Winter tomatoes ripening

[Odsox]

For the interest of those following my tomato growing challenge, I am pleased to report that it has all gone to plan this year.
I still have a few ripe tomatoes from the greenhouse and now my windowsill ones are ripening fast, which means there will be no gap this year.
I have now had ripe homegrown tomatoes continuously for 21 months* now, and now that these ones are ripening there is no reason why I can't expect to continue until this time next year.

* If it hadn't been for a 3 week gap in March 2010 it would have been 30 months

[Pumpkin&Piglet]

Are you just growing the plants indoors or is there another special plan to grow through the winter? I'm trying a couple of things at the moment, no idea what will work and what will go horribly wrong!

[Odsox]

Are you just growing the plants indoors

Yes, the winter ones are on a south facing windowsill.
If you like you can follow the saga here http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 12&t=21768

[MKG]

You know, Tony, I think that the whole thing is worthy of a full write-up - timing, methods, photos, the whole shebang. Turn that into a pdf and I'm certain that a lot (A LOT) of people would want to add it to their libraries.

Mike

[Odsox]

What's to say Mike ?
Stick 'em in an 8" pot and put 'em on a sunny windowsill

I am testing other veg crops on windowsills and may well write that up sometime, maybe. So far it's peppers, strawberries, lettuce, dwarf French beans, carrots, spring onions and of course tomatoes.
Also had great success this year with full sized cos lettuce grown in a home made hydroponics unit, consisting of a washing up bowl, a piece of polystyrene and some vending machine plastic cups.

Dunno, maybe you're right.

[Millymollymandy]

Yes I want to see that! That might be the only way I can grow cos lettuce in summer - indoors in a nice cool room!

[demi]

wow this sounds fantastic!

are you just bringing in your already fruiting tomato plants for the winter or do you start new ones from seed/cuttings?

do the winter tomatoes taste as good as the summer ones?

do you have to feed them more or give them any special treatment?

[Odsox]

are you just bringing in your already fruiting tomato plants for the winter

No, they are new plants.
The ones ripening now were sown in September, then 2 more in October and finally 2 more in November to follow on.
They probably don't taste quite as good as summer ones, but they do have lots of flavour and a million times better than shop bought ones in February.

[demi]

im definetly trying this!
what else can you do this with??

[Odsox]

I am testing other veg crops on windowsills and may well write that up sometime, maybe. So far it's peppers, strawberries, lettuce, dwarf French beans, carrots, spring onions and of course tomatoes.

[demi]

my husband and i have been debating wether or not to build a concervatory/greenhouse from the back door.
if this really works i think it will be an invaluble investment.

[Green Aura]

How do your winter tomatoes compare in taste, Tony?

Obviously summer home grown are so much better than bought ones, is it still the case in winter? I've only managed to grow them as far as Christmas and TBH I can't remember how good they were, just how excited I was!

[pelmetman]

I am testing other veg crops on windowsills and may well write that up sometime, maybe. So far it's peppers, strawberries, lettuce, dwarf French beans, carrots, spring onions and of course tomatoes.

How long are your windowsills?

[Odsox]

Not all at the same time ... not even in the same year

But since you asked, I have 13m or 42' 6" of south facing windows (complete with sills).
Shame it's a bungalow or it would perhaps be twice that.

[Millymollymandy]

Mine are covered in pumpkinny things still trying to ripen and about a 20 basil plants, thai and normal! Otherwise I might experiment, but still got tomatoes alive outdoors as it's been so mild!