Have just been given a tomato plant about one foot high. We have a south
facing garden in north London. Would it make much difference to it, if I
brought it inside the house next to a south facing patio window? If it would
grow better tomatoes I would do it, even though I don't really have room for
it inside. (too many house plants in that location!)

"torge conrad maguar" wrote in message
news
Have just been given a tomato plant about one foot high. We have a south
facing garden in north London. Would it make much difference to it, if I
brought it inside the house next to a south facing patio window? If it
would grow better tomatoes I would do it, even though I don't really have
room for it inside. (too many house plants in that location!)


Depends on the variety really. I grow Gardeners Delight in the greenhouse
and in the garden (against a SW facing wall) up here in Manchester, and both
do really well - although I'm convinced that the ones outside have a
slightly better flavour. The greenhouse ones are a few weeks earlier. You'll
probably be OK, unless it is a beef tomato variety - in my experience they
tend to be a bit tender, and don't like the rain at all. And just hope you
don't get any blight - I never do, but a friend across the village always
does and every year has to harvest the remaining toms within a couple of
hours of discovering it.

As for growing them in the house - my dad always had a growbag on every
south facing window ledge in the olden days when he didn't have the money
for a greenhouse. They always did OK, but the house reeked of tomato
foliage - nice until you have to live with it all the time!!

On 27 Jun, 17:03, "Kase" wrote:

Depends on the variety really. I grow Gardeners Delight in the greenhouse
and in the garden (against a SW facing wall) up here in Manchester, and both
do really well - although I'm convinced that the ones outside have a
slightly better flavour.

Hey, I have always thought that and my tomatoes are mancunian too ;o)

Doing Coeur de boeuf this year. Beefheart that is.

"Kase" wrote in message
...

"torge conrad maguar" wrote in message
news
Have just been given a tomato plant about one foot high. We have a south
facing garden in north London. Would it make much difference to it, if I
brought it inside the house next to a south facing patio window? If it
would grow better tomatoes I would do it, even though I don't really have
room for it inside. (too many house plants in that location!)


Depends on the variety really. I grow Gardeners Delight in the greenhouse
and in the garden (against a SW facing wall) up here in Manchester, and
both do really well - although I'm convinced that the ones outside have a
slightly better flavour.

I agree about the flavour. I don't have enough room in the greenhouse for
all the tomatoes we want so I grow at least as many outside, have never had
a failed crop (although sometimes it's not as heavy as the more sheltered
ones) and the flavour is certainly better than indoor ones.

Mary

On Jun 27, 5:28 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:

I agree about the flavour. I don't have enough room in the greenhouse for
all the tomatoes we want so I grow at least as many outside, have never had
a failed crop (although sometimes it's not as heavy as the more sheltered
ones) and the flavour is certainly better than indoor ones.


Mary, what do you do with the large volume you grow, do you make
chutney if so, can I have the recipe please. I make tomato chutney
from our tomatoes every year but it is a recipe handed down and I
would like to try another one but only one that someone who makes
chutney would recommend.

Judith

" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jun 27, 5:28 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:

I agree about the flavour. I don't have enough room in the greenhouse for
all the tomatoes we want so I grow at least as many outside, have never
had
a failed crop (although sometimes it's not as heavy as the more sheltered
ones) and the flavour is certainly better than indoor ones.


Mary, what do you do with the large volume you grow, do you make
chutney if so, can I have the recipe please. I make tomato chutney
from our tomatoes every year but it is a recipe handed down and I
would like to try another one but only one that someone who makes
chutney would recommend.

Judith

I don't often make tomato chutney so don't have a favourite recipe but there
are very many, it's worth experimenting if you like chutney.

I dry tomatoes (they're WONDERFUL!), bottle them, puree them and when I'm
fed up of seeing tomatoes (which can take a long time) and am running out of
time to deal with them I freeze them. Then they can be used for cooking.

But most of them we eat. Every day, sometimes twice a day, the very last are
left until Christmas Eve when we have out traditional Christmas Eve supper
of home made pork pie (Jane Grigson's recipe) and fresh tomatoes.

How?

Well, I never use green tomatoes for chutney, Instead I put the end of
season vines into a large basket or baskets. Every day I pick over the fruit
and we eat the ripened ones - they will ripen without the aid of bananas,
apples, brown paper bags, drawers or window sills. Eventually they're
reduced to one basket - and I admit some very small tomatoes. Then I pick
them off the stalks and still use them. For the last fifteen years the last
ones have been eaten fresh - although I admit somewhat withered - to begin
our Christmas festival.

After that I rely on the stored ones and don't buy any, we only use them for
cooking in the out of season months.

I make chutney but from other fruits, a neighbour gives me plums (which I
also freeze and dry) and if I don't have any fresh fruit to use and I
remember I make date chutney.

As far as I'm concerned the combination of a dehydrator and freezer(s) are a
gift to the Modern Housewife :-)

We love tomatoes.

Mary

On Jun 27, 9:30 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:

I dry tomatoes (they're WONDERFUL

I have never dried them, I don't know how to but I do buy dried
tomatoes but they are expensive.


But most of them we eat. Every day, sometimes twice a day, the very last are
left until Christmas Eve when we have out traditional Christmas Eve supper
of home made pork pie (Jane Grigson's recipe) and fresh tomatoes.

You obviously have a storage place that is conducive to keeping them.


I make chutney but from other fruits,

I make tomato chutney with the addition of apples.

a neighbour gives me plums (which I
also freeze and dry) and if I don't have any fresh fruit to use and I
remember I make date chutney.

I was given a jar of date chutney last Christmas, it was good. I was
also given a banana chutney, it was err.. different.

As far as I'm concerned the combination of a dehydrator and freezer(s) are a
gift to the Modern Housewife :-)

What is a dehydrator?

We love tomatoes.

I know I saw you in that film about green tomatoes!! What was your
name again Miss ? G

Judith