Register

Gardening resources and tips, etc.

TV & Radio, Gardening, Who's Who, etc.
User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:47 pm

London pigeons had never worked out that the centres of crocuses were an edible treat, until the wood pigeons moved in from Epping and taught them the trick,, now they are all at it

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby scullion » Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:25 pm

if they do that to my saffron crocuses, when they come up, this autumn they might find i am less than sympathetic to their needs.

Posts: 3511
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:42 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby KeenCook2 » Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:13 pm

Hello, should I let my oregano flower or take off the flowering stems?

Thx :thumbsup

ETA I've seen both recommended on the web ....

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby scullion » Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:22 pm

i leave them on. apart from the fact that they're pretty the bees like them.

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Jul 27, 2021 3:15 pm

scullion wrote:i leave them on. apart from the fact that they're pretty the bees like them.


Agree, if you want to dry any though the flavour is said to be best immediately before it flowers

Posts: 3511
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:42 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby KeenCook2 » Tue Jul 27, 2021 4:37 pm

Thanks, both :thumbsup

Posts: 375
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:10 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Wic » Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:12 am

Morning! I need some ideas. For the past few years I have grown a tomato called Legend. It’s a good one, meaty, not too many seeds, and said to be blight resistant, which is rife round here. However, it’s not all that prolific and a the first fruits are a bit prone to Blossom End Rot, whatever I do. Does anyone grow one that is similar but crops well?

User avatar
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Sloe-Gin » Sat Aug 07, 2021 6:45 pm

I'm growing tigrella, moneymaker and these, which I rate highly
https://www.sowseeds.co.uk/products/tom ... %20growers.

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby scullion » Sat Aug 07, 2021 6:59 pm

there was a really amazing tomato database i found back last year and i thought i'd saved it in my sidebar but it seems not to be there. i've tried to find it and although i have the name 'tomatopedia' stuck in my brain it isn't that (unless it has been updated and revamped - and lost its forum). it had pictures, description, uses etc of almost every tomato around the world - and had a lively growers forum (and seed swap). we had a mutual subscriber ( yes, him).
i will keep looking and post the link if i find it.

Posts: 375
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:10 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Wic » Sat Aug 07, 2021 7:23 pm

Thanks, both, that’s good to know.

I like the sound of the tomato database, Scullion, I will have a trawl, too.

User avatar
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Sloe-Gin » Sat Aug 07, 2021 7:25 pm


User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Aug 07, 2021 7:26 pm

I can't resist a research challenge so I looked, not sure I found the right one, and you have to sign up - however it's the World Tomato Society, so probably the real deal

https://www.worldtomatosociety.com/tomato/

And SG has found tomatopedia

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:35 pm

I always grow lots of different varieties, most of them blight resistant, after losing everything one year.
I like Tigerella too. I have had success with Summerlast and all the Crimson ones - Crimson Crush, Crimson Plum and Crimson Cherry. There is now Crimson blush too. Jury is out as to which of the new-to-me ones are good, this year, as few have ripened. Mountain Magic does seems good (dubbed very bilght resistant). I have just picked, but not yet eaten, my first Crimson Blush (a new one to me.)
Shimmer (which I grew last year and I have one on the go this year) was beautiful, prolific but perhaps a little tart.

This year, in addition to the Crimson ones and Summerlast, Shimmer and Tigerella, I am also growing Sundried Desire, Tiny Tim (mainly because my mother wanted a couple and they came in 'packs of 4!), Aviditas, Sugar Plum Raisin, Reisetomate (seems a bit mealy. Probably won't grow again and not blight resistant. In fact I suspect it might have a bit of blight), Losetto, Sweet Aperitif (last of these just because I had free seeds) and another one I bought in a garden centre...

I bought the lion's share of these as plants, and the Crimson series as grafted plants from Suttons. I grew Tigerella, Losetto, Reisetomate, Mountain Magic and Sweet Aperitif from seed. Reason for buying so many plants is that I am new to growing from seed. Will probably do more from seed next year. Some of the plants arrived rather late. Whether they are better plants or not though... not sure. Maybe.

So to sum up I recommend the Crimson ones, Tigerella and Summerlast, subject to however the non-ripe ones turn out... if they ever ripen (and bearing in mind it's a RUBBISH tomato summer so they may not be as good as they should be). But I don't think Tigerella is blight resistant - or not very. But if you grow a large proportion of blight resistant ones I think you can probably afford to risk one that's not? (If you have the room.)

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:37 pm

Those are great sites!

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby scullion » Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:50 pm

no, neither of those sites.
there were pictures for most, comments on flavour, resistance, star ratings on flavour and growing conditions etc and a forum where people shared seeds that they had spare.
this is another site that seems to have a bit of a database but nothing like the other https://njaes.rutgers.edu/tomato-varieties/#Shapes-Long-Pointed - but as i said it may have been tomatopedia and had a rather 'poor' upgrade and forum removal.

User avatar
Posts: 1489
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 6:07 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Badger's Mate » Sun Aug 08, 2021 9:18 am

In the past I've grown Ferline, which was bred for blight resistance, but remember there's more than one blight.

https://www.tomatogrowing.co.uk/html/bl ... l%20plants.


This suggests that Legend and Ferline might be similar in their resistance/tolerance, but Crimson Crush might be better.

We've just got quite bad potato blight on the plot, my Red Alerts are probably doomed after a good start. The other varieties I grow are Brandywine and a cherry (this year some Gardener's Delight, some Red Cherry). Most are in the greenhouse, fairly safe, but the overspill are on the plot and also doomed. I think it's just the weather this year, but I might consider a resistant variety next year in case it's still an issue.

Posts: 375
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:10 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Wic » Sun Aug 08, 2021 11:46 am

Lots to read here! Thank you all for all of this.

I was surprised that Legend was thought a bit tasteless, we think it’s pretty good. I like the form, it’s almost a marmande type and some get huge, but you don’t get many to a plant.

I have grown Mountain Magic, and the plants thrived, but my husband really dislikes the cherry types, so I’ve given up on them. A pity, they crop rather well!

Next year I’ll try Crimson Blush, they sound very promising.

Blight is horrible, isn’t it. I’d never seen it till we moved to Cheshire, but it’s absolutely rife around here.

User avatar
Posts: 6058
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:19 am
Location: East Anglia

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Suffs » Sun Aug 08, 2021 11:53 am

I've grown Crimson Crush in the past ... this year I took a risk .......... yesterday it looked as if we were on track for the best crop ever ... 20 plants of San Marzano, Sungold and Red Cherry absolutely laden with fruit ........ today they're all in the council bin ....... blight struck overnight ... I've rescued some healthy looking trusses that were just on the edge of ripening, in the hope they've escaped, but ........... :cry: :wino

Posts: 375
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:10 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Wic » Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:26 pm

Commiserations! That is such bad luck. I feel for you. We all feel for you! It’s not just the waste of the plants, is it, it’s all the work that has gone into them and the expectations that are dashed. I hope your 'rescues' come on well.

It’s probably a bit early in the day for a restorative - have a double once the sun reaches the yardarm.

User avatar
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Sloe-Gin » Sun Aug 08, 2021 6:47 pm

Giving the toms a pep talk with my restorative.
Today's pickings.

tomatoes.jpg
tomatoes.jpg (267.66 KiB) Viewed 2619 times

PreviousNext

Return to Other Stuff

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests