[cadalot]

Can I just ask those who grow 15 varieties......what do you do with the fruit? I like a couple of different ones for salad but don't eat mega amounts fresh after the first few gorges, and bottle lots and make chutney with specially grown varieties. But four or five varieties is enough really.

Just curious

Well I bought seed in the Wyevale 50p seed sale and some packs only have 7 - 8 seeds so I will try 3 - 4 of each type this year and basically want to see the difference in quantities and quality is and find which ones I want to grow annually. Plus we eat a huge amount of salad & tomatoes in the summer none of mine went into preserves they were all eaten 

[mumofstig]

Because I'm looking for the 'best' tasting/cropping tomatoes for my conditions. I found that Rio Grande grows and crops well for me and makes good sauce so it's a must grow, along with Black Cherry and Black Sea Man for salads. I also grew a pink tomato this year, that I'll grow again next year, if it does as well in a less hot summer - that'll be a keeper as well

Just need to find a good red cherry, and a red slicer, and my search will be over 

[upthetump]

wow i never heard of half those varieties, the Chadwick Cherry is one i'm looking at. what was that like for taste and to grow?

[Headgardener22]

To Tosca: Over the years I have grown many different varieties. My original reason was because I didn't realise there were so many varieties (now I've found names for over 6000 different varieties and grown over 100) then I set myself the target of finding the "best" of each size (cherry, standard and beefsteak) and each colour.

What I have found is that there are some which are different names but the same tomato (Matina and Tamina, Chadwick Cherry and Camp Joy) and others which seem to be very similar but have got different names (there are an awful lot of pink beefsteaks out there which look and taste very similar.

As to what do we do with the tomatoes, as well as eating them whole there's tomato ketchup, tomato sauces, tomato paste, ...

To uptheump: I grew Chadwick Cherry for the first time this year and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. Not as flavoursome or productive as Gardener's Delight for me. But again everybody has their own opinion.

[mumofstig]

I wasn't impressed with Chadwick Cherry either 

[upthetump]

i'll give the Chadwick a miss then, thanks for the info. i've got Gardeners Delight and sungold so we wont be short, i think i get easily persuaded to buy seeds. the Real Seed Catalogue site is very persuasive 

[tosca100]

I have to admit I have been looking at a heritage seed site and would love to give some a go, but it's whether I can justify the cost. 10g of seed costs literally pennies here but I don't know what I'm buying till I get home and get on Google translate. On the other had a bunch of foot high bare rooted plants costs very little too, about a quid. Decisions decisions......

[beesrus]

I've saved some seed from this year's stupendous Floridity cherry plums. I know, they're F1 plants, but there's nothing to lose, I might just hit it lucky and get something near the same thing.
Apart from my usual variety of seed I grow, I shall be waiting to see what odd plants turn up at the garden centres come April. I'll give a few different ones a go but this year will make sure my lucky dips are seeds I can save if I'm impressed.

[LotuSeed]

I grew Amish paste this year and they were quite prolific. They also seemed more resistant to blight than two of the other varieties I grew.

[Headgardener22]

Nothing I grow seems to be resistant to blight  . The only solution is the polytunnel and greenhouses.

[LotuSeed]

Nothing I grow seems to be resistant to blight  . The only solution is the polytunnel and greenhouses.

In general, blight doesn't tend to be a huge issue in my region. (Knock on wood)

[upthetump]

I grew Amish paste this year and they were quite prolific. They also seemed more resistant to blight than two of the other varieties I grew.

im still tempted by the Amish Paste, did you grow inside or outside?

[LotuSeed]

Outside. Most home gardeners in my neck of the woods don't use greenhouses. It gets hot enough during the growing season without them. If anything people are more likely to use mini high tunnels or a floating row cover setup to get seedling started early or as a season-extender.
I do agree with the person that theirs were prone to blossom end rot, but I cut back my watering and culled fruits early if they showed signs of it. Still one of the most prolific plants AND they had a longer season than some of my others.

[Snoop]

I'll be growing:

Cuor di Bue - top of my list. Fantastic flavour and texture, easy to peel with a sharp knife, decent crop. Only problem is a tendency to blossom end rot, so careful watering required.
Marmande - demanded by Mr Snoop
Spanish plum - smallish but very productive and surprisingly hardy. Gives me my first and last harvest.
Gardener's Delight
Sungold - just love them
Floridity - recommended by several people on this site so will be giving them a go.
Rosados - local pinkish beefsteak

Only new ones will be Floridity. Won't be growing any hanging toms this year. Need a greenhouse to make it really worthwhile, as any damage means they are no good for storing.

[Headgardener22]

One can't really compare tomato growing in Washington DC (or Spain) with the UK. The UK has a maritime climate with much lower average temperatures in the summer (although warmer and wetter winters).