[Lardman]

Started picking a week ago, the Brooks's Special ...

They any good?

[mumofstig]

The had better be   

[DD.]

Very tasty, but they'll never pass the Trashco perfect shape test!

[beesrus]

Given normal care, it's all about the weather where you are. This year, the hot clear sunny weather came in June as opposed to July last year, hence my toms are about 3 weeks ahead of last year, although sown indoors at the same time in Feb/March.
Tomato wise, we are usually behind the South East, but not this year, having had the best of the sun for once.
Enough daily greenhouse floridity cherry plums, gardeners' delight and ailsa craig have been picked for 10 days now.
If this weather continues, and it looks good enough apart from the welcome rain tomorrow, the greenhouse tom glut will arrive in 2 weeks, a full month earlier than last year. Nothing to do with my efforts, just a good Spring and heavenly Summer weather.

[lazza]

13 tomato plants this year, and only one green tomato so far, so count yourself lucky! But I'm not worried, as there are loads of flowers, and I know they'll come good in the end, even if I'm still ripening some of them in November on the kitchen window sill...

Here's a photo of last year's unripe fruit picked early October, and they almost all ripened last year....

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Had 5 ripe cherry tomatoes in the last week . Sowed indoors mid-March and put outside in a warm & sheltered spot in medium pots at end of May. Very pleased, never had tomatoes ready so early before. (Seeds were Unwins Sweet n Neat Scarlet Improved.)

[Growster...]

The 'Sungold' in the greenhouse are just on the turn, and also some just outside in full sun for most of the day!

'Gardener's Delights' are much slower, and 'Marmande' and 'Alicante' are way behind!

Some of the 'Alicante' are also planted in total sunshine on 'The Patch' and have enormous thick stems and new green fruits, and this may be because they have a 'Full English' every few days, mainly liquid manure, nettle and comfrey tea! The ones at home have to survive on Tomorite every other watering!

[tosca100]

Well, pride comes before a fall, and it looks as if I might have fallen foul of blight or something. I planted too many (over 50 plants) in case anything happened but there is a massive problem with disease this year due to the weather for those of us who don't spray. We are waiting to see what happens and trying not to cry.

[Snoop]

Oh Tosca, what a shame. 

I've been looking at mine this morning after all our recent rain (not as bad as yours by any means) and thinking this might be the first year ever I get blight on mine, as some of the leaves look decidedly dodgy. It's raining again now...

[Springlands]

If you have not already done so remove and burn the dodgy leaves ASAP. Sometimes that can help. Hope though that it is not blight. 

[tosca100]

Have done Springlands, thanks. Taken off a bucket of turning and red toms and a bowl full of rotting ones. Starting to get bad ones on the second trusses now so not looking great. Different varieties are affected to different extent, plum worst, then beef and the 'ordinary' and cherry ones less so. The cherry toms in tubs have a little blossom end rot but that's all.

Luckily I have quite a few bottles of tomato sauce and muxed veg sauce left rom last year and have started bottling cherry tomatoes in tomato juice so we will not be without even if we lose a load.

[Springlands]

Such a shame after all your hard work.

[Growster...]

Tosca, is there any chance of getting them off before they really go off?

You may get some later developers, and ripeness!

I hope so anyway.

[tosca100]

Growster, we have taken a load off and will continue to pick as soon as they show any colour at all, and are bottling the cherry tomatoes for later use. The neighbours will see that we don't go short, bless them. They have just been round to give OH's sister a bag full of big juicy toms to take with them (they are hidden in our fridge) I think they worry that they will get hungry on the plane! In return we gave them roses from a shrub which was her mother's (this was her house) and some cherry tomatoes which caused much merriment!

We will get the bluestone (copper sulphate) early next year and do as they do, so maybe we will also have big lush plants covered in grey residue!

[sarajane]

OH and I shared our first tomato tonight.  Think its moneymaker but they were all sown end of january and severly mollycoddled.

We just need more sunshine so patience please.