God I love growing our own

[JamezF]

I know what you mean about tomatoes though, I've never tried to save any seed as my kids favourites are pretty much all f1 like sungold :-(

Charles Dowding has a short video posted last week about propagating F1 tomato plants from sideshoots. He said he does it because one of his favourite varieties was F1 and is no longer available. He's been keeping the plants going for six years that way.

As I mentioned earlier, I managed to get some to root quite happily last year using a near identical method (I got mine to root in jars of water before potting them on), but I think I possibly did it too early. If you can get the timing right (which I guess might be easier if the process were repeated every couple of weeks for a month, say) then the only other requirement seems to be somewhere suitable to keep the plants over winter. Actually the other tricky bit for me is that some of my plants are now over six feet tall and he says that October is the right time to be rooting the sideshoots, so I might have to adopt the "lowering strings" method just to have plants still growing that I can take sideshoots from.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is it worth it? When you can get a packet of seeds for a few quid?

 

[JamezF]

Is it worth it? When you can get a packet of seeds for a few quid?

With F1 varieties I think it's worth a go for me, but I grow a lot of tomato plants. I think I probably have about forty in the polytunnel. As I said earlier, some F1 seed is 50p (or even more in some case) per seed and there's no guarantee of germination nor these days that some bizarre unseasonal weather won't kill some off.

And in the case of the Orange Paruche variety I mentioned in a previous post, for several years it was completely unavailable. All I found when I was trying to get some was links to posts in gardening forums from people asking if anyone knew where they could get any. Because they're F1 you're at the mercy of whoever actually produces the seed. They can withdraw it at any time and once the existing stock is used, that's it.

With non-F1 varieties I'd probably just save the seed though. That way it's easy to raise enough plants to cover one or two losses.

James

 

[holmbee]

With F1 varieties I think it's worth a go for me, but I grow a lot of tomato plants. I think I probably have about forty in the polytunnel. As I said earlier, some F1 seed is 50p (or even more in some case) per seed and there's no guarantee of germination nor these days that some bizarre unseasonal weather won't kill some off.

And in the case of the Orange Paruche variety I mentioned in a previous post, for several years it was completely unavailable. All I found when I was trying to get some was links to posts in gardening forums from people asking if anyone knew where they could get any. Because they're F1 you're at the mercy of whoever actually produces the seed. They can withdraw it at any time and once the existing stock is used, that's it.

With non-F1 varieties I'd probably just save the seed though. That way it's easy to raise enough plants to cover one or two losses.

James

James. I bought Orange Parouche seeds this year from Plants of Distinction. Spelling of Parouche or Paruche varies so search engines can produce no results at times. A very tasty small orange tomato of excellent flavour. Similar to Sungold and the one I prefer.

 

[holmbee]

Another disappointing year for plums. Only the Early Rivers produced fruit, the tree has grown so that, even with pruning, the birds now seem to enjoy the fruit just before it is ripe. Looks good for a bumper year with apples and pears. Also figs provided one is alert to blackbirds also loving the taste when ripe!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Another disappointing year for plums. Only the Early Rivers produced fruit, the tree has grown so that, even with pruning, the birds now seem to enjoy the fruit just before it is ripe. Looks good for a bumper year with apples and pears. Also figs provided one is alert to blackbirds also loving the taste when ripe!

Yes, the black plums are non existent, just two or three and they haven't grown to the size of a cherry, good crop of Victorias although as the tree isn't well only a handful of fruit bearing boughs, the damsin tree is cropping well this year again but it looks like a good apple crop here as well, the Large Lane's dessert apple tree which grows over the garden path is so laden I was forced to lop a few branches totay as it was impossible to walk up to the apiary without bending double - the Bramley and the Prince Albert is well loaded as well.

 

[JamezF]

James. I bought Orange Parouche seeds this year from Plants of Distinction. Spelling of Parouche or Paruche varies so search engines can produce no results at times. A very tasty small orange tomato of excellent flavour. Similar to Sungold and the one I prefer.

Yes, fortunately we managed to get some seed this year, but for several years we've not been able to find anything other than expensive live plants (which I assume must have been propagated from cuttings) or random people selling seed on Ebay that turned out to be seeds from the fruit of a genuine plant, but as a result couldn't be relied upon to come true (and didn't, when we tried some).

I did try to persuade my father-in-law to try something else, which is how I came upon the Apero variety, but he's not far off ninety now and has reached the point where he's not of a mind to change his opinion about anything very much, so I'm just trying to roll with it whilst he still has a mind to change. I'll try to propagate some of this year's plants so we at least have a backup in the event that seed isn't available next year and we'll see what happens.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

James. I bought Orange Parouche seeds this year from Plants of Distinction. Spelling of Parouche or Paruche varies so search engines can produce no results at times. A very tasty small orange tomato of excellent flavour. Similar to Sungold and the one I prefer.

I've never heard of them...Might have a look
Thanks

 

[holmbee]

Yes, fortunately we managed to get some seed this year, but for several years we've not been able to find anything other than expensive live plants (which I assume must have been propagated from cuttings) or random people selling seed on Ebay that turned out to be seeds from the fruit of a genuine plant, but as a result couldn't be relied upon to come true (and didn't, when we tried some).

I did try to persuade my father-in-law to try something else, which is how I came upon the Apero variety, but he's not far off ninety now and has reached the point where he's not of a mind to change his opinion about anything very much, so I'm just trying to roll with it whilst he still has a mind to change. I'll try to propagate some of this year's plants so we at least have a backup in the event that seed isn't available next year and we'll see what happens.

James

This year I am trying some new varieties from Plant World in Newton Abbot in Devon. They have a wide range of seeds from different types of plants. One tomato I am trying is called Kellog's Breakfast! Not a time of day I normally eat tomatoes.

 

[JamezF]

One tomato I am trying is called Kellog's Breakfast! Not a time of day I normally eat tomatoes.

Anything goes as far as breakfast is concerned here. It's a meal just like any other. It seems strange to me that some people have adopted the mindset of only certain things being acceptable to eat for breakfast. Tomatoes don't figure that often however I have to agree, though they were an option this morning as we had home-made pizza last night and there is some left over.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cold Pizza and cold curry...though not at the same time

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One tomato I am trying is called Kellog's Breakfast! Not a time of day I normally eat tomatoes.

why not? almost mandatory well fried sat next to a couple of slices of bacon and a few eggs

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It seems strange to me that some people have adopted the mindset of only certain things being acceptable to eat for breakfast.

Quite agree - nothing kick starts you after a late shift on the |Pembroke ferries like a fry up at the Nelson Hotel washed down with six pints of Guinness

Cold Pizza and cold curry...though not at the same time

When I was 'lodging' at the nurses home at the Bristol Royal Infirmary breakfast was often the remains of the previous evening's kebab left for me on the bedside cabinet.

 

[JamezF]

Cold Pizza and cold curry...though not at the same time

Well... We sometimes make a curry pizza

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Aha. At last
Do I do anything with the main flower on top?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

lovely photos all

we find harvesting the hardest bit

 

[JamezF]

Do I do anything with the main flower on top?

I never bother. The bit on top is effectively the male flower as I understand it. Pollen from there needs to land on the "tassels" (of other plants, as far as I'm aware) where the cob will form. If it's at all breezy then the pollen will probably get scattered about enough without you needing to worry about it.

James

 

[enrico]

I never bother. The bit on top is effectively the male flower as I understand it. Pollen from there needs to land on the "tassels" (of other plants, as far as I'm aware) where the cob will form. If it's at all breezy then the pollen will probably get scattered about enough without you needing to worry about it.

James

Which is why they are better planted in blocks rather than rows. When the female tassels go brown is when they are ready to harvest unless they are mini ones

 

[Moobee]

This year I am trying some new varieties from Plant World in Newton Abbot in Devon. They have a wide range of seeds from different types of plants. One tomato I am trying is called Kellog's Breakfast! Not a time of day I normally eat tomatoes.

Oh! I grew this last year. Looked fantastic, tasted a bit meh! All show IMHO.

 

[Moobee]

Best tomatoes I grow are Red Alert. Medium sized bush tomato which does brilliantly in a sunny spot on the patio. Always the first one to fruit, thin skin and fantastic flavour.
This bowl of toms is mostly those plus Sungold and one I’m trying this year called Indigo Apple.