splangie wrote: ↑27 Aug 2018
RobC wrote: ↑25 Aug 2018
Personally, I'm disappointed that in total, I didn't reach 300 tomato plants. Dx But next year Imma do it!!! : )
Btw, under a simple foil green house, it's said that tomatoes can extend until the start of winter. Depends on the area though, the climate.
Holie shiite. I was proud the first year I got 300 tomatoes from 4 plants. 300 tomatoe plants is way outside my comfort zone and garden size. I normally stick with medium and large varieties like Lemon Boys, Beefsteak, Celebrities, Brandywine and have had good luck with a few hierloom varieties, particualry the Cherokee and a couple of the Russians. I have a tendency to grow the same varieties once I am confident with it.
A big advantage with tomatoes that mature yellow and green is that the birds pretty much leave them alone. They are waiting for them to turn red. I normally have to pick the red tomatoes a few days before they are fully ripe (which does not affect taste) so the birds won't touch them. But the yellow and green tomatoes can practically rot on the vine and the birds won't think they are ready because they haven't turned red. They might figure it out one year but they haven't yet and I have been growing lemon boys in the same place for 10 years.
You 'can' be proud of that! Sadly, what mine produce, isn't exactly satisfying, compared to how much work they demand, but the ground isn't the best here and needs better and more soil. Yet I added 2 bags of cow shit xD as well as fluid soil. That said, at least stocked with tomatoes now, so I don't complain. I pretty much worked on them all summer - but the more experience!
Some more advanced tomato-nuts get some special stuff that they inject into the vines, giving them lots and huge tomatoes.
Unless they get over-dosed and ripened under neon lights, most tomatoes should be perfect, even with a bit of more modern help. But definitely not the abusively pushed stuff for supermarkets. No wonder there are people that hate tomatoes - I can't eat supermarket tomatoes either.
But yeah, I agree on the earlier collection - the red ones actually tend to have a slight beginning of rotting aroma to them, which I don't fancy. xD But too orange isn't good either when eaten raw, cause... I recently regret that. xD
These are: Cherry, Mano, Roma, Marmande - seeds imported from Spain, then Hungarian K3, as well as the huge, pink heart tomato - very juicy and meaty, and some cocktail tomatoes, etc.
Some are juicy, others sour, sweet, thick; so they mix well for a puree.