total of 3 tomatoes before the plants succumbed to disease. Don't think I'll bother with these again."
grannyj on Monday 13 October 2008
"Thanks for the tip about the Latah variety. I've just looked them up and the Real Seed Company do them (who I've ordered from this year and been very happy with the results) so I may just give them a go. Everyone seems to rate them highly."
Jeremy Dore on Sunday 19 October 2008
"I have grown Ferline tomatoes from seed for the last 4 years. They are brilliant.I have had no problems at all."
george worby on Wednesday 28 January 2009
"please can anyone tell me a variety that are as hard as golf balls hardly any fleash and are very sweet with green seeds please my fav food but can never find what i want"
sandra mckeown on Tuesday 3 March 2009
"I've grown Brandy wine for several years now both in the UK and in France and although they look terrible - the tops tend to be very cracked - they do taste superb and make great puree and soup. I too grow gardener's delight every year, and last year grew a heart shaped tomtato called German Strawberry. It had very few pips, looked a lot better than the Brandy wine and was great for cooking with. Admittedly the weather is better here in France for growing tomatoes but we have had terrible problems with blight for the last 2 years - interestingly the Gardeners Delight secumbed last of all."
Jane Le Maux on Friday 6 March 2009
"Hi, Are the Gardeners Delight cherry tomatoes and the tumbling Tom and The Latah tomatoes suited to grow in the US desert of Las Vegas, NV 89118. When and would I put them in full sun or partial shade? Would you suggest a variety better suited to the 89118 area code US. "
Marjorie on Friday 6 March 2009
"Marjorie, I can't advise on the best varieties for LA but I can tell you that our new system of planting dates that went 'live' this week, allows you to split your growing season into spring and fall (see the Set Frost Dates link on the Members' Area page) which will give you correct times. They will need to be shielded from full sun. Good luck!"
Jeremy Dore on Friday 6 March 2009
"Marjorie, you would be in USDA hardiness zone 8A. Most seed companies will list the zones where each of the varieties they sell can grow. Also, you might consider a trip (or a phonecall) to a nearby nursery/greenhouse to see what they have and ask for advice. Most are quite happy to help you find something specific for your garden! Sandra, You didn't offer much info: what color, size, and type were these? Where were they grown? You'll most likely have to go back to the source--where did you first taste these? It may be quite difficult without a name to locate them--and keep in mind, it may have been a family variety that isn't commercially available. Tomatoes as hard as golf balls? Are you sure you weren't just eating them before they had ripened? :-)"
Amy on Saturday 7 March 2009
"Hi, I have been growing tomatoes from seeds taken from previous crops and have been very successful. Last year I successfully grew Cherokee Heirloom and some grape tomatoes from some seeds from a crop from Chile. However, I notice that the skins on these tomatoes are quite tough and I was wondering if somebody had some suggestions on what variety of tomatoes would have softer skins. I am in Toronto, Canada and I believe my zone corresponds to your zones 5-6. "
Carole on Sunday 15 March 2009
"Carole, are you looking for thinner skin, or softer flesh? I believe Black Krim is a thin-skinned variety, and I know it will grow in zone 5. (I have not grown it myself yet, but got some seed for this year's garden from a nearby friend.) There are many heirloom/OP varieties that have thinner skin and/or softer flesh. I'd call a seed company or a local nursery for recommendations. :-)"
Amy on Monday 16 March 2009
"I live in Oregon and have always selected "greenhouse" tomato varieties to plant in my greenhouse. Is it okay to plant any variety of tomato in a greenhouse? "
Bev on Friday 20 March 2009
"Pretty much any variety of tomato will grow well in a greenhouse as long as they don't dry out. In very hot summers they benefit from a little shading as well. By 'greenhouse tomatoes' I think they are simply being labelled as not suitable for outside growing, whereas other tomatoes are suitable for both."
Jeremy Dore on Friday 20 March 2009
"I am planting four varieties of tomatoes in my garden this year. Is it okay to plant these varieties in the same bed or two beds, or will they cross-pollinate and create wierd hybrids? "
Meredith on Sunday 5 April 2009
"Meredith, interesting question! I have often grown different varieties together and had no problems - they always seem to grow true to the original seed, so I would say don't worry about it."
Jeremy Dore on Monday 6 April 2009
"Meredith, it depends on your particular growing conditions. Tomatoes do not easily cross, but they CAN cross. If you are not seed-saving, it doesn't matter--you'll get the variety you plant. If you are seed-saving, then it's a good idea to bag a few blooms to collect seeds from, to prevent crossing. HTH!"
Amy on Monday 6 April 2009
"Yes, those comments help, thank you! I'm not seed-saving yet, so I'll go ahead and plant them in the same bed. That makes things a lot easier!"
Meredith on Tuesday 7 April 2009
"hi, could someone pls email me regarding a place where I could find different variety of tomato plants. I want to plant all kinds this year in my garden..I would be grateful if any one could send me some info. I leave in Toronto, Canada. "
Parisa on Wednesday 15 April 2009
"Parisa, Veseys stock a wide variety of tomato plant seeds suitable for the Canadian climate at http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/vegetables/tomato."
Jeremy Dore on Friday 17 April 2009
"I live in Pennsylvania (zone 6) and purchased Early Girl and Better Boy plants a couple of weeks ago. I did not put them in the ground yet, but have kept them watered. They are drooping, and I beleive I will lose them all. Any idea as to why they would not have survived? They were stored outside prior to my purchasing them, and I kept them in my basement which was cool, but not freezing. I did put them outside on sunny warmer days. Thanks."
April on Wednesday 22 April 2009
"I would ease one out of the container it is in and look at its roots. If they are overcrowded then you should repot them into some good potting soil in a larger container - this will also help them if they have run out of nutrients (a problem with purchased plants which are raised with the minimum of soil and shipped when they reach their peak). The only other factor is whether your basement has enough light - they must be kept where they can get good strong natural light. I hope this helps"
Jeremy Dore on Thursday 23 April 2009
"Barbara tomatoes are the best drying tomatoes I have grown. I have not been able to find any seed for two years. Could someone please let me know of a Barbara tomato source. Thanks."
Peggy on Saturday 2 May 2009
"To Parisa and anyone else looking for variety in their tomato patch. I chanced upon http://www.tomatofest.com this year and was thrilled with both their variety and service. They have more kinds of different heirloom tomatoes then you could ever grow. I live in northern Germany and was delighted to find special groups of "short season" and "cool weather" varieties. They even sent me extra packets of seeds to try when it turned out that postage would be less than expected, because they just enclosed them in envelopes instead of boxes to speed the travel time as it was a bit late. Obviously, it's a bit late for seeds this year, but I'd heartily recommend them to all home gardeners!!"
Marsha on Thursday 21 May 2009
"Have grown, from seed, 11 new tom varieties this year, all obtained from an American company. They are all doing well in the greenhouse but the one that is outstanding is one called Early Wonder. It is early and it is wonderous! I gave a plant to our neighbour and hers is also stupendous. Big (but not beefsteak) tomoatoes. They are still green so the proof will be in the eating of course but I wondered if anyone else has grown this variety?"
Polly on Wednesday 8 July 2009
"Hello, this is my first year at greenhouse gardening and am growing several varieties of tomato including tigerella with which I am very impressed. The only disaster I've had is that the plants (even though on canes ) have collapsed onto one another into a giant knot resembling a jungle. There are plenty of fruits forming up, nevertheless. The only concern that I have is whether fruits in the middle of this jungle of foilage will ripen up? Any suggestions on that please?"
Paul on Thursday 23 July 2009
"Paul, I have grown tomatoes in my greenhouse for many years now and my experience is that the fruits do ripen well even in the foliage. However, if you are concerned about this you may wish to take a look at our article on 'Should You Thin Your Tomato Fruits' at http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=94"
Jeremy Dore on Friday 24 July 2009
"This is really great advice. Thought I'd pass this on, I grow Sweet Basil in my garden area where Tomatoes are planted and it makes them taste sweeter. Have any of you tried this? It worked real well for me. I had 36 tomato plants and 4 basil staggered throughout the area. The basil can also be planted in pots and placed around the tomatoes."
Curtis Bloodworth on Saturday 10 October 2009
"I love growing tomatoes and try several new varieties each year. I grew some Black Prince toms this year...a "black" (very dark crimson) tomatoe and they were delicious. Also Suncherry (the red one rather than the yellow one) which were much sweeter than Gardeners Delight. To deter greenfly in the greenhouse I grow marigolds around them. These attract the hover flies which feed on the greenfly and I haven't had any trouble with the latter little blighters since I started doing this."
Polly, Shropshire UK on Saturday 10 October 2009
"Thanks for the companion planting advice. I regularly grow basil and marigolds around my tomatoes to attract beneficial insects but I didn't know the basil could make tomatoes taste sweeter, so I'll watch out for that next year."
Jeremy Dore on Wednesday 14 October 2009
"Hi Everybody, Yes i am looking for a change in variety next year,This year i grew Vandos F1 but they are supposed to be blight resistant but i am afraid that was not the case for me also the cherry tom Favorite nice but tend to have hard skins,I have been thinking along the lines of Goldstar or Ferline F1/ Sungold anybody got anymore suggestions. Colin"
Colin Davies on Wednesday 25 November 2009
"Please can someone recommend a tried and tested variety for making soup - I have tried various varieties but there must be a BEST one ???? Thank you thank you all who reply."
A D Gale on Wednesday 10 February 2010
"Roma's give a very nice flavour, avoid cherry - too hard to peel :) I find that if they're grown in the garden, they all taste great - if you have to buy them, go for organic varieties and pick the ones still on the vine."
Dan Dore on Monday 15 February 2010
"Marjorie in Las Vegas. I can make some recommendations for tomatoes for you area. I live in St. George, UT. and have a daughter that lives in your area. We both grow Goliath tomatoes and Juliet (AAS) a grape type with great success. Also 4th of July from Burpee another to consider is Sun Sugar and Sun gold. They can be grown in full sun without a problem but you do have the non produce section in the summer so timing is critical. Parks big beef did real well for me last year, also. When I lived in Vegas years ago I had good luck with Ultraboy. "
Paul on Tuesday 16 February 2010
"Hi, can anybody recomend a variety that is hardy and yields lots of tomatoes? I am thinking about selling tomatoes this summer, and maybe drying out a few seeds for next year(?) Thanks in advance :]."
Laura, UK on Saturday 20 February 2010
"Hi Laura, I've always had a lot of success with Sub Arctic Plenty, which has slightly thicker skins but I think a great taste. It is a little more hardy as well."
Jeremy Dore on Sunday 21 February 2010
"Thanks alot Jeremy, I shall use the Sub Artic Plenty as insurance if the weathers not too good would Gardeners Delight survive an English spring and summer? Its Spring here already, but its still quite cold."
Laura, UK on Sunday 21 February 2010
"Hi Laura, Gardener's Delight is the most popular tomato for UK gardeners with good reason - it's well adapted to our climate and the taste and number of fruit are both excellent. I grow it in my garden in Northern England every year. You will need to start it off indoors with plenty of light and then gradually harden it off (see my blog article on that) to plant out around May when all frosts have passed. If you have a greenhouse that's even better and may also give some protection against blight which is the no 1 problem for UK tomatoes."
Jeremy Dore on Monday 22 February 2010
"Thanks, I dont have a greenhouse, but we grew tomatoes two years ago, cant remember the variety, but they survived until late september. "
Laura, UK on Monday 22 February 2010
"Where can I find these type discussions for gardeners in the mid west US? (Tulsa, Oklahoma)"
PapaDon on Friday 16 April 2010
"Wow … what a great idea … wish they had something like this going on in the U.S. Actually, I’m assuming they don’t but … perhaps I should do a little checking. :) Reading the list of veggies that you are receiving makes my mouth water. http://allthingstomato.com/how-to-grow-tomatoes/"
how to grow tomatoes on Friday 28 May 2010
"Sweet 100 is the VERY BEST cherry size tomato you will ever taste. Must only be available locally in S. Texas because I've not seen them in any cataloges. "
Pook on Saturday 21 August 2010
"I have trouble with the stems "kinking" on my tomatoes grown in a cool greenhouse.Any suggestions to stop this? I can understand it on Ailsa Craig this year as they are on average 9ozs. each! but not on Shirley etc. Grown on the Wirral U.K."
Ted Gray on Tuesday 14 September 2010
"Hi,I want to give tomato grafting a try as an interest.I will grow Gardeners Delight as No.1 then Gardeners delight grafted onto a rootstock No.2.I intend to grow 3 different varieties this way.does anyone know where I can get rootstock seed from ? "
Alf.Powell.(UK) on Tuesday 21 September 2010
"Alf, you can try this site: http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/flower_and_vegetable_seed_store_uk/Products_F1_He_Man__rootstock__4613.html. Let us know if it works."
Jeremy Dore on Wednesday 22 September 2010
"I want to start this project of tomatoes in the greenhouse wat size of greenhouse can fit 100 plant "
kiogora on Thursday 30 September 2010
"I would talk to a specialist greenhouse supplier about the size of greenhouse for that many plants (it depends on a lot of factors, including your location and the temperatures you get in your region as that decides how large the plants will grow). Charlies' Greenhouse woudl be good people to contact (www.charleysgreenhouse.com/) or you may want to think about a polytunnel (hoop house)."
Jeremy Dore on Sunday 3 October 2010
"Once again I lost 50% of my crop to blight - Should I replace top 6" of soil in tomato bed before replanting next year ?? I understand the blight can overwinter in the soil. I would really appreciate some advice. Thanks to all who answer."
A.D.Gale on Saturday 16 October 2010
"thanks jeremy am from kenya (Mt kenya region) I wanna venture in this field am fresh in this field have heard of anna F1 that the plant i wanna plant no idea how it spreads afta growing "
kiogora on Saturday 16 October 2010
"Hi Jeromy, I went to your recommended site http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/flower_and_vegetable_seed_store_uk/Products_F1_He_Man__rootstock__4613.html.which after investigation led me to vegetableseeds.net they are particularly helpful and I ended up with all that I required. Thanks to you for pointing me in the right direction. Alf."
Alfred Powell on Monday 18 October 2010
"A.D.Gale - Yes, replace the top 6" of soil if you cannot move the tomatoes anywhere else. Alternatively skim off the top (to remove any blight spores) and add a growbag on top with holes in the bottom for the roots to go through. However, blight can spread from neighbour's tomatoes and potatoes left growing - search our site for the article we have on blight for details. A greenhouse does give some protection but they inevitably succumb to blight if it is prevalent in your area. I have the same problem too!"
Jeremy Dore on Tuesday 19 October 2010
"Kiogora - there are some details on http://www.mashada.com/forums/business-personal-finance/78933-greenhouse-tomato-farming-project-hcda.html which you may like to look at which mention some sources of help available in Kenya."
Jeremy Dore on Tuesday 19 October 2010
"Jeremy - I thank you very much for your interesting advice reference tomato blight (Ref my question of the 16/10/10) I have one acre without neighbours and the bed was used for tomatoes for the first time. I have read your article for blight details and found it very interesting. It is with the knowledge/help that you supply which makes veg growing so much more satisfying rather than having to wait one year to learn from mistakes. Thank you very much indeed - A very special site that everyone should visit. A.D.Gale. "
Anthony D Gale on Tuesday 19 October 2010
"Hi The best flavoured tomatoe with a smooth thin skin for me is 'Harbinger'. It is I believe one of the oldest, and may need TLC compared to the newer variety. Having said that, grew some a few years ago with no problems at all. Will be trying some next growing season out-side (ever hopefull on the English weather). Regards"
Charles on Tuesday 16 November 2010
"Happy new year Dore have built a greenhouse size 22meters by 6.5meters how many tomatoes should i plant in this GH..to maximum kenya weather. "
Kiogora on Tuesday 4 January 2011
"Kiogora, tomato spacing varies widely according to your soil and climate so I would consult your local agricultural services to get this right. For warm climates with good fertile soil a spacing of around 3ft (90cm) is often used."
Jeremy Dore on Tuesday 4 January 2011
"Thanks for tha reply am gonna find out about this even thou my local agriculture service men are poorly equipped about this. As you said my garden soil is fertile en the climate is warm.Let me try this coz its my first attempt.."
Kiogora on Tuesday 4 January 2011
"Hi.After germinating tomatoes seeds how long should thy stay in the nursery bed ready to be transplanted and when should i apply the fertilizer after transplanting and the best fertilizer to use. "
Kiogora martin on Wednesday 5 January 2011
"My Favorites, Brandywine beefsteak super flavor poor resistance to disease, Black Krim , Caspian Pink, Abraham Lincoln, Consoluto Fiorentino all beefsteaks with good flavor and poor resistance to disease, Crystal good flavor 2-3" some resistance to disease; cherry types Green Grape strong tom flavor, Sungold excellent sweet tom and black cherry also good. I am growing all of these this year plus Homesweet hybrid, yelloe Pearl and Harbringer all new to me. Heritage toms are prone to disease but worth it, supermarket types don't taste half as good. I have used a passive hydroponic system for the last 20 years, basically a growbag sitting on a tank, I make the tanks myself out of soil pipe, plastic sheeting and wood, the tank holds enough water so that I only water every two weeks, no splitting, this works well for my allotment greenhouses, though i also use it in the ones at home. "
Corum on Wednesday 11 May 2011
"I'm planning to grow tomatoes (in pots) in a greenhouse (6'x6'). However I have a question about the greenhouse kits. I see kits available with clear polycarbonate panes and light weight twin wall polycarbonate panes. Are either of these options any good? If so, which is best? I don't want to overheat, however, there is one vent. In reading the literature they block harmful UV rays. Does this inhibit the tomatoes? Thanks Kindly,Susan"
Susan on Sunday 22 May 2011
"Susan, polycarbonate is much stronger than glass. The single polycarbonate panes let out a little more heat than glass but the twin ones are better insulated. They also let less light through - the twin wall ones in particular - but it is diffused so plants are less likely to be scorched. Generally if you go for the twin wall polycarbonate you will need to be careful about overheating and will need more than one vent. I hope that helps. More information can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningequipment/6537880/Greenhouses-why-polycarbonate-beats-glass.html. I'm not aware of anything suggesting that tomatoes require UV light."
Jeremy Dore on Sunday 22 May 2011
"Thank you Jeremy. Apparently this 6'x6' greenhouse has only the clear single polycarbonate pane available, however they do sell a shade net. Do you think that would have to be applied throughout the summer? I see in their picture it has the covering one side. Would this create overheating as well? If so, since this has only one vent, would a fan help? Thanks again, Susan"
Susan on Monday 23 May 2011
"Whether you need a shade net depends on where you live. I live in anarea of NW England near the sea and we get a lot of overcast days so I don't ever use shading. In more southern areas you might need to. Leaving the greenhouse door open can provide adequate ventilation on hot days but it's best to close it at night to keep the heat in. Even better would be to buy an additional vent - ones that use the Bayliss Greenhouse vents are best as they automatically open and close."
Jeremy Dore on Monday 23 May 2011
"I want to thisis paper by tomato seed production under deasises free condition"
Md. Amir Ul Mumenin on Saturday 28 May 2011
"Thanks for your help Jeremy. As it turns out I bought a 6'x8' greenhouse. The sides have 6mm twin polycarbonate panes and the roof has 4mm twin polycarbonate panes. I have one roof vent and a window louvre both have the automatic open and close. I am so excited. Susan"
susan on Saturday 28 May 2011
"Susan, you have gone for a good size, I have grown in most of the smaller sizes and 6x8 is the smallest that works, 6x6 and smaller sufffer from huge temperature variations. Two auto openings means you should have no trouble, I am assuming this is your first greenhouse, so one piece of advice I wish i had listened to, at the end of the season clean everything, change any soil you grew tom's in, and you wont suffer from a gradual decline in yield, I did not notice what was happening until i bought GH number 2 and yield was significantly more in it. Try Sungold (cherry), massive crops and super flavour, also looks great in salad's and crops before your non-cherry tom's. Lots of luck "
Corum on Sunday 29 May 2011
"Hi, Our Gardeners Delight tomatoes are cropping and ripening well but have a mushy texture, even when eaten straight off the vine. Help please! What are we doing wrong."
Jill Rowland on Monday 11 July 2011
"http://www.tomatocasual.com/2008/07/05/tc-reader-question-what-makes-a-tomato-mushy/ This assumes you do not have blossom end rot, this will have a black circle at the blossom end. What variety are you growing?"
Corum on Wednesday 13 July 2011
"Hi Corum, It's definitely not blossom end rot and we are growing Gardeners Delight."
Jill Rowland on Saturday 16 July 2011
"Sorry, i should have read all the way to the end :o( Garderners Delight is almost bomb proof and should definitely not be mushy. I think there are 3 possible reason:- Too hot - not likely but possible, keep temp below 40C, 35 if poss. Too much nitrogen can cause puffy fruit - feed less/check feed instructions. I don't think its possible to have too much water unless they are actually afloat. Disease, not probable in your first year. My advice, change your feed, I always use two types and alternate, make sure you have read the instructions and follow them; don't let the plants dry out or your fruit will split, but water with care, the compost/soil should be damp, not wet before you water again. Don't give up GD are very nice to eat, try growing more than one type next year, Sungold is good and also fairly easy. I wish you lots of luck, tell us how you got on."
Corum on Saturday 16 July 2011
"Thanks for all the advice. My husband has grown tomatoes for years in different locations but I reckon it could be over-feeding. This is the second year in this greenhouse and we are growing three types so it will be interesting to see what the others are like when they ripen. The Gardeners Delight taste nice but the texture almost feels slightly 'cooked'! "
Jill Rowland on Monday 18 July 2011
"Beefsteaks: Marmande and Black Krim are two that I grow. Marmande is a bush-type with red ribbed fruits; and Black Krim is purple-black and smooth, with green shoulders."
Roger Hudson on Tuesday 3 July 2012
"Hi. Grew Father Tom tomatoes in the greenhouse last year with hundreds of tomatoes yielded and good taste. This year have got a choice of a number of seedlings. per above, money maker sounds good, but any thoughts on the others? Red Zebra, Aunt Ruby Green, Amishe Paste, Rersen tranbe, yellow pear type, yellow large type..."
Carol on Sunday 4 November 2012
"i dont know Aunt Ruby Green, Amishe Paste or Rersen tranbe, I have grown yellow pear, red zebra and marmade, I dont rate them for taste at all though you get a good crop. Rersen traube is I think Riesentraube and I plan to try it myself as its reputed to be excellent. i have just finished clearing my green houses, legend, Green grape, Crystal, black krim, black russian, black truffle and sungold all did well this year, brandywine was poor, i will grown it again though as on good years it's fantastic;i also tried stupice (very bland), maskotka (pulpy) and sungella (not as good as sungold), I threw the seed packets away not worth another try. i have purchased cherokee purple and Mortgage lifter to try next year. Not taht i am addicted, well perhaps a little. "
Corum on Friday 9 November 2012
"Thank you for the feedback Corum. I continued with more research myself. It seems money maker is supposed to be pretty good (one website listed a few of the best varieties and money maker was the only one I had, so I'm trying that one). * Red zebra supposed to be best tasting of striped varieties, Amishe Paste good for cooking with large fruit and few seeds, * Aunt Ruby Green large fruit good to fry or in salads (beef steak type tomato), * Rersen traube - prolific grape tomoto with good flavour (I'm putting this one in also), * Yellow pear - mild flavour, good producer, suit fresh or preserves, * Yellow large - low acid, mild sweet flavour, large fruit, versatile for use Found homes for all my seedlings based on matching what all my friends were after in a tomato. Thank you"
Carol on Saturday 10 November 2012
"Hi Carol It seems I am not the only addict, I love green grape cooked, so i will try Aunt Ruby green next year, I have just ordered a packet, I am very tempted by Amish Paste but I have to limit myself to around twenty varieties, my wife gets a bit tetchy if I even mention a wish for another greenhouse."
Corum on Wednesday 14 November 2012
"I hope I was not too hard on yellow pear, as you say it's a good doer, the trouble with recommendations is we all like different ones, as you can probably tell I go for the big tomomato flavour. I have to admit I don't rate Money maker myself; I will be interested to hear what you think of it, Black truffle is supposed to be a good keeper, i have a dozen in the fridge and am going to see if they last until Xmas. I will be washing down with hot water and vinegar in Dec after removing every hint of this years plants, we had a small ammount of fungus this year, not blight but bad enough and I hope this may help."
Corum on Wednesday 14 November 2012
"I would like to send my gardening friends in NE France near Clefmont (52240) some heirloom tomato seeds to plant but I don't know which varieties are better suited to their short growing season (May-September) with intermittent continental storms, 1500 ft. elevations and rocky soils. Any ideas?"
Judi Paul on Sunday 1 December 2013
"Our elevation is about the same (around 500 metres) and similarly short growing season (here it is due to late frosts mid to late Spring and the first frost of Autumn/Winter). Our Summer is also very hot. Greenhouse works wonders - I can keep producing tomatoes right through Autumn in there. Feedback on last season Money Maker I did not like at all - not much taste and produced poorly for me in the Greenhouse. First fruit appeared at the end of Summer. Although we had a very hard season and I was struggling to get anything to produce much. Rersen Traube was super. I only grew it outside in extreme heat, but it did produce some really tasty fruit. Yellow grape tomato - it struggled with the extreme conditions, but the flavours were intense. Yellow large (unknown variety) - good taste, I don't mind it. Got the Father Toms again for this year and also trying another. Summer already, got to get my skates on - have only got 2 plants going so far."
Carol on Friday 6 December 2013
"I had a sabbatical in Provence last fall and really liked the big yellow tomatoes that farmers' markets sold. Could you tell me the name of this variety?"
Constance Malloy on Tuesday 27 January 2015
"Hi my name is Amy Mills and I was wondering if you could please help me find the following tomatoes in South Africa. Pantano Romanesco, Green Zebra, Black Zebra, Constoluto Genovese, Sweet Clusters, Valencia, Carmello, Early Girl, Enchantment, Big Beef, Brandywine Pink, Cherokee Purple, Caspian Pink, Hillbilly, Black Krim, Mortgage Lifter, Sweet 100, Sungold, Black Cherry and Sunrise Bumble Bee."
Amy Mills on Tuesday 28 November 2017

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