The tomato harvest begins for 2023

And so it begins that wonderful time of the year as the tomatoes begin to ripen. I mentioned recently that the first of the Tiny Tim tomatoes (they are tiny) had begun to ripen, well many of the other varieties I am growing this year are now ripening as well. I spoke at the start of the year about how I planned to grow more tomatoes than ever before and so far so good as they say.

As yet none of the four Buffalosteak plants growing on the outside patch are ripe but I have plenty of fruit on the plants and having grown these before I was always confident they would go well. Also in the outdoor patch are the heirloom variety from Germany Tomato Bloody Butcher. A variety that has Potato like foliage (as Pink Brandywine) my research into this one suggested it would produce crops of golf ball sized fruit with a dark 'blood-red' juice. It reportedly is one of the first varieties to ripen, ripening in only about 60-days, and continues all summer long and I hoped it would be perfectly at home outdoors on the Veg Patch it being south-facing and in the sun for hours every day. Well I have numerous trusses on all six plants with seven or eight fruits on many of the trusses! 

The Pink Brandywine, another variety I have grown before with success, are in the Greenhouse this year and are growing well with several large fruits on each plant. I have two of the other American heirloom beefsteak called Big Rainbow in there as well, both of which are growing well and though not carrying as much fruit as the Pink Brandywine the fruit I do have are large and healthy. I do have to say thus far, and only one has ripened so the others may be more impressive, I think 'Rainbow' is stretching the truth a little in the name; I wasn't expect a blinding array of multicolours but the first fruit is rather run of the mill tomato looking bless it. The blurb suggests warm shades of red, yellow and orange all at once when ripe. Having fried it for my tea to go with some Lambs Liver and Potatoes I can confirm it was tasty! Lastly in the Greenhouse I have the two Tomato Black Russian, another heirloom this time from Russia, described on one site as deep red to shiny black fruit with heavy green shoulders, looking almost like a conker. These are also fruiting well and do look, a little, conker like. 

Below is a photo of, from left to right, the first of the Pink Brandywine, Tomato Black Russian, Big Rainbow and Tomato Bloody Butcher.

Cheers 🍺