[jambop]

Been a great year for the tomatoes down here! I had several different varieties in and all have done extremely well Marmande, coeur de boeuf, San Marzano, Princip borgesse, green zebra and cherry Roma, While they all have their own particular attributes I have to single out the cherry Roma for special praise a small, but not too small tomato and sweet as honey with a really nice red colour, it is so good I  am not going to try another variety next year for the cherry size tomato. Of the other two plum types san Marzano just takes the top but only just. The beefs are just two great varieties both have produced cricket ball size deep red fruits  one of the CdB's weighing in at 540g and so deep red all the way through you can see how they got the name. Hope things have gone well back home on the tomato front.

[Goneterseed]

Mine are up to full production now. This is today's pick from 20 plants of Tigerella and Bl@@dy Butcher.

[jambop]

Nice bowl of toms there! Have many tens of pounds of plum tomatoes ready to harvest we have three really good days of sunny weather left this week so I am going to harvest and make tomato sauce for conserving at the weekend. Then again at the end of the season we will harvest the rest and make sauce for bottling again. The garden has been very good this year again and most things have done well. I grew some melons which I bought at the market two F1 plants which have produced more than a dozen large and fragrant Charentais  melons between them, they are undemanding to grow but need a lot of room... the flavour... magnificent!
My garden is unfortunately not that great for growing winter veg because it flood very easily but I will get some autumn stuff in before the weather goes.

[Headgardener22]

I was going to complain until I saw your location. My tomatoes are really struggling to ripen this year, everything is late and whilst the plants still look healthy, the colder than normal weather isn't bringing them on.

(I also realised that I've grown a disproportionate number of yellow/orange tomatoes this year so my sauces are going to be a funny colour).

[jambop]

Sorry to hear that Headgardener. Maybe you will get a great late August and September and then things will come good for you! It sounds easy growing down here but the heat brings its own problems. As said my ground floods very easily in winter but going to try and get some Chinese greens in next week for the early winter use. Sadly already thinking about next years crops... it never ends

[lettice]

Love all the varieties people grow.
I too have had a great year for tomatoes, picking daily like mad now.
Toms always do well for me in the greenhouse and outside.

The Marmande, San Marzano and Roma never fail to impress. We always roast some of the Marmande stuffed with a little basil only and just have with homemade french bread, just gorgeous, Cant wait till Sat when we will be having this.
A few new varieties that I grew this year are Garden pearl, a lovely cherry that puts a tumbling tom to shame.
But the Golden Sunsine, a yellow variety, almost Orange is just excellent and everyone I have given some too has just said Wow! Both from Fothergills.
My tigrella are just turning, cannot wait, love the look but really enjoy the taste.
Did buy my usual tumbling tom, but from Thompson and Morgan this year, they did not tumble as well as usual, more like cherry toms to me, but are producing a lot of toms. But will be ditching them next year and going for the Garden Pearl instead.
Lastly as I always do growing Moneymaker, and the staple red cherry that mainly goes to filling up the freezer as tomato soup for the next year.

[cadalot]

My Garden pearl outside are the first to red up this year

[jambop]

Great stuff there nice to hear that at least some are having their fill of fresh toms I have been really impressed with the San Marzano toms I have grown this year. A beautiful four to the pound tomato that are simply super for sauce. Though last night for dinner we just have a simple tomato, garlic and basil sauce with pasta and I used very ripe Coeur de boeuf for the sauce... incredible... maybe even better than san marzano ! These CdB are not to be confused with the pale wrinkly things you see in French super markets though they are proper and true to type just like a beef heart and blood red when ready... anybody need seeds drop an email and I will post some for distribution for those who want to try them. They can get quite large I have a 550g one the other week.

[rosiecider]

I was going to complain until I saw your location. My tomatoes are really struggling to ripen this year, everything is late and whilst the plants still look healthy, the colder than normal weather isn't bringing them on.

(I also realised that I've grown a disproportionate number of yellow/orange tomatoes this year so my sauces are going to be a funny colour).

I was going to do that as well, mine are struggling as well had to have a stern word with them this morning

[Snoop]

To all you northern souls feeling somewhat jealous, here am I, further south than jambop, and I've got blight on my tomatoes!

[jambop]

Managed to avoid the dreaded blight Snoop... blue juice on them! But also we have not had a prolonged period of damp weather this season. Last year was very wet though... Bordeaux saved the season!

[GrannieAnnie]

Mine are ripening daily now, so sauces and soups are on the cards.  The cherry ones started first, and the Dancing with Smurfs are romping away now, and as they are almost black, they will make a lovely rich pasta sauce when I've stopped eating them!   

Anther one looking good are the plum ones that my daughter bought me some seeds 2 years ago when she was in Majorca.  But I don't know the variety as it was a mixed packet of toms, melons and something else, but no variety was named.

They are very long with a pointy end and look just like a large chilli!   

[mumofstig]

Is the foliage a bit wispy, Grannie?
If it is then it's probably Cornue des Andes

[rosiecider]

Please stop rubbing the matter of green toms not ripening up north even further in mumofstig if they are yours thank q , you are right Snoop at least no blight, but  I have glut of cucumbers and no toms

[Sadgit]

mine aren't even close to being ripe, in fact some are still in flower on the 3rd/4th truss!! Terrible terrible summer here is cold damp boro. Chillies are praying for sun in September otherwise a total washout.. lots of flowers hardly any chillies.. worst year in 10 years for me.