Growing Tomatoes: A roundup

I need to learn not to put up pictures of sunny days, in October, its faintly depressing

Now who wouldn't have spotted that this had a double head?  Me, not until I
looked back at the picture and there it was clear as mud.  It was swiftly rectified
but the plant was left forever lopsided.

I had grand plans for my tomatoes, I was going to keep track of how many each variety produced, size, shape, regularity, that kind of thing.  It all got away from me Im afraid and I truly haven't a clue.  Im pretty sure I had a steady constant flow from plants to sandwiches, but as they went straight into lunch rather than accumulating a pile I will never be sure.  I bought all of them from Gardener's Kitchen, except my beef tomato.
It all started so well; I potted them on into bigger pots, snipped out side shoots, checked on them regularly and generally was attentive.  Then when I photographed them at the beginning of the summer on a beautiful day I discovered the little rotters had been growing double heads right before my eyes.  And the best of it is, I only noticed when I looked back at the photos, why I can't spot them in the flesh I don't know.  That's not to say I am that useless that I let all of them grow double heads, but a couple tucked in the back were sneaky.

Tumbler, looking faintly drunk and in dire need of a little support in life

They started flowering and making little tomatoes; so good so far.  Then life got in the way and that blasted roof caused problems again.  As previously mentioned, scaffolding right through my potted vegetable patch.  The tomatoes were holed up cramped in a dark corner of the patio (its large, we have quite the patio) for almost a month.  I couldn't really get at them and neither could the sun, by the time they were back in position the best of the summer was gone and the plants were doing their own things.

So instead of doing a huge in depth analysis I am just going to share the few notes I took down during the summer.

• My beef tomato 'Big Boy' was a complete and utter waste of compost.  It grew, it flowered, but it didn't produce even one measley tomato, not one.  Possibly I should have cut the top out of it at some point, but even still: rubbish.
• Tumbler F1 was the first plant to have red tomatoes on it.  Not a great one for height, looked like a small man who had been at a party far too long and was gently sagging into its pot.  I finally got round to staking it, just as a man came to inspect the roof, great.  Fruits were sizeable and oval shaped, would definitely grow again.
• Shirley had huge tomatoes.  No idea how they tasted.  Kept producing quite late into the season as I noted it had 'six big ones' still on it when I took stock at the beginning of October.
• Sweet Millions were little but numerous I believe and extremely tasty.  A definite grow for next year.
• Supersweet 100 had thicker fleshier skins than some of the others such as Sweet Millions.  Slightly less tasty, fairly tough little skins.  Probably a good candidate for popping under tooth and squirting all down your top, little whatsits.
• Moneymaker was a huge plant.  Fruits smelled amazing but had quite pithy centres, slightly floury and fluffy texture and were quite tasteless.  The mother informed me (after the purchase which is always helpful) that this variety is known for quantity rather than quality.  Probably would rather give the pot space to a better tasting one, but good for bulking out the stocks.
• As for Alicante and Gardener's Delight?  Well I didn't write anything down but I do remember when I was made to pick the green ones and chuck the plants last weekend that Alicante were big and Im pretty sure I said 'Gardener's Delight are indeed delightful' at some point over the summer.

What a big and juicy looking green tomato, mm mmmmm

So in conclusion, I don't think it was too bad considering.  In fact looking back through all the photos I took I had some real beauties.  Many I would grow again (not big boy) and while I won't get any more this year there is a small colander of green ones currently sitting in my kitchen waiting for chutney time.

Shirley or Alicante, but I do like the non-spherical shape, they somehow look more rugged and home grown

Delta Star F1- One good looking cucumber

Every cucumber is the exact same size, shape and colour.  And it only breeds twins!

Cucumbers hardly seem relevant any more as I shiver my way around the garden with temperatures finally beginning to plummet.  I finally threw my cucumber plants away at the weekend and it was a sad time, but also a messy one.  Endless rain had resulted in waterlogged pots that were a dream to empty; mud pies all round.
A while ago now I wrote a post on my La Diva cucumber which had done me proud and I meant to follow it up with a post on my other cucumber Delta Star F1, but time waits for no man they say, and somehow its now October.  But being proud of every last cucumber I produce I am still going to share them here.
I had a bit of a thrill after my last posting as Gardener's Kitchen, the company who grew and sold my two bought cucumber varieties saw that post, read through my blog and found that I was growing Delta Star outside.  Im not sure I exactly wanted them to know that I was foolishly attempting to grow an indoor cucumber outside, but they seemed a little surprised!  They tweeted me (im at @Basicallyitsgro if you want to find me) asking how I got on.  To say I was thrilled was an understatement, but then I am truly sad.

See there it is again, producing two at once.  It only seemed capable of maintaining two at once so all the extra baby ones forming here in the picture would have dropped off at a later date.

Luckily, somehow, my Delta Star plant did all right.  It didn't seem to notice the lack of glass wall around it and happily produced cucumbers all summer long.  Not anywhere near the record of 158, but more than enough to keep the salad drawer filled.  I kind of think this cucumber is the blonde bimbo (I apologise for this sexist comparison but may I say at this point that I am blonde) of the cucumber world.  Very good looking and excellently put together, but really really stupid.  Stupid enough not to notice it was outside.  Don't get me wrong, my patio is exceptionally sheltered and warm but its no greenhouse.

Well what'dya know? Two again!  They have a wonderful enlarged plumpness like they have been slightly overstuffed rather than the usual skinniness found in cucumbers

This I feel, is Delta Star's main selling point.  Yes they tasted good, but I would probably pick La Diva for its slight minty after taste, but every single cucumber was beautiful.  Roughly six inches of green water based vegetable that fitted perfectly into the palm of the hand.  I maybe grew them a little large resulting in slightly tough skins and large, choking hazard seeds, but then I like a big one.  And not a spine in sight, perfect.  I really don't get why cucumbers are prickly but I do not find it appetising.  Every one was identical, and like the animals in Noah's arc, they came two by two.  It only seemed to be able to produce them in pairs resulting in salad drawer scheduling issues when I would have a little drought followed by a bounty.  But despite the lack of greenhouse, production was frequent so between it and  La Diva my cucumber appetite was met.

The perfect size to hold in your hand

Would I grow it again?  Definitely, as long as the next plant also didn't notice it was outside.  Howevcr I seem to have got a little spendy on the cucumber seeds for next year and having honed my technique Im hoping not to have to buy any plants at all, although I clearly will.