Influences On Tomato Taste.

[Stringfellow]

Hello,

I was fortunate enough to have a good harvest of tomatoes this season (Galina in this case, from Real Seeds), in both my greenhouse at home and also the one I have at my allotment.

The interesting thing is that the Galina toms grown at my allotment taste far superior to the ones grown at home. Why might this be?

I know taste is subjective, but there is such a difference, particularly in sweetness. The allotment house definitely gets 2 -3 more hours sunshine when it is a sunny day, and the soil there will be somewhat different due to over one hundred years of cultivation.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[charles]

Thanks for this Tris, I wonder if sunshine is one factor as I have Sungold tasting superior where grown against a south-facing wall – but also the plants are in bags of soil with less access to water, and the fruit are smaller. Did you perhaps water less at the allotment? Soil differences also are surely playing a psrt.

As with so much in gardening, it is hard to isolate precise causes, but one can make interesting suggestions!

[Stringfellow]

Thanks for your thoughts Charles, it is possible that the allotment toms recieved less water over the season as they are less accessible. However, it would have been early in the plants life as I have been unable and actually decided not to water any tomatoes for the last few weeks of the season – they seemed to be doing fine without any extra adding!

What struck me most was, if I had grown Galina only at home I would have crossed them off the list as bland and overrated, but having tasted them from the allotment I shall grow them down there again next year. All interesting and good fun!

Best wishes….

[charles]

are hard to pin down! As you say, its fascinating but difficult to be sure about. Tomorrow I am going to a T&M press day at Capel Manor College, London where we shall be tasting many potato varieties and other vegetables – I shall report back!

[Stringfellow]

Interestingly, my old man preferred the less sweet toms grown at home as opposed to my preferred Galinas down at the allotment! Taste is as varied as folk I suppose….

Look forward to hearing the finds of your tasting tomorrow and also the new vids when they go live.

[Author]

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