[heygrow]

I grow all my tomatoes in pots under glass (not a greenhouse) in the side covered walkway along side our house. It it's very warm in summer as it is south facing (this July 40C+), but has a through draft either end.

I planted one spare plant outside in my veg patch. What I have noticed is the very big difference in taste. The Sun gold one planted outside is a bit sharp in taste, but all the under cover potted ones are sweet as normal. The outside plant just grew like it was on steroids and the fruit is much bigger, but taste not as good.

Any others had similar or different experience?

[DD.]

Other way around as regards taste. I always find that the outdoor ones have better flavour.

[Growster...]

Interesting points here, Heygrow!

We notice the difference for exactly the same reasons, and we used to grow ours in a south-facing position like you, but this year we didn't as we have more room elsewhere.

The bog standard Alicante down on The Patch are huge, and have a much better flavour than the six we grow in the greenhouse, although the quality of the indoor ones is more uniform, but with a bit less flavour!

Our outdoor Sungold did OK, but succumbed to a bit of blight after four or five trusses, and not all those materialised!

Next year, we'll grow some Marmande down on The Patch, Sungold in the greenhouse, with some also on The Patch, Alicante where we have any space down there, and Gardener's delight in pots where we can...

Probable total will be around sixty plants, as my reckoning is to get as many as possible before any potential blight..;0)

[beesrus]

I've long thought outside toms of the same variety are slightly more tart outside than their sheltered brothers and sisters. Whether it's a better taste is purely subjective. On balance I prefer the outside toms for sauces and cooking, while the greenhouse toms are more suited as desert/salad tomatoes and more dainty scoffings.
What we're all agreed on, I should think, is nearly all toms on sale in our supermarkets are fairly taste....less, in comparison to anything on the plot, fresh off the plant.
Did I mention Floridity F1 this year ? I know I have several times, but they just go from strength to strength, with more and more trusses on top of the already prodigious and tasty harvest. I can't believe how great they are. The odd other variety has succumbed to some sort botrytis or other, or just given up after 3 months fruiting, but the Floridity still look as healthy as when I planted them out. No prunings, just left to their own devices, and dripping with more fruit.

[upthetump]

I've long thought outside toms of the same variety are slightly more tart outside than their sheltered brothers and sisters. Whether it's a better taste is purely subjective. On balance I prefer the outside toms for sauces and cooking, while the greenhouse toms are more suited as desert/salad tomatoes and more dainty scoffings.
What we're all agreed on, I should think, is nearly all toms on sale in our supermarkets are fairly taste....less, in comparison to anything on the plot, fresh off the plant.
Did I mention Floridity F1 this year ? I know I have several times, but they just go from strength to strength, with more and more trusses on top of the already prodigious and tasty harvest. I can't believe how great they are. The odd other variety has succumbed to some sort botrytis or other, or just given up after 3 months fruiting, but the Floridity still look as healthy as when I planted them out. No prunings, just left to their own devices, and dripping with more fruit.

I'm always looking to try new varieities. how do they fare with blight? my Roma are becoming riddled with it even after i picked them to ripen in the house

[cadalot]

Allotment out in the open toms - hit by blight this week
Allotment Under cover a toms are good - no blight yet but I've harvested all the red and orange toms
Back Garden - Out in the open toms have been better than the allotment - No Blight but I have harvested them all and now all toms are in my space saver to green off
Back Garden 100s & 1000s in the greenhouse and have been plentiful now at the last few to ripen

[beesrus]

I'm always looking to try new varieities. how do they fare with blight? my Roma are becoming riddled with it even after i picked them to ripen in the house

Not even a sniff of blight. Excellent health. They are only cherry plums though, not a direct replacement for Roma I wouldn't think if you're looking for a sauce tomato... far sweeter, but smaller. A good sized cherry plum nevertheless.

I also had trouble with Roma for the second year running, end rot and blight looking problems. They're history on my plot now... far too prone to problems. I don't spray Bordeaux mixture anymore so I have to take in mind how resistant to botrytis/blight my varieties are.

[AnneB]

In general I prefer the flavour of outside tomatoes, especially if they have been grown in open soil rather than pots.  However, I think variety makes a big difference too.  I have grown Burpee's Jubillee for the first time this year,  1 outside in a large pot and the other in a soil bed inside a polytunnel.   The HSL catalogue said they would do well inside and out.  However I have found that the inside one has been earlier, more productive and very tasty.  Still waiting for the outside one that has fewer fruit.

The same thing has happened with the yellow tomato Aranyalma.

I have also grown Chadwick Cherry and the tunnel one is slightly earlier, but the difference is minimal and taste and yield are the same from the polytunnel one and the one in the outside pot.

Other varieties are all outside in either pots or open ground so I cannot compare.

[wighty]

(and change glasses)  I have three grafted tomatoes in the greenhouse as I was always told they are best (hmm)  I grow cherries in hanging baskets outside and have loads, have a few bush ones dotted around the garden and are picking every day, the ones in the green house, carp!  My Parents in law  are now in France on holiday and they have grafted tomatoes and I am going over every other day and picking loads. (Sorry need different glasses to read screen to keyboard) (old age kicking in).

[Springlands]

Some of my outdoor tomatoes are splitting but none of the greenhouse ones are. As regards flavour both are very good this year.

[kirpi]

Still learning what I like and what works well with tomatoes.

This year, the larger fruits were munched into by tomato caterpillars and slugs just as they started to turn colour, but the cherry fruits were largely untouched - I suppose because the fruits reach maturity quicker so they have a better chance of getting through without being discovered.

The ones down on the allotment have just gone down with blight, some slug eaten, but I have to harvest these now for chutneys and green fried tomatoes as they won't turn before the blight destroys the fruit completely.

At home on the patio in pots have been the best fruits really - not attacked by caterpillars, not many discovered by slugs and slightly tart in taste, which we like.

I think next year I may use the put-up mini polytunnel until June to get the plants onto a good start but then harden the large fruited plants off and dismantle the polytunnel and have potted plants on the patio and trained against wall wires and the cherry types in large (16") hanging baskets.

edit: Just read the above post about fruits splitting - I have had a lot of red fruits splitting, either up-down in a line or circular right around the fruit just above its equator; most annoying. These are going into either sauce or eaten straight away.