"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
I'm the least likely member of this group to discuss food growing but has
anyone else noticed that tomatoes are watery and flavourless this year?
Our
are grown in large pots in a mix of soil and compost, in a large glass
house. Each year, until this one, they have tasted sublime. This year
they
ripened late, cropped poorly and taste of nothing much at all. ;-(

A strange year for tomatoes.
I grow them outside on the south facing patio in tubs.

Last year I had a tomato jungle of cherry tomatoes (Sweet F100 I think)
which cropped on and on.

This year I have grown from seed, with mixed results.

Unwins Garden Pearl (hanging basket) -

initially disappointed by texture and flavour, but warming to them.
Heavy cropping and loads ripening.
Have been picking them for some time.

Unwins Heritage Showcase (4 varieties)
----------------------------------------

Vintage Wine -

Potato leaf tomato with very ridged fruit.
So far an unmitigated disaster with rot (blossom end I think) claiming all
the early fruit.
Still none ripened

Christmas Grape (cherry) -

not a patch on other cherry varieties.
One ripe fruit so far - not much sign of prolific cropping.

Lemon Tree (yellow) -

Looking promising but still no ripe tomatoes.
They look remarkably like lemons in shape.

Banana cream (yellow) -

Not as promising as the Lemon Tree and again no ripe tomatoes yet.

The have been largely left to go their own way, apart from support.
This is contrary to the 'tie in, pinch out, 4 trusses' policy for cordon
tomatoes.

In previous years allowing more fruit and branches to form (growing like a
bush tomato) has produced a long season with good cropping. Not looking so
good this year, but it may be down to the varieties.

I blame the weather (mainly) for low sunlight and high winds.

Not much sign of improvement either.
I think this may be a bad tomato year.

Cheers
Dave R