Have jus seen F1 totem tomatoes growing in pots at our local train station.
Looking it up on the internet i've seen there are also seeds called
*Ferline* F1 hybrid-1.

All very confusing for a novice. We want to grow these container toms on
our patio (south facing in north london).

Which are the best ones to go for please? Have we left it too late to have
a go at it this year? Thanks.

john worcester wrote:
Have jus seen F1 totem tomatoes growing in pots at our local train station.
Looking it up on the internet i've seen there are also seeds called
*Ferline* F1 hybrid-1.

Iirc, totem are a bush tomato. Ferline are an indeterminate, so will grow
up and up and need staking. I'm not sure why you're linking the two, unless
you are just confused by the F1 bit. That's not the variety, it's just the
'type' of hybrid seed (which means you won't be able to keep seed from the
fruit and get the same type)

All very confusing for a novice. We want to grow these container toms on
our patio (south facing in north london).

There are lots of container tomatoes you can grow. You probably want to
look up 'bush' tomatoes if you want ones that are self-limiting in size.
This year we have Minibel and, um, something else that I can't remember.
We've tried Totem before. The seeds tend to be quite expensive (tend to
be about 3 pound for a packet of 5-6), but you can sometimes pick up the
plants for 'normal' tomato plant price.

Which are the best ones to go for please? Have we left it too late to have
a go at it this year? Thanks.

It's too late to do them from seed. You need to do that before end of
April, really. If you can find somewhere selling the plants, there is
still plenty of time, although I'd get moving. Try B+Q or your local
nursery or farmers market, etc.

"john worcester" wrote ...

Have jus seen F1 totem tomatoes growing in pots at our local train station.
Looking it up on the internet i've seen there are also seeds called
*Ferline* F1 hybrid-1.

All very confusing for a novice. We want to grow these container toms on
our patio (south facing in north london).

Which are the best ones to go for please? Have we left it too late to have
a go at it this year? Thanks.


I assume you mean this tomato.....

http://www.simplyseed.co.uk/tomato-seeds/totem.html

It's a "determinate" i.e. bush variety that will only get to a certain
height and does not need pinching out like an "indeterminate" which never
stops growing upwards.
I would have thought any of the small bush tomato types would do the job.

Much too late to start them from seed this year. Start the seeds in April
for planting out in a sunny spot after the chance of frost is finished, say,
the first week of June.

F1 refers to the way the seeds are bred and you will find lots of F1
tomatoes and other veg and even flowers. They cross two distinct strains to
get a first generation hybrid which enhances vigour. This unfortunately
means any seed collected from those plants will seldom come true.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
"john worcester" wrote ...

Have jus seen F1 totem tomatoes growing in pots at our local train
station. Looking it up on the internet i've seen there are also seeds
called *Ferline* F1 hybrid-1.

All very confusing for a novice. We want to grow these container toms on
our patio (south facing in north london).

Which are the best ones to go for please? Have we left it too late to
have a go at it this year? Thanks.


I assume you mean this tomato.....

http://www.simplyseed.co.uk/tomato-seeds/totem.html

It's a "determinate" i.e. bush variety that will only get to a certain
height and does not need pinching out like an "indeterminate" which never
stops growing upwards.
I would have thought any of the small bush tomato types would do the job.

Much too late to start them from seed this year. Start the seeds in April
for planting out in a sunny spot after the chance of frost is finished,
say, the first week of June.

F1 refers to the way the seeds are bred and you will find lots of F1
tomatoes and other veg and even flowers. They cross two distinct strains
to get a first generation hybrid which enhances vigour. This unfortunately
means any seed collected from those plants will seldom come true.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bob and Vicky thanks. Will just see if i can still pick up a plant for this
year.

But which one to go for, for a patio pot ??

john worcester wrote:
Bob and Vicky thanks. Will just see if i can still pick up a plant for this
year.

But which one to go for, for a patio pot ??

If you want them to be self-limiting in height, look for 'bush' or 'determinate'
on the label. You can still grow indeterminates in patio pots, they will just
get a bit tall and need sticks. :-)

The other option is to get 'hanging' tomatoes such as tumbling tom, and do a
couple over the side of your patio pot, and perhaps have one bush tomato in the
middle.

chris French wrote:
Whatever you are lucky enough to find in the shops now. As has been said
you will need to find plants as it's too late to grow from seed this
year. And it's getting late for them still to be selling plants, so I'd
grab whatever you can find.

Godo time to grab bargains - thsi time last year I got my dad a hanging
basket of tumbling tom for a couple of pound, and he's replanted it with
the same for this year. (B+Q reduced pile)

You can grow pretty much any tomato in a pot on the patio, as has been
said also, a bush or determinate type is a bit easier as it less
likely to need support. An indeterminate type (which are the most
common, and what people grow in greenhouses generally, need a stake or
cane or other such support.

Or you can nip off the top and make it bushy and not side-shoot it - it
won't produce as 'well' as if it was a single stem, but it'll still work.
(Or you can do this by asking Nick to help string up the tomatoes, and he
will snap your best one in half *grumble*grumble*grumble*)