Fruits of our labours
This year's tomato crop has been one of the best for a long time. The warm, dry spring and summer is undoubtedly a contributing factor. We have grown two varieties; ‘Tigerella’, an heirloom variety, which has a distinct striped appearance, and a delightful flavour. It is similar to another heirloom variety we used to grow called ‘Vintage Wine’, which seems to have disappeared from seed catalogues. ‘Moneymaker’ is the other variety, which is a safe choice, especially if you’ve never grown tomatoes before. The seeds are sown in February, in a heated propagator, pricked out when large enough into pots. Finally, it is planted directly into the greenhouse border. Tomatoes are hungry plants, so every other year, the greenhouse soil has the top couple of inches removed, and a mixture of compost and well-rotted manure is barrowed on top of the remaining soil. This enriched and feeds the plants and cuts down the chances of soil diseases. You can (and we do) grow tomatoes ...
