Having given tips on sowing and transplanting tomatoes, it is time to think about what to grow with your tomatoes so that you can start planning. I love to grow lots of flowers around my tomato plants as they look pretty, cover the soil and deter pests as well as attracting pollinating insects.
We have managed to secure a small supply of the seeds of “Gran Brix” a very special tomato F1 variety from Spain with the sweetest taste.
Brix is a measure sugar content where °Bx, is equivalent to percentage of sugar in solution. This measure of sugar content is commonly used in the wine and fruit industries, to give an indication of the quality of the fruit (it is also a handy guide to the potential alcohol content which may be achieved by fermenting the fruit – which is always useful to know!)
To give you an idea of what that means in tomato terms :- your typical mass produced (supermarket) tomatoes can range from 2-3 °Bx. As we all know, if you have ever bothered to try them, they can be a bit short of aroma and taste. Tomatoes which measure as high as 6-8 °Bx tend to be known as the very sweet tomato varieties.
So when we tell you that the Gran Brix tomato weighs in at a hefty 9.5 °Bx, you will not be surprised at our claim that this an outstandingly sweet tomato variety. It follows then, that, at such high quality, it is very hard to find any other tomato that can come even close to its taste.
Not content with being the sweetest tomato known to mankind, Gran Brix is highly resistant to pests and disease. It also has very good keeping ans storage qualities. Gran Brix is a vigorous plant, quick growing and over a very long period produces bright red, firm cherry fruit that is resistant to cracking. Average fruit weight 15 – 18 grams.
We are always on the lookout for new and interesting varieties for you to try, so why not subscribe to our blog and be first to know when we write about them?. In the meantime – have a look at some recommended tomato seed varieties here.
Tomatoes sourced commercially are often without much flavour, hence the interest in “growing your own” for a better taste. Personally, I like to grow a selection of different types for various uses in the kitchen. On a sheltered sunny patio, everyone can grow tomatoes, even in containers, so we can all give it a go.
Here are some more recommended varieties for something new: Read the rest of this entry →
Welcome to part 3 of our series all about growing your own tomatoes from seed. If you missed the earlier posts you can catch up here.
The last couple of posts concentrated on the history of tomatoes with interesting information about tomatoes and why we like to grow them. This time, I will be helping you to sow your own tomato seeds to produce the perfect crop of juicy fresh tomatoes later in the year.
Read the rest of this entry →
