New Tomato Varieties - Suttons

 A little bit about why each one ended up on my order form, and my to grow list for 2021

New F1Crimson Plum (Nagina)

New to Suttons & Dobies this year plum tomato the first blight resistant plum tomato that the catalogue and web site states “will produce a great crop both indoors and outdoors!” they also continue to say “Handfuls of ‘Roma’ style plum fruits with rich, deep flavour and solid meaty flesh” The wife and I consume a huge amount of tomatoes throughout the year and I like to grow my own for as long as I can. 

This variety is marketed as an “ideal variety to grow outdoors in the UK in pots, baskets or containers” with a four month harvest period from July to October. Being blight resistant this is an ideal variety to be grown on my new half plot in the Narrow 600mm wide beds. 

Above is the plan for two new planting membranes for the narrow beds marked as H1 & H2 on the plot plan. So basically three plants per bed with deep watering holes between the plants and holes for a four sided pyramid of bamboo canes to be installed around the planting position for support to the plant.  

New Crimson Cherry F1

New to Suttons & Dobies this year the first blight resistant cherry sized tomato with what we are promised is an unbeatable taste! With it being blight resistant it makes it perfect variety to be grown outside in the UK, although we are informed that is ideal for small pots, baskets, or any containers, but the web site then states the growing limits and proportions as being:-

“Reaching heights of 151-200cm (59-79"); spread 41-50cm (16-20").” And that its “Extremely versatile, this tomato plant shows good resistance to Fusarium, Verticillium, and both early and late blight!”  

So Longer Bamboo poles required me thinks! 

Now I know what early and late blight is but I had never heard of Fusarium and Verticillium so from a little desk study it appears that:-

Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease. It causes the water-carrying (xylem) vessels to become blocked, so that the plant wilts and often dies.

In spite of the name verticillium wilt, a true wilt seldom occurs in tomato, at least not until late in the season. Rather, under good conditions of moisture and nutrition, yellow blotches on the lower leaves may be the first symptoms, then brown veins appear, and finally chocolate brown dead spots. Yep I have seen that before and now I know what it's called 

Crimson Cherry tomatoes are deliciously sweet (9 Brix). Its fruits have a satisfying 'tang' which makes you want more. These tomato plants will keep cropping until the first frosts outside and longer if grown in a greenhouse or tunnel.

I can see this variety being grown outside in the narrow H Beds and also inside the greenhouse in the Quadgrow in 2021, the final quantities and varieties going inside and outside on the allotment are still to be determined. 

NEW Tomato Veranda Red F1

British bred, the Veranda Red is a dwarf tomato with a big flavour and has taken 15 years to perfect. Bred by the breeder of the Tumbler, it is extremely versatile. It’s another tomato that shows good resistance to Fusarium & Verticillium (we now know what that is!) and some blight.

We are informed that “Compared to other dwarf tomato varieties, the Veranda Red has the most delicately sweet flavour, just like a vine tomato you would grow in a greenhouse. Therefore, it comes to no surprise that this variety was loved by Carol Klein at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2019!” I love sweet cherry tomatoes and being a self-supporting dwarf I had to try this variety out in 2021

The write up then tells us “Early ripening from mid- July this tomato plant will produce up to 75 juicy, 12-16g fruit. Ideal for small pots, baskets or any containers” 75 juicy 12-16g tomatoes per plant! That sold me on giving it a go.

Growing Information

Sow in pots or in a propagator on a windowsill at approximately 18-21°C (65-70°F) using a good quality moist compost. Cover seeds with 6mm (¼") of sieved compost. Germination 7-14 days. Transfer seedlings when large enough to handle into 11cm (4") pots and grow on to fruiting on the windowsill. Alternatively, when the danger of frost has passed, you can plant in a window box or into 25cm (10") pots on the patio. Bush variety, no pinching or staking required.

Tomato (Organic) Seeds - Reisetomate

I read about this unique rare variety that produces a cluster of cherry tomatoes all fused together to create one large fruit and thought, I have to have a go at growing that in 2021. Recommended for growing in the Greenhouse, that's another variety selected for the Quadgrow in the new greenhouse in 2021.  Use the hyperlink on the title to read more about this strange little cluster tomato on the Suttons web site.