Armpitted Tomatoes

[Paulottie]

I find it is better to root them by standing them in a glass with a little water on a shady windowsill. In a week you'll see the roots form and you can pot them on then....no droopy sulky bit.

Also a good way of taking pelagonium cuttings.

[bramble]

I always root them as Paulette does. You then know which ones are going to make a plant, or not.

[zazen999]

either way - don't waste those armpits!

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Put a plastic bag over pot to keep humidity up , they go bonkers, and no droop.

[Flummery]

Ah well, you see, I'm not organised enough to have a galss of water or pot of compost on hand! I always do it in the greenhouse and stick the cutting under the main plant. amazing I get any at all really!

[Snadger]

Ah well, you see, I'm not organised enough to have a galss of water or pot of compost on hand! I always do it in the greenhouse and stick the cutting under the main plant. amazing I get any at all really!

Good idea Flum...........saves you having to label them also!

[Rhona]

Great tip. I've started some off, just stuck into moist compost on a sunny ledge and they're looking good.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Last week popped 5 side shoots into water and all have started to root. No idea what type as I start loosing labels when I start repotting toms It'll be a surprise.

[Bramble_killer]

yay, my armpitted tomatoes have roots!! I have 4 extra tomatoes on top of the 30-odd. OH thinks I've gone insane.

[coreopsis]

Me too I had 125 before I starting giving them away!! Will remember this for next year though

And I thought mine 35 were too many to accomodate in the greenhouse with 12 chillies and some cukes

[21again]

To you folks who are going mad (like I did last year) and have tons of tomato plants growing, with not a lot of space, how many trusses do you let them get before you nip out the tops?

I have about 12 plants in my 6 x 4 plastic greenhouse so I can't really let them get too big.

[chris]

If it is just the leaves, with no growing tip then they won't work. They have to have a growing tip.

How long are you leaving them? A week [well watered, don't let them dry out] usually does it.

Sorry forgot I'd posted that query. That's where I was going wrong them.

I'm constantly pinching the armpits out - d'oh keep forgetting. I'll try this next time!

[DigginDebs]

I remembered this post as I was nipping out the first side shoots .... I was in a bit of a rush and just squeezed them into the remainder of compost that was left over after potting on some lettuce ... over did it with the watering "/ left them in the shed and totally forgot all about them ......... went into to the shed this morning to look for my gloves and I thought hmmmmm where have those tomato plants come from ??? LMSO

Thanks very much for sharing the tip

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

So, this thread starting out with the F1 Sungold toms. Why are they so special? I've just googled them and I've just found the price for 10 seeds! Flamin' Nora. Anyway I'll wait until I've got vouchers but what makes them so special (I've already guessed they taste fab). They are on my wish list for next year.

[Flummery]

So, this thread starting out with the F1 Sungold toms. Why are they so special? I've just googled them and I've just found the price for 10 seeds! Flamin' Nora. Anyway I'll wait until I've got vouchers but what makes them so special (I've already guessed they taste fab). They are on my wish list for next year.

The taste is wonderful - a great balance between sweetness and sharpness. Over-sweet tomatoes can be bland, but not these. However, F1s are expensive because someone (usually in China) has to cross the parents each year to get seed, and I can tell you from experience, tomato crossing is fiddly - although I 'm sure if you do it all day long you get a bit good!

It's possible to sow the seeds from F1 hybrids and select out those tasting most like the hybrid, over a period of several years. I'm in Year 3 of this process. This year I'm growing my selection plus a few of the original Sungold to compare the taste.

I have also crossed Sungold with a heritage tomato to get a bit of the sungold flavour in a cross. This is looking hopeful for a good flavour too. I'll keep you posted!