Dolmio Tomato Growing Seeds - progress reporting thread

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the MNers who are growing tomato plants from seed courtsey of Dolmio (well at least they are hoping to ). The project is designed to highlight the fact that 100% of Dolmio tomatoes are grown outdoors in the sun (not in greenhouses). For more info on Dolmio please click here

If you are a tomato grower and part of this project please add your updates below - we'd love to know about the plants at each stage - from humble seedlings to the fully grown fruit! Do let us know how, if at all, your children are getting involved as well. If you are not so succesful don't worry please also let us know here. If you need any advice please ask and if you can offer advice please do so!

Details for sending in photos is on the email sent.

Everyone who takes part in this project and who adds their feedback and sends in at least one photo will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two £200 John Lewis vouchers and a Dolmio hamper (to be mailed out in September).

Thanks and best of luck
MNHQ

I have very large green tomatoes. But they aren't going red, more sort of purple I'm a little worried I have grown aubergines by accident.

I've done as Monty Don recommended and pruned off all the excess leaves but remains to be seen whether we get enough sunshine for the tomatoes to flourish and turn red. It was sunny today but maybe that's it? Not so sure the tomatoes will like the forecast gales....

Haven't read thread yet but dd is delighted to have a teeny tiny green tomato! will read thread and see if any tips... Oh, and upload photo!

Great news on the tomatoes - even if they are green! Do send in your pictures to [email protected]
Best, Ann

I am getting ,its of lovely flowers and green tomatoes now, but the vine keeps being blown off it's supports.

May be time to apply the banana and the paper bag...

A combination of high winds and what looks like the start of blight mean I am now thinking about green tom chutney already. My little dolmio toms sadly won't be contributing much, but they'll still go in.

I don't thikn I'm going to get anything ripe off our plant - It spent most of yesterday lying on the ground and when I picked it up, i didn't find any fruit any bigger than a small grape. In our climate, my tomatoes usually have about 2-3 weeks from now to get their act together, otherwise they're finished.

(I'm more sad that my lovely hanging tomatoes were pretty much pulversied by the wind. Have Asked Hugh FW if there's any recipes other than his chutney for green tomatoes, since a few of us might be needing inspiration!!!)

Quite a few green tomatoes here. How do I know when to pick them?

I try to leave mine until they're ripe, or almost ripe, but you can pick them any time once they reach a reasonable size if you actually want them green. They'll only ripen if they're pretty much full size, though.

oh no , they're starting to go brown :( Is it the drop in temperature ? Looking very windswept so will buy more canes tomorrow.

Just picked our first two red tomatoes

It's going to be green tomato chutney at this rate

Mine are showing no sign of going red

Had 5 red tomatoes, loads and loads of green ones. Need to bring them in, there was a wee ground frost this morning and the recent storms have battered the plants. Green tomato chutney here we come!

I asked Hugh F-W for some more green tomato ideas on the webchat, the other day and he only came up with the idea of fried green tomatoes. Not that I'll have enough on this plant even for a portion, and they're certainly not going to be big enough to slice.

I think Dolmio's aim of proving that you can plant these seeds right at the end of the planting window and get some nice, juicy ripe tomatoes off the plants without replying on greenhouses has fallen a little flat. It's jsut made me want a proper greenhouse even more than I already did!

Well I have an orange one today. Also some sort of funny looking yellow ones. But it's piddling down and I think we are due a frost so they may all be dead by tomorrow.

I think everything could have worked really well (i.e. all feasting on ripe tomatoes by now!) if the weather had been warmer and we'd had more sunshine. But have to say I shall be investigating the fried green tomatoes option as I really doubt that ours will grow much bigger or ripen now... It is distinctly cold and as many of you have said, the frosts are coming....

We have just made green tomato chutney. It tastes amazing. I am almost delighted they didn't go red because then we wouldn't have the chutney. Am feeling like secret smug domestic goddess, except DH and the children made the chutney whilst I jiggled the baby about.

oh dear, plants now not looking at all good :( Have staked them up again in a last ditched attempt to get some tomatoes of usable size, even if green, but fear the chill in the morning air is too much.

|Kids checking every day - green little ones. All ridiculously excited. (easily pleased)

ouryve, not sure. I think Dolmio's aim to prove that it ISN'T easy at all, and make us rush out and buy some nice ready-made tomato sauce instead of faffing about with this growing malarkey ...

I do often buy ready made tomato sauce. I prefer it to taste of tomatoes rather than sugar and thickeners, mind

my plants have failed to withstand the great manchester storm of 2011, and dd2 using them as standing aids. but between the three remaining spindly, broken, gnarled plants, we have ONE RED TOMATO.

I've got a couple on the verge of turning red but they are still diddy....

CharlotteBronteSaurus perhaps you could try a recipe using your new microwave! (hoping it's arrived and is giving your kitchen an added wow factor!)

Can you post your green tomato chutney recipe up as mine are no way going to turn red.