"whistler-alison" wrote
Hi - this is my first post. I'm growing tomatoes for the first time this
year - I'm not a gardener! The assistant at the garden centre suggested
I buy Red Alert because they do not need staking or picking out.
However when I got home, after I had planted my three plants in the
grow bag, I realised from the labels that I had picked up a Shirley
variety by mistake. My problem is that I cannot tell which one this is
- they all look the same to me. Is there any tell tale signs. Or do I
just wait for the Shirley one to die given it needs to be grown under
glass? It's very annoying because I'd like to replace the Shirley with
another Red Alert and put the shirley in my porch instead.

(with the help of T & M's Catalogue)

Red Alert......Bush (Determinate). A superb flavoured, outdoor bush tomato
which is very early maturing and heavy yielding. The fruit are smaller than
average but have a vastly superior flavour and you can expect weights of
4-51b (1.8-2.25kg) per bush. Easy to grow with no supporting or side
shooting needed, in fact the perfect choice for an outdoor tomato. Red Alert
should not have its side shoots removed


Shirley......Cordon (Indeterminate). A popular early maturing, heavy
cropping variety for cold or slightly heated greenhouses with excellent
quality fruit. Recommended for growbag culture with an open growing habit
and resistance to TMV, Cladosporium ABC and Fusarium 1 and 2.



You won't tell which is which until they have grown a bit, the Shirley will
make a strong stem but will have side shoots and the Red Alert will tend to
bush more and have a less robust leader, fruit will be different too. With
two Red Alerts to one Shirley it should be obvious idc.

Your biggest problem is that whilst Red Alert won't need any pinching out as
it's a determinate, Shirley will as it's an indeterminate and needs growing
straight up with all side shoots pinched out, also needs it's growing tip
pinched out after 4 or 5 trusses have set fruit.

If it's a sunny sheltered spot and we have a good summer then you will
probably find the Shirley will do OK.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London