The Vegetable Patch Mark 2

[MereDintofPandiculation]

A continuation of the thread for those of us growing edibles, to share triumphs and failures, swap expertise and solve problems

@greenacrylicpaint I wonder if these are the same? https://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/Tomato-Seed-Yellow-Pear/

I've grown them a few years in a row and from memory I think they are potato leaved as I didn't know there was such a thing when they first sprouted!

They are much more pear shaped as in the drawing on your seed packets than in the photo from the link I have.

I've never heard of potato leaf tomatoes! Always something new to learn (and grow!)

I never have, nor did my mother, but that’s because it’s never occurred to me to do so. Advice is to sow peas in a wide trench a few inches apart, so at that density of planting a single long trailer would be better than a branched bushy plant. You could try with a few and report back!

So a quick google search tells me that Brandywine is the most popular potato leaf tomato. And some say the most tastiest tomato ever! Has anyone ever grown it?

I usually start my toms in Feb. Am I too late to start a beefsteak tom?

@PoseyFlump I've only started one variety so far, the rest to go in this weekend once I've potted on my chillis, peppers and aubergines. I don't have the space or mental energy to coddle too many seedlings at once during the chilly winter/early spring. I am unable to resist interesting varieties so next year it sounds like Brandywine will be on the list! I wonder if it's easy to get hold of...

@MereDintofPandiculation good opportunity for an experiment definitely. I will do a test on a few of the climbing peas, have a mangetout and normal type, and see what happens! I have plenty sown and could still sow more in April if my experiment proves ill-fated.

@Brieandbeetroot I think premier seeds direct have them cheap so think I'll go for it!

could very well be.

I mainly looked for toms with a short ripening time as I grow outside.

have grown a few cool varieties, last year had tigerella. tastewise favourite so far was black krim. but is prone to blossom end rot and has a long ripening time.

Brandywines are a great tomato. I have a few different brandywines that I grow.

My favourite beef though is Dr Wyches.

Oh my god what a taste. With fresh bread and butter, salt, pepper and mayo. Best sandwich in the summer.

With fresh bread and butter, salt, pepper and mayo.

Ooh I can taste that already! Another one for the list!

@AlisonDonut - you’ve got me hooked on trying the Dr Wyches tomato but I can’t find seeds from any of the usual french suppliers ( I’m in France too ) Do you have someone you use for unusual varieties? Thanks

when I moved to forrin I looked at amazon.
many of the market place vendors are small businesses.
look at the ratings and then go direct.

this year is not good for seeds though, drought and war last year reduced supplies significantly.

@MereDintofPandiculation and @AlisonDonut tagging you both in because you might know this one...

Do we know the legality of seed sharing across boundaries? With Brexit and all the other stuff going on there must be lots of seeds that are no longer available to people. Like, if I posted some seeds for free to a friend outside of the UK could we get in trouble? Or would they simply just destroy the package etc?

I know nothing about it, I"m afraid. There has always been plant health regulations covering transport of plant material across boundaries, and those would still apply on top of any Brexit regulations.

Yes myself!

I buy from various suppliers - this year I've sown all my old seeds and will save from each one that develops fruit so next year I'll probably buy a selection from this lot as I like to switch my varieties every year. https://www.tomatofifou.com/en/produit/dr-wyches-yellow/

Legally no chance.

@AlisonDonut - thanks for reply. I had found that site and got carried away choosing seeds then spotted red banner at top of site saying due to health reasons they are not taking orders atm. Great site for info though and i’ve bookmarked it in the hope that their health improves and they are up and running again. Managed to order something kinda similar (Wherokowhai) from a Dutch site. I love a variety of colours shapes and sizes!

That's a shame. I was hoping it might be different for personal use versus commercial. I know the rules are different in the uk if you are selling plants locally compared to selling them online.

I've PMed you.

Thanks @AlisonDonut. I'm using the app and can't get messages but I'll logon to the desktop version later 👍

Not sure about post after Brexit but I did send seeds a couple of years ago without any hassle. Just in a normal letter with a normal stamps so I didn't have to declare anything at the post office.
Pre-Brexit, the rule used to be you could personally carry in max 5 seed packages (i.e. by plane, train, boat) from within the EU. I regularly bring in small plants and cuttings. Maybe that legislation is still retained? Not sure whether that applies in the post, though.

No, you need a phytosanitary certificate to bring plants and cuttings back from EU to the UK.

What about the other way? If I wanted to bring seeds from the UK to my house in France?

Sorry for butting in, but I always assumed it was a big fat no!

@AlisonDonut You didn't use to need a phytosanitary certificate as long as it was max 3(?) plants without soil. Plus there's the law, and then there's the people checking your luggage...

it is.
but (currently) hardly anyone is checking.
if you were pulled out for a luggage check you would have to leave them behind and they would be destroyed.

you are allowed small amounts of food for consumption during the journey. that's it.

Thanks @greenacrylicpaint - that's what I thought.

Last time we were pulled for a bag search, they chose my dirty laundry bag from the boot of the car! So that was nice for them :D