Gardeners Ecstasy Cherry Tomato (vine, organic)

Gardeners Ecstasy Cherry Tomato (vine, organic)

£2.90

18 in stock

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A tall, vine tomato, this fantastic variety produces loads of beautifully sweet and zingy, cherry sizes fruits. Great in kids lunch boxes, or eaten straight off the vine. It was was bred in Pembrokeshire by tomato grower extraordinaire, Tony Haigh. Tony lived at the Brithdir Mawr Community where I was lucky enough to stay for long enough to learn his best tomato growing secrets. Tony himself was not a commercial grower, but he was the ‘God of Growing’ at the Community, with much of his time spent teaching us lesser mortals how to grow copious amounts of fantastic veg in the often inhospitable Welsh climate! We had a pretty regular turnover of residents at Brithdir as well as literally hundreds of volunteers in the near on 20 years Tony was there, so who knows how many people now grow great tomatoes because of him. He was a passionate Welsh speaker and was really pleased that his own variety of tomatoes were going to be sold through the Wales Seed Hub.

As a cherry tomato, they’re great in salads, picnics and lunch boxes, and also roasted with a pinch of salt and a shake of balsamic vinegar. If you’re already a fan of the much loved and easy to grow ‘Gardener’s Delight’, give these ones a try and you’ll soon know why they were named ‘Gardener’s Ecstasy’!

Approx. 18 seeds

Botanical name: Solanum lycopersicum

Grown by: Carolyn Moody

Because of our cool, short summers, all tomatoes need starting early, so they’ll have a chance to ripen before the weather gets too cold for them. Sow them in modules or a seed tray with some seed compost any time between mid Feb and the end of March. Keep them in a propagator between 18 to 22 degrees, then, once germinated (usually within 14 days), move them somewhere nice and light to stop them getting thin and leggy, but still indoors where it’s warm. Pot them on when they get a bit bigger, then plant them out once the weather’s warmer – normally at the end of April, but this will depend on local conditions, and whether they’re going in a greenhouse, or outside. Dig in plenty of organic matter initially, and feed and water regularly throughout the season.

Vine / Indeterminate tomatoes grow tall (over 8ft if you let them) and skinny, so will need strong supports – either a very tall stake, or string. We attach ours to an overhead line with string, and wind it round the plant as it grows. They will require their side shoots ‘pinching out’ regularly throughout the season, concentrating the growth within the central, fruit producing stem, and you can also pinch out the top if they get too tall, which will also result in the fruit ripening quicker. Fruit trusses are generally long, and the tomatoes will ripen slowly over the season, resulting in a long cropping period and a heavier crop for the amount of space the plant takes up.