Kitchen Garden Forum

Is there anyone out there with Triffids (Red Alert) or Spiders (Red Pear) Tomatoes?

I'm growing both for the first time. Red Alert is supposed to be a bush tomato but is enormous. Red Pear is a cordon but doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word upright. Both are covered in fruit but they look so untidy.

Is it me?

I've got Red Alert on the allotment and they haven't turned into triffids yet, though they're growing well and setting plenty of fruit. They're in a bed that was well manured (cow) during the winter but I've only fed them once so far and haven't seen the need to water a lot despite the heat as the soil seems to be retaining moisture quite deep down.
My Moneymaker on the plot are also being well behaved, but those at home in growbags are very tall but with only two trusses so far.

Hi Tigger,
You haven't by any chance got them incorrectly labelled 'cos from here it sure sounds like it!!

As if!

I've got 16 different varieties growing this year (6 courtesy of Piglet), so I've been very disciplined about labelling. Having said that, I've got a whole bed full of tomatoes growing outside which are self seeded from last year's compost and I've no idea what type(s) they are.

Tigger, not wishing to steal your thread at all but I have a similar question on my greenhouse toms......

The gardeners Delight (cordon) are nearly six feet tall with 6 trusses so far and I have to pinch out sideshoots everyday - I know elsewhere the advice is to let them bush after the first 4 trusses but if I do they will block out all light.

The marmande I understood to be a bush but this is a tree - over 6 feet tall with some of the sideshoots easily 4 feet long - covered in fruit and flowers.

I just wondered if this is normal??

Thanks

David

Steal away David.....I'm glad to have your company on this one.