[monster jim]

Hi All,is it possible to grow big toms outside ? are any varietys better than others. I love the huge beef steak types and would like to grow them  in my garden but I dont have a greenhouse.

[FCG]

I've grown beef tomatoes outdoors this year for the first time (can't remember the variety for you sorry) and they have turned up top trumps and full of flavour. The only problem I have now is a glut of -still- green ones. They are large roughly about the size of half my fist some of them.

So I would say go for it, unless you think you'll be a certain target for blight. Then I would suggest trying a blight resistant type.

[jennyb]

they grow perfectly well outdoors but FCG is very right to add a blight warning! although i have some in a plastic mini greenhouse which seem to protect from blight well enough even with the door/flap open constantly.



thats a teaspoon for a size guide.....

[Ice]

You can grow Costaluto outdoors.  I call them Costalotto as they are quite expensive to buy.  Unfortunately, my entire crop was lost to blight last year.

[home made pie]

I grew Super Marmande, didn't sew them until middle of May but ended up with so many plants I put 9 of them outside in growbags, they all produced big tomatoes but were rather strange in shape (like in the pic above from jennyb) the ones I left inside the greenhouse were slightly smoother, both inside and outside got a bit blighted and both took ages to turn red, the plants were starting to look diseased so I picked the toms while still green and ripened them indoors.  Next year I'll sew them in March

[Robin Redbreast]

i was told by somebody or other that if you put a ripe banana in th pot that the toms are growing in that they will ripen. is there any truth in this?

[jennyb]

true - bananas given off a ripening gas.  ethyelene (sp?)

when people bring in green ones due to blight etc thats normally what they do with them - in a fruit bowl with a banana.

[monster jim]

Thanks all,I will have a go - great pic by the way    , still not sure which type to grow but I will take notice of the blight warning - first I have heard of blight - got so much to learn.

[polly nator]

Mini plastic greenhouses from poundstretcher are only 9.99 and the toms eem to love them. escpaped blight this year too. you would have to restrict height a bit but i certainly got some very good beefsteak tomatoes and they are are still ripening.

[Fat Hen]

I've grown Pink Brandywine & Black Russian - can recomend both highly - outdoors.  They seem to prefer outdoors to greenhouse.