[missmoneypenny]

Last summer I bought some tomato plants as back up in case my home grown ones failed ( due to shockingly bad commercial compost they were very undersized , but that’s another story). The plants were buff and produced a lot of fruit, but the taste was bland. No better than standard supermarket tomatoes, so not worth the bother. Anyone else experienced this? On the other hand, the variety was crimson crush, so maybe that was the issue .

[Growster...]

Some years ago, when Crimson Crush first became popular, I tried re-sowing the seed from a saved tom for two seasons. So, I had the original plant, saved a couple of the toms from it, used the seed the following year,and did the same the third year with the second year's seeds if you see what I mean, (?)...

I finished up with two completely different plant varieties, one easily survived a nasty blight attack on the allotments, where we all got hit, but the other strain just keeled over and died off as they do!

The survivor had totally different leaves and fruit size, but was pretty bland in taste and smell, but better that nothing - like those you describe above! The original notes and pics are here somewhere, but I can't find the post...

P.S. Found it!

https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=125424.45

It did go on a bit though...:0~

[New shoot]

I experimented with grafted plants when they first started coming in.  My experience was the same as yours - plants grew really well, but the crop was pretty much the same as you would get from the supermarket.   I tried tomatoes, aubergine and a pepper. 

A lot of commercial growers do use grafted plants, so you are effectively growing the same thing as you could buy, but at home.  Crimson Crush is not the best flavoured to start with, so grafting it onto a root stock that pumps the plant with water is not going to help.

[Snowboar]

Gutted I bought some crimson crush and cocktail crush I all grow my tomatoes in the ground they taste better I had some beautiful costoluto Florentino grow outside and sweet millions

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks for this information.  Makes sense re commercial growers using grafted plants New Shoot,  I guess they like the high yields and disease resistance and are happy to sacrifice taste. Interesting to read about your experiment Growster. I’m quite happy to get lost down a tomato rabbit hole! I might just buy one CC grafted plant this year as a banker, and use any fruit to make tomato sauce. Snowboar your CC might come out tasting ok if you grow in the ground?

[New shoot]

I’ve grown Crimson Crush outside in plot soil and they are perfectly OK.  Not as great a flavour as some, but miles better than supermarket toms and they resist blight.  I have some seeds left, so will more than likely grow a few this year as well.  They are very good for grilled tomatoes and sauce making.  Not tried Cocktail Crush.

Grafted plants have a root system that grows about twice as large as a non-grafted plant.  I don’t know how they perform outside, but in a greenhouse in a big pot, they were huge and endlessly hungry and thirsty.  I can’t remember the varieties, but I tried a cherry and a standard sized tom (not Crimson Crush).  The aubergine looked like a normal one that you would buy.  The pepper was a red pointy one.  Lovely looking plants, prolific crops, nothing at all wrong with them … just didn’t taste homegrown enough for me 

[Growster...]

"Not tried Cocktail Crush."

Not really impressed with these - we grew a batch last year and they were just OK...

Slightly off-topic, but tom seeds are taking a long time to germinate this year! They're where they normally start off, upstairs on a warm south-facing window sill in a heated room!

Could be the peat-free compost, (last year's) but - er - why...?

[missmoneypenny]

Mine have germinated ok but don’t seem to be getting past the 1st leaf stage to true leaves. Maybe it’s the lack of strong light and warmth.

[Snowboar]

Hope the crimson are ok ya say that grafted gives twice the root I have a way that I grow sometimes which I reckon could be better I will grow a tomato about 2-3 foot strip nearly all the branches except the top 4 leaves say dig a trench lie it down bury all but the 4 leaves and train the end up a stick it then roots all way up the stem give it a go I also fill trench with good compost etc feeds

[missmoneypenny]

Interesting snowboar, but what is the end result? Better disease resistance? More fruit?

[Snowboar]

Massive boost it fruit i usally do it when I plant my tomatoes a bit early I have a book think it’s buy Brian lavory might be wrong with name but he grows giant veg and he talks about it in there more roots is never a bad thing I suppose

[Snowboar]

It Bernard lavery the book

[missmoneypenny]

Thank you Snowboar I might try this technique.