Have I sold 16 people a pig in a poke?

[PiggyPokkyFool]

Name changed as this is very outing.
The facts: Saw YouTube video about growing tomatoes from a slice of tomato, had some v tasty cherry ones from supermarket so planted 3 slices with low expectations. 3 weeks later, 54 seedlings, transferred to larger pots expecting to lose half, 52 survived - nearly all grew looking super healthy - had 49 tomato plants. Couldn't possibly use all so planted some, gave away some and had 28 tomato plants left. Got the bright idea of selling them on our local group for 50p each - sold all bar 3 which I offered some to my much older, much wiser chum and he said " Oh, no thanks as they are probably F1s so won't produce anything". Have I sold 16 people a pig in a poke? Never mind friends who think I am a great grower

And the award for ball dropper of the week goes to.... PiggyPokkyFool!!
Just spotted this hidden between two containers - how did I miss it?? It's a cucumber btw - not a bloody marrow!!

Amazingly rubbish! I just don't know how I missed it - mutant Cucas sound brilliant - scoff away I say as I will be with my very large very pale 'hidden' cucumber, Hope you holiday was a good one. we are off tomorrow and I'll be bringing the best with me.

@BobTheDuvet*@EssentialHummus @BooseysMom* @prettybird @Sooverthemill @TheSpottedZebra @tisonlymeagain @BikeRunSki @3dogs2cats @Tighnabruaich @cwg1
and all the other lovely posters who offered your support. We came back from 7 days hols and as we drove past the house I could see lots of orange and red and voila! 60/70 ripe or well on their way.
Maybe it was the red ribbon Bob - Yippee!!!!!!

Hooray! Here are my Lidl Crete numbers, not ready but hopefully viable this season , after a shot of the rest of the beds...

... but we’re staying with the ILs at the moment and they are kicking our collective arses .

Yay! Tomatoes! 🍅 🍅

Hurrah for red tomatoes! My plants reared from official-type seeds have only just started to go red in the past 2 weeks, so it's not just you that's relieved OP!

Hip hip hurrah for all of us!
@EssentialHummus - your ILs are playing with a stacked deck - their tomato area is the size of my whole front garden! Well done to them anyway - bet they didn't grow theirs from a squashed cherry tomato. We're seriously hardcore

piggy they are in rural Russia with a 2000sq ft garden, four greenhouses, a dozen water butts, an outdoor kitchen, irrigation system.... I generally don’t envy their lives but on the veg growing front.

Good Lord Essential - I wasn't expecting that as a location - envious on their plot size too but agree that their lifestyle may not always be the easiest - unless you are married to a Russian oligarch of course!

Room for a 🍅 slice inspired starter?

I just ate the smallest grape I've ever seen! What was so thrilling was that grew it!

I have my first tiny fig, and a crop of olives from a tiny potted olive tree that I have no idea what to do with

I am so excited by my massive teeny tiny successes!

Its too late I'm guessing to now by trying out the 🍅 slice propagation?

Really wanted to try growing hibicus though, and passion flower, in pots. I have, after years,anaged to get a flower rich jasmine scenting my garden.

Do I qualify with my meagre learnings/harvest?

*be (...to now be trying out...)

Not only was I inspired by the 🍅 slice propagation, piggy but the apline strawbs you go in a hanging basket!

Q. Been trying to do something similar to basil to evade the slugs; just me?

I have learned so much about tomatoes from this thread!

budding you more than qualify .

Slugs: slug tape has done wonders for me, and makes the garden look like a techno rave as an added perk.

Delighted to be of service my growing chums - @BobTheDuvet you have been my constant cheerleader through the baren weeks (felt like years) waiting for them to turn red. Very impressed by the onions - I have bought onion seeds this week having never grown them before.
@buddinggrower - you more than qualify to be part of our gang - I have never grown a grape, fig or olive - the satisfaction of eating what you have produced is beyond description.
Just tried a few of the tomatoes and realised I have at least two different varities out of that one slice - the slice that keeps on giving. One is smaller and sweeter than the other - both yummy though.
The giant hidden cucumber was delicious but the skin too chewy so I have been peeling it before eating and putting in my Pimms with home grown strawberries, raspberries and mint. Might throw a few cucamelons in the next one.
Keep the pics and stories coming.

I'd never heard of slug tape. I have tried to avoid anything pellety or chemical on my plants, not just for the obvious but also many animals to protect, hence the trying to grow basil well above ground!

Oh and I do have a herb collection, but basil grrr!

Thank you for the welcome piggy the alpine strawbs, hibiscus and passion flowers...any special pointers?

All too late now I suspect, but seriously wondering about a potato bin with all my left to rot potatoes

I would post pics too, but I don't have sufficient zoom on my phone

Its really brightens the thread up though all the amazing plant pics

So glad your 🍅 's fruited!!! Hope your sold ones are doing likewise and your reputation is saved!

Cucamelons?!? What exactly?

Cucamelon - pic attached. About the size of a grape, it tastes like cucumber with a hint of lime - DD1 and DD2 love them in lunches and eat them whole - much less messy than cucumber slices and once picked they last about 4/5 weeks in great condition in the fridge.
Reference planting - Spring, post frost, is your friend for all the options. With the alpines I put them in a basket best part of a decade ago and they just do their stuff - don't let them dry out in winter and because they are suspended in the basket they survive everything from frost to snow. The Hibiscus - I just prepared a good sized hole and put in some wormery compost and planted them and they were of a good size by year 3. Ssssshhhh don't tell anyone but the passion flower isn't mine - it made its way from a neighbours garden and I get full benefit without it taking up any space in my beds.
Reference the sold ones I haven't heard tell of any red tomatoes yet but there was plenty of reports of green ones.