Tomatoes
 

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. ;-(
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote:
:: 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. ;-( --

At least they can't taste any worse than those hideous lumps from the
supermarket - they *look* like tomatoes and that's where the similarity
ends...I can't say I've tasted greenhouse toms for a while now but I'll
wager they are a thousand times better than Asda's!

On 19/8/04 23:04, in article ,
"Phil L" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
:: 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. ;-( --

At least they can't taste any worse than those hideous lumps from the
supermarket - they *look* like tomatoes and that's where the similarity
ends...I can't say I've tasted greenhouse toms for a while now but I'll
wager they are a thousand times better than Asda's!


Only a little this year, to be honest. That's why I'm so disappointed. I
really do look forward to them!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 22:57:12 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

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. ;-(

Not here!

I've got about seven different varieties on the go - thanks in part to
a client who gave me some unusual plants obtained through the Henry
Doubleday association.
The stalwart Gardener's Delight is in full crop, and tasting fine -
but I've an orange/yellow cherry variety ( the name escapes me )
that's heaving with beautifully tangy fruits.
The hanging basket mentioned in an earlier post is cropping well too -
with golfball sized fruits that are firm and refreshing with a
well-defined flavour.

More by luck than judgement I suspect, but then I'm on a
south-westerly facing slope and reasonably well protected from the
worst of the weather... and I think we've had more sun than most thus
far.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

Pam Moore wrote:
:: On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 22:57:12 +0100, Sacha
:: wrote:
::
::: 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. ;-(
::
:: Mine are delicious!! Grown in the open on my allotment, but this
:: year I am cuttiing them green, and ripening them on trays at home
:: because I am so worried about blight, which has not yet srrived!
:: As soon as a truss begins to colour I pick them. Today I even
:: picked some quite green.
:: The skins are slightly tough, but this is because they have been
:: grown hard, and not had as mucn water as previous years,9 because
:: I can no longer drive and rely on lifts). The flavour is
:: excellent. (assorted varieties)
:: Cannot compare with those grown under glass as I have no
:: greenhouse.
::
:: Pam in Bristol

This was my favourite way of eating them, still a bit green around the seeds
so that they were *very* tangy! - excellent with cheese...droooool.
Also we used to get tiny ones ripening, Ive seen cherry tomatoes and they
were about this size but reeeaaally sweet...the other toms on the same plant
would grow to full size, just the odd one or two here and there.

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 22:57:12 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

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. ;-(

Mine are delicious!! Grown in the open on my allotment, but this year
I am cuttiing them green, and ripening them on trays at home because I
am so worried about blight, which has not yet srrived! As soon as a
truss begins to colour I pick them. Today I even picked some quite
green.
The skins are slightly tough, but this is because they have been grown
hard, and not had as mucn water as previous years,9 because I can no
longer drive and rely on lifts). The flavour is excellent. (assorted
varieties)
Cannot compare with those grown under glass as I have no greenhouse.

Pam in Bristol

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Sacha wrote:
:: 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. ;-( --

At least they can't taste any worse than those hideous lumps from the
supermarket - they *look* like tomatoes and that's where the similarity
ends...I can't say I've tasted greenhouse toms for a while now but I'll
wager they are a thousand times better than Asda's!


Probably depends which ones you buy and how you store them. I like the plum
tom's but only when they have been in the vegetable rack for a few days.

In article , Sacha
writes
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. ;-(

Are those the Jersey Royals you mentioned backalong?
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Funny you should say that because....I was about to stop growing Shirleys
(in previous years watery and tasteless) but this year they have proved to
be absolutely superb! Bigger fruits and heavier trusses, good texture and
wonderful flavour. So they may survive another year after all.
The tumblers, gardeners delight and "horded" Marshalls experimental plums
have been as good as ever.

"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. ;-(
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 20/8/04 6:43, in article , "Alan
Gould" wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes
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. ;-(

Are those the Jersey Royals you mentioned backalong?

Jersey Sunrise (JRs are the potatoes!) and Shirley and some tumbling ones
which aren't Tumbler and aren't quite as good, IMO. I'm starting to think
that it's because they are forced by space requirements, to grow in pots
among other plants and aren't getting enough direct sunlight, or something.
It's very disappointing because in other years they have been wonderful.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

I've grown Gardeners Delight again this year. In pots against a South
facing wall in Derbyshire. We have no greenhouse; but the tomatoes have
traditionally done really well outside. This year's crop has been an
unmitigated disaster!! Have tomatoes on all 7 plants and the first one is
only just starting to turn. They have all been small with very few fruits.
Perhaps its just natures way of telling me now to be complacent and expect
too much.

Sacha wrote in message ...
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. ;-(
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

snip
ripened late, cropped poorly and taste of nothing much at all. ;-(
--

I have grown tumblers for many many years with success but this year
they have been rubbish and only just beginning to ripen.I thought that
it was summat I was doing wrong altho I am treating them the same as
every year. It is a comfort to know that I am not alone

kate

"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

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Pam Moore wrote:
:: On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 22:57:12 +0100, Sacha
:: wrote:
::
::: 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. ;-(
::
:: Mine are delicious!! Grown in the open on my allotment, but this
:: year I am cuttiing them green, and ripening them on trays at home
:: because I am so worried about blight, which has not yet srrived!
:: As soon as a truss begins to colour I pick them. Today I even
:: picked some quite green.
:: The skins are slightly tough, but this is because they have been
:: grown hard, and not had as mucn water as previous years,9 because
:: I can no longer drive and rely on lifts). The flavour is
:: excellent. (assorted varieties)
:: Cannot compare with those grown under glass as I have no
:: greenhouse.
::
:: Pam in Bristol

This was my favourite way of eating them, still a bit green around the
seeds
so that they were *very* tangy! - excellent with cheese...droooool.
Also we used to get tiny ones ripening, Ive seen cherry tomatoes and
they
were about this size but reeeaaally sweet...the other toms on the same
plant
would grow to full size, just the odd one or two here and there.

******
I planted too many this year, - had some given to me, you see.
They are now ripening quickly and I am giving a lot of them them away
because I haven't the time to freeze them. The taste this year, -
despite a complete change of the compost-based soil in the
raised-beds, - is disappointing. It could be that I have not doctored
them this year with a pale straw- coloured application of what my Dad
used to call "Sheepsh", (a small sack bag of sheepsh in a bucket of
water, then watered down again for application..)
I have some of last year's bucket still available but have hesitated to
use it because I don't know what chemical changes might have taken
place, - so I've chucked it all down the sewer gully.
The Gardener's Delight are cropping heavily, but what has happened to
the taste of this once-sweet tomato?. They are not sweet anymore.
The others are Shirley,

"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. ;-(
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)


This year is the very first time I've grown my own veg and my tomatoes,
grown outside in our allotment, taste wonderful. I'm particularly pleased
with the Gardener's Delight crop. Maybe they taste so good because I'm used
to supermarket toms!

Tracey