[salixer]

As per the subject, what are the best tomato varieties please for growing outdoors (@200m altitude).

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

I would suggest Crimson Crush for a blight resistant variety as this is often a big issue with growing outdoors. It's the only one I grow outdoors on the allotment.

And then go for early varieties such as Latah, Stupice, and Galina to get a crop before the blight really hits.
Real Seeds supply some of these varieties. I do these in pots at home in the garden but they will be fine in the ground.

Red Alert is also a very early one to try.

Sow them indoors at the start of April and plant out towards the end of May depending on when your last frost date is.

[Mr Rotavator]

Sungold, Alicante and Roma VF do well for me on the Dorset coast. I'm trying a couple more different varieties this year.

[lettice]

Depends what type of tomatoes you are thinking of.

I always grow my Marmande and San Marzano outside.
I grow tigrella outside without any problems. I also grow these in the greenhouse.

Of course, have grown plenty of differing types of cherry and pear tomatoes outside over many years and they perform fine.
Garden pearl for me is a favourite and is one of my yearly staples. Find they grow and produce better and longer outside.
Have had good success with the Sungold types in the past, but do prefer Golden Sunrise (as a yellow tomato), been a staple of mine for a decade or more. That does very well outside and also grow it in the greenhouse where it performs well.

I also grow my saved seed Nectar Rose outside as well as in the greenhouse and it performs fine in both situations.

A couple that never performed that well outside for me were Amateur or Ace tomatoes, but in the greenhouse they were great.

[Growster...]

Our 'staple' tom is always 'Shirley'. (We are also growing 'Crimson Cocktail' and 'San Marzano' this year - the latter are just fabulous, but suffered a bit from the dull summer we had last year, as they have a special East-facing area)!

'Shirley' is so reliable, with a decent size of at least five trusses - usually more even outside, has a great flavour, and doesn't mind being dried out too much here and there!

We grow a few in the GH, and several outside, to prolong their season!

[8doubles]

I grew Crimson Crush and Crimson Blush last year plus Gardeners Delight and a couple of others.
Where you grow makes a big difference, my garden is a suntrap with stone walls to deflect the wind and hold the heat.
Kernow tom growing should be good in a sheltered position.

[mumofstig]

If you are growing outside, without any walls/fences, I suggest you rig up a fence from debris netting on the side the prevailing wind comes from.
Last year doing that seemed to stop my tomatoes getting blight.
Crimson Crush is the most blight resistant tomato, although not one of the tastiest imo. Shirley is good for taste, but she grows very tall, which can be a problem in your plot is windy.
Red Alert  is a shorter growing variety, it's not short on taste either 

[Growster...]

You're right about Shirley getting tall, Mum.

I tried keeping them shorter by letting the stems double up at the first side-shoot, so effectively growing two stems with three trusses, and it seemed to work, but they need some space either side to compensate, which may not suit space conditions in the garden or GH!

[AnneB]

If you want a blight resistant cherry tomato, I can recommend Koralik.

[salixer]

I've been a bit preoccupied with "stuff" so belated thanks to all above for your suggestions - plenty of thoughts/options - a forum hug if I had arms long enough !

 

[missmoneypenny]

Ferline does well for me, gets blight later and more lightly than all other varieties I have tried. Last summer was a right off though.  . If you are in Cornwall might a greenhouse be a possibility? With the humid sea air blight is going to be a real threat.

[salixer]

Ferline does well for me, gets blight later and more lightly than all other varieties I have tried. Last summer was a right off though.  . If you are in Cornwall might a greenhouse be a possibility? With the humid sea air blight is going to be a real threat.

Thanks @missmoneypenny but any sort of greenhouse/poly-tunnel structure is not an option for me right now.

[Digsowrepeat]

Red alert, Roma, outdoor girl, gardeners delight.

[Mr Rotavator]

You're right about Shirley getting tall, Mum.

I tried keeping them shorter by letting the stems double up at the first side-shoot, so effectively growing two stems with three trusses, and it seemed to work, but they need some space either side to compensate, which may not suit space conditions in the garden or GH!

I grow mine as a double cordon outside and it works very well.