Thursday 4 September 2014

A Success Of Sorts

I didn't expect much from my tomatoes after the bad start they had this year, but some of the plants have come good in the end.


My final tomato plant list for this year looked like this:-

Greenhouse Plants
Costoluto Fiorentino
Gardeners Delight
Alicante (bought from the local plant sale)

Outdoor Plants
Costoluto Fiorentino
Gardeners Delight
Ailsa Craig X 2

Outdoor Bush Plants
Maskotka X 2 (bought from the local plant sale)
Gartenperle (bought from the local plant sale)
Ildi
Totem

There hasn't been much difference between the greenhouse grown plants and the outdoor plants this year, even though I've been trying the self watering containers I bought in the greenhouse, though this year probably isn't the best year to come to any conclusion over them because of the problems I encountered with the plants, so I shall watch closely again next year for any difference between the plants grown in them and the plants grown in ordinary grow bags.


There's been a huge difference in the plant varities this year though. The stars of the show were undoubtedly the two Maskotka plants which I bought from the local plant sale. I shall definitely grow these again next year but I'll have a go at growing them from seed this time. They got a thumbs up from my dad too, he's really been enjoying the ones I've taken for him.

Ildi has got to be the worst performer, not just because the plant didn't produce much fruit but also because I didn't like the taste of the tomatoes. They're the little orange ones in the photo above.

I didn't enjoy the Gartenperle tomatoes, they're the small, pinkish red tomatoes in the first photo. They had a very thick skin so I won't bother growing them again. I've already disposed of this plant.

Many of the Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes split. I presume that was because we got so much rain after a dry spell, but they didn't go to waste, they can still be eaten.

Totem has been a star again. It's such a small plant and doesn't take up much space as it doesn't sprawl as some of the other bush varieties do, it gives a good yield and the tomatoes are larger than cherry tomatoes but slightly smaller than a salad tomato. It's got a good taste too. I grew this variety last year and was impressed with it then and it will be on my list of tomatoes to grow again next year.

The Gardener's Delight hasn't produced as large a crop as it usually does, but I'm putting that down to the problems I had with my plants at the start of the year. I'm not sure if it will be on my list again for next year now that I'll be growing Maskotka, which is another cherry variety.

Both the Alicante and Ailsa Craig have done ok in the end too.

I've had a large enough harvest to keep both our household and my mum and dad supplied throughout summer, as well as sending bags full back to York with Daniel when he's been home. He doesn't like tomatoes but his girlfriend does. There's still lots of fruit on the plants waiting to ripen too, so it hasn't turned out to be quite the disastrous tomato year that I thought it was going to be.

The tomatoes I've definitely decided on so far for next year are Maskotka and Totem. I think I need to do a bit of thinking about which others to add to the list.

I just want to mention my carrots. They don't warrant a post of their own as there wasn't many more than these few which I pulled a couple of weeks ago.


I never got round to sowing any in the ground, even though I did invest in some Enviromesh to keep the carrot root fly at bay, but some seed was sown in an old water tank which is on the plot, though germination wasn't very good. The carrots were very tasty though.

Don't forget, if you haven't yet entered my giveaway, you've got until twelve noon on Thursday the 11th of September 2014 to do so. Just leave a comment on my Sarah Raven's Cutting Garden Journal post.

32 comments:

  1. All the tomatoes look really healthy Jo!

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    1. It was such a different story at the start of the season, I didn't think my plants would pull through but most of them have gone on to provide a decent enough harvest.

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  2. What lovely carrots I'm surprised Chickpea isn't on here green with envy x

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    1. They were delicious too. I just wish a few more had germinated.

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  3. Well Jo,
    I would say on the whole your tomato crop was successful. If there is one veg (or fruit to be correct) I am fussy about it is tomato. As a child I spent time with Gramps on his small holding. The farmer next to him grew tomato and strawberries. Both fruits were delicious.......always sweet and juicy.

    Carrots look perfect :)

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    1. My tomato crop has certainly been better than I thought it was going to be. There's so many tomato varieties that you really don't have to settle for something you're not keen on. The carrots were lovely but they didn't last long.

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  4. It's good to see that you ended up doing better than you thought you would. I'm thinking about what ones to grow next year apart from my usual yellow ones which have done really well again.
    Those carrots look good, it's a shame that you didn't get more of them. I just wish that I could grow them like that.
    Flighty xx

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    1. I'm pleased to hear that your yellow tomatoes have done well for you again this year, it's great when we find something we enjoy and which grows well for us. I'm hoping to get my carrots in the ground next year now that I've got some Enviromesh, it's one veg which I've never done particularly well with.

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  5. Jo your tomatoes look fabulous!
    I lost all mine to blight this year!

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    1. I have to admit that I'm pleased with the outcome after the poor start my tomato plants had. Such a shame that blight struck yours, though I think the conditions have been right for it this year.

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  6. Like you my tomatoes started off really badly and I didn't hold out much hope for a decent crop - in the end I have more than I have known what to do with - a good situation to be in I think. Have you ever tried Ferline they are supposed to be blight resistant - they did really well for me this year - a nice tasting tomato too.

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    1. It's a great situation to be in, I'd hate to be without tomatoes, that's why I invested in a few plants I hadn't grown from seed, just to be on the safe side. I have tried Ferline before and they're actually at the top of my list at the moment to be moved to the definites, though there's a couple of others I'm still considering at the moment too.

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  7. Our tomatoes have dine an about turn with the ones in the garden greenhouse out performing those in the plot greenhouse, We haven't grown any outside as when we used to blight just devastated them

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    1. I've never grown tomatoes on the plot, only in the garden, but I've been really lucky as they've never suffered from blight, yet. Glad that the garden greenhouse is performing well this year after the disappointment of last year.

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  8. You've had a decent crop after a bad start. Well done. We have always found that Ildi are very prolific and they are one of our favourites but each to his own! I hope to be inundated with tomatoes next year as we had zilch this year. Our carrots have never done well and once my stash of carrot seeds are gone I'm not buying anymore.
    xx

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    1. I grew Ildi because I'd read good reviews of them on blogs. I'm just wondering if they're not up to scratch because of the poor start the plants got. You get disheartened sometimes when a particular thing doesn't do very well, though I think quite a few people struggle with carrots.

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  9. I'm glad you like Maskotka. They have been a favourite of mine for several years. My grandchildren are their biggest fans! I grew Ildi a couple of times, and they produced huge quantities of fruit, but I found them rather insipid (as is often the case with yellow ones, I think). I'm very keen on the Beefsteak varieties now. Have you tried "Cherokee Purple"? lovely dense dark red flesh, and a good taste - as well as looking good.

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    1. I bought the Maskotka plants because I'd read how much you enjoyed them on your blog. I'm sure they'll become a regular variety I grow. I've never found a yellow tomato I really like, even Sungold which everyone seems to rate. I've never tried Cherokee Purple, and though I do enjoy Costoluto Fiorentino, I tend to eat the smaller varieties more than the larger ones so I'm thinking of leaving the beefsteaks out next year.

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  10. Brilliant tomatoes, well done you. I've tried Costoluto Fiorentino but it didn't do well for me. I've made a note of the two varieties you particularly recommend. My most reliable one is Sungold, it's always the first to fruit, and it carries on and on. Even in the years when all of the other tomatoes fail, Sungold never lets me down. Your carrots look superb. I'm determined to grow some next year. I always sow them, but they just all disappear.

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    1. I've only grown Sungold once and I wasn't particularly fond of it but I know that so many people rave about it, I should give it another chance really. I'm hoping to get some carrots in the ground next year, I haven't tried them in the new allotment yet so I'm hoping they'll do well for me.

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  11. I'm glad that the tomatoes have come good in the end, you have had such trouble with them so it is good to know that you had a good harvest. The carrots may be few in number, but they are perfectly formed aren't they! xx

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    1. It's good to know that my hard work in nurturing the tomato plants when they were failing was worth it, they've done well for me in the end. The carrots are perfectly formed, though they should be as they had plenty of room to grow with so few germinating.

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  12. Your tomato haul looks fabulous Jo despite all the traumas you and they went through :) My crop or lack of it has been noticeable this year. I need to do some serious thinking about where I locate the plants. I have read other good reports about 'Maskotka', so next year I must sow the packet that's already in my seed box.

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    1. I'm pleased with the eventual harvest I've had from my tomatoes, it was touch and go all year whether they'd come good or not. I've enjoyed Maskotka more and more as the season's gone on, and my dad comments on them each time I take him a bag so they're definitely on the list for next year.

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  13. Considering the hic ups at the start, it must be quite pleasing to have fruits of your labour, love the taste of home grown toms. Shame you only got a few carrots, they look good too. xcx

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    1. It's very pleasing that my tomatoes have come good in the end. There's plenty to share around too, so that's good enough for me. The carrots were delicious, I'm definitely going to make more of an effort with them next year.

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  14. You grew such a variety Jo, lovely to have a choice and decide which ones have and haven't worked. I used to grow Maskotka and thought it was a tasty little tomato.

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    1. I've liked to try different varieties but I'm coming to the point now where I want to grow varieties which I know are going to do well for me and which I know I like. I've really enjoyed Maskotka this year, that's one I'll definitely grow again.

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  15. I'm pleased you got tomatoes, and even though you don't like the taste of the yellow ones at least you got plenty. I grow my toms in the greenhouse and the veggie patch, the greenhouse ones are watered but the veggie patch aren't, apart from the fact that the outdoor ones ripen more slowly I never see any difference in yield. I'm doing great on the tomato front. Those carrots may only be a few but gawd they are PERFECTLY formed!!! xxx

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    1. My outdoor tomatoes were much better than my greenhouse grown ones last year but there hasn't been much difference this year. The carrots do look rather good, as well as tasting good, such a shame there were so few of them.

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  16. You are better than me at keeping notes! I do record the varieties I grow but then don't do anything with that info come the next year.........maybe I should!

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    1. I find the blog is very helpful for noting things down, I often look back to see the varieties I've sown from year to year, or particular dates I'm interested in.

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