Great weather for tomatoes.

[Penellype]

Blight is a fungus which thrives in warm, damp conditions. 2013 and 2014 were warm but dry, and many places got away with little or no blight. 2012 was wet and a very poor year for all sorts of things (I remember the apples and pears in the shops being very small). All my outdoor tomato plants that year were dead before they produced any fruit. There is no way at this point of predicting which way the weather will go. All you can do is decide what you are going to go for and hope for the best.

[rary]

I have never had blight, and hopefully never do,but I only grow early potatoes, and the outdoor tomatoes are usually Garden Pearl, when I have tried either cordon or bush I am lucky if I get three ripe tomatoes from the plants so think it`s not worth the space.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Rary, try original Tumbler. I grow them on a south facing wall in hanging baskets. You might just get away with it were you are.

[rary]

Thanks Potty I will try and get some seed and give it a go

[Kristen]

For the last couple of years we've ended up having to rip up blighted outdoor toms just as the first fruit is setting!
Such a waste of time, effort and watering.
Thing is, we'll still probably buy a few plants anyway....just incase

Perhaps worth trying a blight-resistant variety? (I'm thinking of Sutton's "Crimson Crush" which supposedly won't catch blight, but there are quite a few "resistant" seeds on the market).

They might taste disappointing though ...

[brownfingers]

Last year, I did some in the greenhouse and some out side. Outside were Roma, Alicante and Moneymaker. The outdoor ones were just as prolific as the greenhouse ones. They were slower to mature, but that just gave me a longer cropping period (which was nice).

[Alison]

Last year, I did some in the greenhouse and some out side. Outside were Roma, Alicante and Moneymaker. The outdoor ones were just as prolific as the greenhouse ones. They were slower to mature, but that just gave me a longer cropping period (which was nice).

Interesting and it may depend on varieties (I think Moneymaker is tasteless and don't grow the other two) as I find the ones under cover not only start earlier they also carry on fruiting well into autumn with a couple of extra trusses of fruits.

[Kristen]

I think Moneymaker is tasteless and don't grow the other two

I've not grown Roma, but in the "early days" I grew both Alicante and Moneymaker and I'd classify them both as equally tasteless. Its all subjective, of course, but amongst my gardening chums Moneymaker is universally thought of as tasteless, and yet it is always one of the best [seed] sellers in my local Garden Centre.

Cracking good name of course ... like "Golden Delicious" for a (tasteless!) Apple.

[Python15]

It happens in warm, wet weather so it depends on what Summer we get. Cherry toms ripen much earlier that the beefy ones so if we do get the right conditions for blight to strike you've already had a decent crop and can take off your semi ripe cherry toms before the blight affects the fruit. Large or late flowering toms are more at risk, same as your main crop spuds.
What are you growing this year, what were your problems last Summer. We had fab weather - no blight at all around here

Last year I tried Roma and Gardeners Delight. I just couldn't get the watering right with the Roma and most fruits had blossom end rot. The Gardeners Delight although usually prolific just didn't seem to fruit enough. This hasn't put me off and I will try the Roma on it's own in the lean to with those watering pot thingy's. I've started Gardeners Delight and Moneymaker for outdoor growing along with Tumbling Tom in baskets.

[skeggijon]

Of course many people find the most popular to be tasteless. I actually quite like Alicante and as for moneymaker - fresh off the vine is still better than hydroponic grow supermarket ones.
That sounds like a rant lol, which it isn't, just that everyone has different tastes

[Valleyman]

I've not grown Roma, but in the "early days" I grew both Alicante and Moneymaker and I'd classify them both as equally tasteless. Its all subjective, of course, but amongst my gardening chums Moneymaker is universally thought of as tasteless, and yet it is always one of the best [seed] sellers in my local Garden Centre.

Cracking good name of course ... like "Golden Delicious" for a (tasteless!) Apple.

I find it incredible that people would pay garden centre prices for moneymaker. They are the most universally available tomato, and all the cheapo shops have them at 4 packs for £1 at peak season. In the down season money maker can be found for 5p a packet online easily enough.

Personally I can't understand the appeal of them myself. Give me a gardeners delight (equally as cheap and available, with just as high yields) any day of the week.

[Scarlet]

Of course many people find the most popular to be tasteless. I actually quite like Alicante and as for moneymaker)

I love growing and tasting different varieties, i usually grow at least 20 different ones per year. My mum, who has grown toms for years insists on alisa craig. They are her favourite, ive given her many other different varieties to try but she will always go back to this one. I grow a few for her every year. Everybodys tastes are different.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Very true Scarlet, but Moneymaker were developed here in Nottingham for commercial growers with the sole intention of a very high yield, no consideration was given to taste. At one stage an experimental station glass house collapsed after they were grown up support strings/wires attached to the roof. They weren't called Moneymaker for nothing.

[Beso]

I must say I am not keen on money maker at all, you might get volume but little else ie taste.
I am growing some because as has been said they are in all the multi-packs of seeds.

The Alicanti are better not least because they are a good size, but then they take longer to mature.

I must look for something with more taste in the future.

It is the same thing with supermarket tomatoes, cheap and tasteless!!

[Scarlet]

but Moneymaker were developed here in Nottingham for commercial growers with the sole intention of a very high yield, no consideration was given to taste.

I've never tried them (knowingly) the first toms I grew were Alisa Craig I'm really tempted to buy a plant in, grow it on and do a taste test.