Tomato Bonanza

It’s turning out to be one of those, tomato bonanza years. I think it’s because we had the really hot sun early on which stimulated their growth and ripened fruits early, but then the cooler temperatures slowed them down.

Whatever the reason though I’m not complaining, as I now have many portions of delicious tomato sauce in my freezer.

Most of you know by now that the first food crop I ever grew were tomatoes and I’ve grown them every year since. If I only had space to grow one crop, tomatoes would be it.

The flavour of a homegrown tomato is simply unbeatable, especially if you pick the right varieties. They all taste better than shop bought, but some taste better than others.

If you are thinking of having a go next year the seed catalogues have plenty of choice. I tend to avoid the ones that only talk about, how big a crop they give and instead go for the ones that mention ‘excellent flavour’.

Deciding on your favourites is part of the enjoyment of growing different varieties each year. You’ll soon discover that there are some you just can’t live without!

2023’s Tomato Bonanza

I usually grow five varieties of tomato. Three staples that I’ve long since decided are my favourites and two new ones.

Staples:

• Brandywine
• Rosella
• Golden cherry

New varieties:

• Tigerella
• Sunchocola

Brandywine

A large heritage beefsteak tomato. I always thought of tomatoes that were this large as being flavourless, but that certainly isn’t true of this one. It’s packed with flavour and has dense almost creamy flesh which makes it perfect for tomato soup and sauce.

Rosella

These strange coloured, little cherry tomatoes are an absolute must grow! I’d even go as far as to say that if you only have space for one tomato plant this should be it.

They ripen before any of my others, the skin is thin, and the flavour… The catalogues describe it as complex, which is probably is good as any, with a perfect combination of sweetness and acidity.

Rosella I love you.

Golden Cherry

I just put golden cherry as the variety I pick each year varies slightly. ‘Sungold’ is the original one I grew back in the 90’s but there are plenty around now.

They all tend to be incredibly sweet with lovely thin skins. Perfect for snacking on in the greenhouse or from a bowl in the kitchen and add real sweetness to a salad.

If you have a sweet tooth then these are for you.

Tigerella

Not strictly a new variety as I grew them last year, but having seed left over and being happy with them they got another go.

Their tiger stripes make them look quite distinctive but everything else about them is very traditional. Their classic tomato red colour; medium size; and wet centres, but with a proper tomato flavour.

Sunchocola

Well now, I think we’ve found a new favourite tomato! The garden apprentice and I agree that this tomato gives Rosella a run for her money.

Slightly bigger than a cherry tomato, with a dark coloured skin, heading for brown. The skin is thin and the flavour is a perfect balance between sweet and acid, with a smoky twist, perfect!

If you fancy having a go at growing your own tomatoes, February is the month to sow your seeds.

It’s not too early to start looking at what’s available though, and when you’re ready have a look at my guide, growing tomatoes from seed, it’s very rewarding and this time next year you might be eating your own delicious fruits.

Happy gardening.