Anyone growing tomatoes? (The Gardening thread)

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TraderFred
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Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:55 am

Been enjoying mine for a couple of weeks now too. Got a nice variety this year, grown on a single stem , gone for quality over quantity. Golden sunrise, super maramande, gardeners delight, and Ailsa Craig, all have given fully ripe fruit so far, both greenhouse and outdoors.

Mine were late last year, didn’t get any ripe ones until first or second week of September.

Had a successful year all round this season, been self sufficient for salad for the last month or so now. Lettuce, cucumber, carrots, spring onions, tomatoes, peppers, all much nicer than supermarket bought stuff.

Wish my trading was as successful as my tomatoes. Still, at least I’m not going to go hungry.

Only losers were my broccoli and kale. It all got stripped to the stem by caterpillars, they absolutely demolished it.

So my greens ended up as nothing, and my reds just keep on getting bigger, sounds familiar!
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ShaunWhite
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Oh FFS. I've haversted my solitary red tom and it's got end rot. Not good news for my post-Brexit trade deal with Kraft Heinz and even worse news for the salad Nicoise I'd planned for tonight.
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LeTiss
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ShaunWhite wrote:
Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:10 pm
Oh FFS. I've haversted my solitary red tom and it's got end rot. Not good news for my post-Brexit trade deal with Kraft Heinz and even worse news for the salad Nicoise I'd planned for tonight.
No loss there.......olives and anchovies (looking for the puke emoji)
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Derek27
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TraderFred wrote:
Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:00 pm
Been enjoying mine for a couple of weeks now too. Got a nice variety this year, grown on a single stem , gone for quality over quantity. Golden sunrise, super maramande, gardeners delight, and Ailsa Craig, all have given fully ripe fruit so far, both greenhouse and outdoors.
I didn't have a choice, I just bought the last variety on the flipping shelf - Moneymaker.

Quite appropriate for a trader. :D
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Tuco
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I've been growing strawberries for the past two years :)
smallplayer
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My cherry toms have caught late blight. Not to worry though. Have caught it early and sprayed with baking soda and fairy liquid mix to kill the fungus so hopefully be no disruption to tomato production :D
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Derek27
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I've got a chilli. :D
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ShaunWhite
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Derek27 wrote:
Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:34 pm
I didn't have a choice, I just bought the last variety on the flipping shelf - Moneymaker.
Lots of people grow them round here apparently, reliable usually and not bad. Dad always grew them and sold the excess via the old honesty jar out front to fund next year's compost. Only a couple of quid but he was tight-fisted.

If you save the seed they come up true to type because they're not F1's.

No idea what we're growing this year, the neighbour left them out for people to have and I haven't asked him what they are. I could but I don't want him to get all friendly and want to talk everytime I see him. tbh they look like....Moneymaker suprise suprise.
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TraderFred
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That’s what I’m trying to do this year, save the seed.

I’ve always grown F1 varieties in the past, and they are a good place to start and learn. Though this year I bought ‘real seeds’ with a view to try and do some seed saving for next year, and start a chain.

I have an Irish version of gardeners delight which are non F1 and should grow true. I currently have the seed and juice of 3 tomatoes fermenting in a jar, hoping to get some good seed from it and complete the circle next year.

Done the same with my cucumber, though I’m not sure the seed is any good, it all looks to be floating in the jar at present, maybe I didn’t let it get over ripe enough. Got another one on the other plant which I’m going to leave on even longer. Let it fatten up even more and go brownish before I scoop out the seed.
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Derek27
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Final update on my tomatoes, and if you're eating, put away your food before looking at the results!
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The one on the right has an evil looking face! I've consulted the leading expert in my immediate neighbourhood and she advised that there are likely to be worms in the tomatoes and that I should dispose of the plant immediately! :(

Until next year, better luck to everybody else growing tomatoes. :)
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TraderFred
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At least they ripened !

Just off outside to choose a nice ripe , worm free, super marmande to go with my steak for tea !
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Derek27
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I haven't been buying any tomatoes lately because I was worried that I might have a surplus of homegrown tomatoes. I guess it's now back to the supermarket, putting up with the usual twats I meet there and then posting to the rant thread. :)
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Derek27
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TraderFred wrote:
Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:47 pm
At least they ripened !

Just off outside to choose a nice ripe , worm free, super marmande to go with my steak for tea !
How do you know it's worm free? They might crawl out at the dinner table. :lol:
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firlandsfarm
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TraderFred wrote:
Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:34 am
Done the same with my cucumber, though I’m not sure the seed is any good, it all looks to be floating in the jar at present, maybe I didn’t let it get over ripe enough. Got another one on the other plant which I’m going to leave on even longer. Let it fatten up even more and go brownish before I scoop out the seed.
Are they ridge cucumbers, the slightly spikey type? Greenhouse cucumbers are infertile because you have to stop them fertilising, they turn bitter if they do. But ridge are OK if fertilised so the seed could be good though never heard of anyone recycling cucumber seeds … tell me if it works next spring. :)
TraderFred
Posts: 194
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:55 am

firlandsfarm wrote:
Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:16 pm
TraderFred wrote:
Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:34 am
Done the same with my cucumber, though I’m not sure the seed is any good, it all looks to be floating in the jar at present, maybe I didn’t let it get over ripe enough. Got another one on the other plant which I’m going to leave on even longer. Let it fatten up even more and go brownish before I scoop out the seed.
Are they ridge cucumbers, the slightly spikey type? Greenhouse cucumbers are infertile because you have to stop them fertilising, they turn bitter if they do. But ridge are OK if fertilised so the seed could be good though never heard of anyone recycling cucumber seeds … tell me if it works next spring. :)

They are ‘Tamra’ cucumbers. Quite rare apparently, so they encourage you to save your seed.

I’m very new to this, so learning on the go. Though these have both male and female flowers, they are insect pollinated (had to leave greenhouse open so they could get in ). Then the female flowers grow into cucumbers.

To save the seed I have to let them get over ripe, then scoop it out and let it ferment in a jar, then after a few days fill the jar with water, get rid of the pulp , and the good seeds sink and the bad ones float.

I’ve done it with two, and managed to get some seed, though going to do it with one more as the seeds seem to be getting bigger in the later fruits.

Hoping I’ve done it right, as they have been delicious, and it would be great to complete the cycle and become self sufficient ( for cucumbers, for around 4 months a year ! ).
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