Grow Your Own Magazine

Grew Gardeners Delight, Big Boy, and Allicante. GD poor no flavour and fruits keep splitting . BB good flavour but few fruit only two trusses per plant. A great flavour, Six trusses per plant of good sized fruit and still rippening on the vine out side late October! Any suggestions on varieties with good flavour?

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It's not the growing old I mind but the growing stupid with it!

Hi GP. welcome to the Vine,

I'm suprised about you Gardeners Delight, I've grown these for ages now ans they are still one of the best for me, maybe they don't siut the way you grow.

As Alicante seem to do well for you I'd stick with them & maybe try a couple of others & whittle them out till you've got the ones you like. Moneymaker may do well for you.

The other thing that may have affected them is the fact you grew them out side & maybe the higher rainfall that you get in your part of the world has watered down the flavour - see if you can get them under cover if you can that may help.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I also always grow gardeners delight which are superb, beaten only by sungold. I also grow tropical ruby which are my alltime favourite as well as marmande and shirley.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated at last - Saturday 9th at 2040hrs

Tasty tomato varieties that I grow are Bloody Butcher, Pink Brandywine and Inca.

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I grew big boy this year as well GP and they didn't do any better for me either.

My Gardeners Delight were probably my best this year - that and some random average sized yellow ones that came from an un-named plant bought on the market as an experiment - wished I knew what sort they were as they were really good and the first to start ripening.

Gardeners Delight were okay, federle was tasty, sungold was lovely and my basinga toms are still keeping in the fridge and make a great thick sauce.

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Andrewo
www.andrewoldham.co.uk

GD were really good as always, grown in cold greenhouse. The ones in the border outside split due to erratic rainfall/watering.

Grew some Golden Grapes this year, good flavour but strange growth habit. Too much stem and leaf, not enough fruit trusses.

Want to try some plum varieties next year, any suggestions?

The beefsteak ones (can't remember the variety) made superb pasta sauce, roasted in the oven with onions and chillies and then liquidised.

Super Marmande and Legend were very good as were Sub Arctic Plenty. Not to fussed with Olivade - fairly tasteless.

have a huge variety to grow next year and must mark them up better so I have a better idea what is what.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Thank you all for your recommendations, think I might try Mamande next year as well as Alicante. Nick, no green house so got to be outside think the "erratic watering " might be reason for splitting but funny it did not affect Alicante growing next to them.

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It's not the growing old I mind but the growing stupid with it!

I know they are old as the hills but I like Moneymaker toms. as they are fairly reliable outdoors & tasty. I've grown Gardeners' Delight in the past & enjoyed them so maybe you were just unlucky. The 'Tumbler' types usually taste nice, I've grown red ones in hanging baskets this year & they are juicy & sweet so maybe you could give them a try if you want a cherry type tom.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Hi grandpadragon, try Ferline for a good flavour also Shirley.
Rusty Lady i grow Roma every year (plum tomato) and find them very satisfactory. you also get plenty per truss.

'Garten pearle' are my favorite cherry toms.The grandkids love them to!

Hello Grandpadragon, I grew Marmande this year and found it suffered from blosom end rot when nothing else did. Might be something to check into.

Hiya Alice thanks for the warning. Granny Dragon thinks Lesley Jay's reccomendation of "Bloody Mary" and "Pink Brandy" would be best for a pair of old soaks like us.

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It's not the growing old I mind but the growing stupid with it!

Give them a go and let the rest of us know how you get on.

Grandpa Dragon in that case I think there is also one called Black Russian!

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

black zebra are really nice although not massive cropping. i didnt grow any of my favorite variety as i only descovered them too late but rose de bearn is amazing!