Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: DIGGER on January 22, 2017, 21:05

Title: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: DIGGER on January 22, 2017, 21:05
I was in Wilco and I got talking to this old chap,well I'm old but he was older than me.He was looking at the range of tomatoes,and as I am going to grow more types this year  (sorry I know I'm rambling, I do that a lot these days)
I asked him what he was looking for.Now he seemed ever so pleased that I had spoken to him (there I go again) and started to tell me about his success over many years with aliisa Craig .Well there was just one pack left so I thought,I will have a go myself
Interested to know if anyone else uses these seeds.
Sorry if I have bored anyone but I need the practice typing on my new I pad,which keeps changing the words I type.


Edit to clarify title as Ailsa Craig can also be an onion variety.
Title: Re: Alisa craig
Post by: sunshineband on January 22, 2017, 21:06
I grow them from time to time... pretty decent tomatoes
Title: Re: Alisa craig
Post by: Flowertot on January 22, 2017, 21:38
I grew them last year for the first time and liked them so am planning to grow them again this year.
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: snowdrops on January 23, 2017, 10:04
Yes I grow them now & again too. My dad used to grow them & I think we're his favourite.
Re the iPad, when you start to type a word look down to just above the 'keypad', you will see 3 boxes, the left hand side is the one you have typed & the middle & right hand one are your options, you can click on any of them to confirm that is the word you want, great if you're not sure of how to spell a word, plus it starts to remember words you use regularly.
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: DIGGER on January 23, 2017, 12:50
thankssnowdropsnowwhereisthespacebar?
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: John on January 23, 2017, 17:54
I've grown Ailsa Craig for years - it's an excellent variety. Proper tomato taste, reasonable size and fairly productive. However, it is prone to greenback but there's a newer variety of Ailsa Craig called Craigella which is not prone to greenback.
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: DIGGER on January 23, 2017, 18:31
Greenback,never heard the expression but obvious I suppose. Just googled the cause and suggests it's due to excessive greenhouse heat.i haven't got a greenhouse but borrow the family conservatory until May then transfer outdoors so fingers cross on that one.
Something else I have learned
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: snowdrops on January 23, 2017, 19:42
thankssnowdropsnowwhereisthespacebar?

Haha, the long white bar under all the letters😅
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: John on January 23, 2017, 19:46
Greenback,never heard the expression but obvious I suppose. Just googled the cause and suggests it's due to excessive greenhouse heat.i haven't got a greenhouse but borrow the family conservatory until May then transfer outdoors so fingers cross on that one.
Something else I have learned
The top of tomato around the stalk remains hard and remains green, refusing to colour. The main cause is a lack of potash but it’s more common in hot, sunny years so using shading in the greenhouse will help. - I covered it here:
Tomato Troubles & Diseases (http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/how-to-grow-your-own-tomatoes/tomato-troubles-diseases-causes-cures/)

I also mention Ailsa Craig in best greenhouse varieties and heirloom varieties and my top tomato picks for taste. There's about 20 pages on tomatoes on the site: http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/how-to-grow-your-own-tomatoes/

Hope they help  :)
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: victoria park on January 23, 2017, 20:21
As other have said a good looking tomato and well tasty enough. I grew it for 2 years in my greenhouse. Interesting comments about the greenback, as I remember it being significantly  resistant to botrytis one year when most of my other toms were a nuisance to keep going. Maybe related.
Tomatoes are such a personal choice, and I now tend to grow mainly cherry types in the greenhouse, as the cherry toms can still ripen into December, something the bigger toms struggle to do. My new kid on the block outsider is crimson crush. It definitely has a fair old bit of blight resistance as it says on the tin. Not the prettiest, but you'll get some sort of crop
Title: Re: Ailsa Craig Tomato
Post by: DIGGER on January 24, 2017, 09:06
Botrytis,your showing off now,I'll google it.