Growing some early toms 2018

[Small pumpkin]

I've grown them. I liked them, cropped well and tasted good if I remember correctly.
Not managed to find seeds again they were a freebie with a mr F's seed order a good few years ago now.

[veggiechicken]

The Tumbling Toms are odd because some are F1 and some aren't.
May have to save a few seeds and see what they do next year.

[Scarlet]

My rambling redstripe are still green, but the halms gelbe are ripe - yellow it's a small plant. Will take photos tomorrow.

[veggiechicken]

The Tumbling Toms are odd because some are F1 and some aren't.
May have to save a few seeds and see what they do next year.

The jury's out on whether Tumbling Tiger is an F1 or not. DT Brown, Nicky's Nursery and Vegetalis say its not. Vegetalis say its known as Tumbling Tigress in the UK/EU and Tiger in the US. T&M and Marshalls say its F1.
Who to believe?

[Bren In Pots]

I've got two Black cherry toms nearly ripe wasn't to sure of the variety until now though. The seedling was dug from my GH border last November and overwintered it on a window the plants a bit leggy with not many trusses but its doing ok.

[Scarlet]

The jury's out on whether Tumbling Tiger is an F1 or not. DT Brown, Nicky's Nursery and Vegetalis say its not. Vegetalis say its known as Tumbling Tigress in the UK/EU and Tiger in the US. T&M and Marshalls say its F1.
Who to believe?

Nickys Nursery alway leave out plant info - they often don't bother putting F1 on Chillie seeds. It makes me mad. So I wouldn't relay on them.

[It never rains..it pours]

Picking roughly 2 toms a day here from 4 of the 5 varieties (monte carlo still green). Question I have is the Shirley taste very bland (shop brought flavour) vs the gardners delight, Alicante, Alisa Craig, is this normal for Shirley toms ?

[monkeyboy]

I think my moneymaker and gardeners delight plants are drying out more quickly now. I was watering twice weekly, then increased to every other day. I don't think the compost is holding on to water as well as it did initially. I think I really need to get some sort of self-watering system next year.

[It never rains..it pours]

I think my moneymaker and gardeners delight plants are drying out more quickly now. I was watering twice weekly, then increased to every other day. I don't think the compost is holding on to water as well as it did initially. I think I really need to get some sort of self-watering system next year.

In my experience compost is pretty hopeless at holding water, especially when they start making fruit. Added soil, manure, seaweed into the mix with it this year and it has halved the amount of waterings from daily to bi daily

[Thelma Sanders]

Woo hoo! 2 ripe Gardenpearl today - it's a start

[Snoop Puss]

Question I have is the Shirley taste very bland (shop brought flavour) vs the gardners delight, Alicante, Alisa Craig, is this normal for Shirley toms ?

In my experience, to be blunt: yes. However, tastes differ and some people like them.

[Scarlet]

In my experience, to be blunt: yes. However, tastes differ and some people like them.

I agree....Shirley is a variety best left in the packet!....though it's early days for ripe tomatoes, a red skin doesn't necessary mean that it's perfectly ripe. It may be wiser to wait a bit longer

[Scarlet]

I think my moneymaker and gardeners delight plants are drying out more quickly now. I was watering twice weekly, then increased to every other day. I don't think the compost is holding on to water as well as it did initially. I think I really need to get some sort of self-watering system next year.

As your plants get bigger, root ball increases, warmer days etc they will require more watering.
Are they outside/inside in pots or in the ground?
Pots especially will always require watering every day.
Mine are in the greenhouse border and I would rarely miss a day of watering... So I don't think you are on your own

[Jungle Jane]

Ive noticed my balconi reds are A LOT sweeter this year,they�re so nice,they didn�t taste like this last year,then I thought it�s probably all this sun we�ve been having. Ive picked about seven tomatoes in total off of one balconi red (that was in the smallest pot of them all,it still is,I think Ive forced it) but I�ve only had one ripe tomato off of another balconi red plant I sowed at the same time back in January 15th,I sowed six plants in total for this early tomato experiment,most of the tomatoes are still green. Here�s photos from today & I have been feeding them occasionally,there�s deficiency of all nutrients in the tiny pot & I should do better (I don�t have much time at the mo for gardening) but they�re fine.

[monkeyboy]

Watered my toms. Gardeners Delight - a few toms the size of baby toms now (still green), which is much better than last year in September when they were the size of broad beans and still green.