bringing inside tomato plant or not?

 

Have just been given a tomato plant about one foot high.  We have a south
facing garden in north London. Would it make much difference to it, if I
brought it inside the house next to a south facing patio window? If it would
grow better tomatoes I would do it, even though I don't really have room for
it inside. (too many house plants in that location!)

 



Depends on the variety really. I grow Gardeners Delight in the greenhouse
and in the garden (against a SW facing wall) up here in Manchester, and both
do really well - although I'm convinced that the ones outside have a
slightly better flavour. The greenhouse ones are a few weeks earlier. You'll
probably be OK, unless it is a beef tomato variety - in my experience they
tend to be a bit tender, and don't like the rain at all. And just hope you
don't get any blight - I never do, but a friend across the village always
does and every year has to harvest the remaining toms within a couple of
hours of discovering it.

As for growing them in the house - my dad always had a growbag on every
south facing window ledge in the olden days when he didn't have the money
for a greenhouse. They always did OK, but the house reeked of tomato
foliage - nice until you have to live with it all the time!!

 



Hey, I have always thought that and my tomatoes are mancunian too ;o)

Doing Coeur de boeuf this year. Beefheart that is.

 



I agree about the flavour. I don't have enough room in the greenhouse for
all the tomatoes we want so I grow at least as many outside, have never had
a failed crop (although sometimes it's not as heavy as the more sheltered
ones) and the flavour is certainly better than indoor ones.

Mary

 


Mary, what do you do with the large volume you grow, do you make
chutney if so, can I have the recipe please.  I make tomato chutney
from our tomatoes every year but it is a recipe handed down and I
would like to try another one but only one that someone who makes
chutney would recommend.

Judith