Tomato Growing 2026

I adore tomatoes and will happily eat them fresh every day from June to October. Any glut gets frozen and used in soups, pasta sauce or roasted.

I never buy them from shops as they simply don't have as good a flavour.

 

Ok, I may grow another two plants then

 

I'll be on the chaise-longue, clutching my pearls.

 

I first tried Maskotka a couple of years ago as I was given some seeds. They did do well but at present I tend to concentrate on Sungold and Black/Chocolate cherry. GH space is limited and it is entirely due to weather conditions if I can get any decent results outside. I have always grown suitable types for making tomato sauce and freezing the excess sauce which lasts me for a good 6 months or so.
Similar with the beefsteak varieties but need a decent summer to ripen. I do tend to use any unripe for curry sauce but there is a limit
Have always had plenty of toms and cukes to give away in previous years but now it is a case of what space and energy I have

 

Talking of 'Sungold', I haven't bought any seed yet. Any particular brands to avoid?

 

Avoid gardener's delight unless your lucky to know someone "maybe someone on here"who has seed from plants pre 2003.I don't know why they bred the taste out of them.

 

Nobody "bred" the flavour out of Gardeners Delight, all open pollinated varieties wander a bit, it takes an effort to keep them "true" to type. If the grower doesn't put the effort into removing plants that don't fit the type then the variety gradually wanders away until as in the case of Gardners Delight it loses it's AGM or just gets dropped from the catalogues.

 

Thanks @salar but I was asking about Sungold

 

I got excellent germination from Premier seeds direct.

 

I usually get my Sungold from DT Brown - never had a problem with them.

 

First of the micros off to its new home. This is for a lady who has had to move into a care home and misses her garden.

 

New addition to the sowings; an F1 cross of Bloody Butcher and Latah. Expecting regular leaves and smallish red fruit but the rest is yet to be seen.

 

Interesting, eatenbyweasels. B. Butcher is an early and tastes good, and Latah is described as 'very early' and also tastes good. You should get a good result. Is it your own cross or have you bought seeds? If purchased, what's it called and if you made it, what have you christened it?