My season has peaked

[small]

That's it now, I have my first tomato set - downhill from here!

[small]

[pumkinlover]

Wow! that's early

[Beersmith]

I can beat that.   I've got tomato seeds still in the packet.

Seriously that is impressively early.  I'm assuming these are going to be grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel.  Outdoors they would not be safe from frost around here for another five or six weeks.

[gray1720]

Bloody hell - mine are about 4" high! Have you moved in with Barriedale Nick?

[small]

I start the seeds (Alicante) in the propagator in the south-facing spare room in early february, pot on as needed, when they are in the final pots they go in the (also south-facing) conservatory. Admittedly the plant life ends up shorter than those in the greenhouse, but anything to get that home-grown taste - shop tomatoes taste of nothing to me. I can't grow in my plot because of blight, but am growing a third sowing for pots at the back of the house. Is there anything else as easy as tomatoes?

[saddad]

No, not really, we never buy shop tomatoes... all bred for tough skins and uniformity but not taste. We freeze loads as "slop" to use through the year in cooking...

[pumkinlover]

Devils advocate here, but if anyone has an urge for a nice tomato out of season try the M and S one's. Occasionally we  buy the little piccolino ones and they are nice.

[Paulh]

The piccolo / piccolino ones are good. I think someone on here says that buying a punnet of those and saving some seeds to sow is the cheapest way to grow good cherry toms.

[Deb P]

I can beat that.   I've got tomato seeds still in the packet.

Mine too. A combination of catching Covid at my usual sowing weeks and a lockdown rescheduled holiday that makes it not worth starting any sowing until we are back....with the cold nights we are still having it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise?!

[Deb P]

Well it's going to an interesting season, massive sowing session on the last day of April, I've never sown tomatoes so late but the night temperature is higher so I'm risking no heating in the greenhouse just heated pads under the trays.....have had good germination so far so let's see if these babies catch up! Fingers crossed....😂