Tomato growing diary

Grow week

Sungold

Tigerella

Costoluto Fiorentino

Sungold

Cristal

Country Taste

1

29cm

30cm

33cm

33cm

31cm

36cm

3

43

66

62

58

54

65

5

80

94

96

105

85

107

6

96

109

118

127

100

127

7

116

128

144

159

118

153

8

126

138

162

177

129

168

9

135

153

190

206

143

193

11

166

181

213

220

176

246

12

176

194

236

250

192

260

13

206cm

212cm

277cm

282cm

220cm

291cm

14

230

230

303

307

235

311

15

258

245

339

327

253

335

16

282

260

366

363

274

358

17

313

276

400

394

288

383

18

350

291

438

441

310

402

19

373

308

459

451

314

420

20

406

326

486

453

323

439

21

434

341

511

459

333

458

23

502

379

556

462

350

500

24

542

410

578

469

379

531

25

563

427

578

483

393

550

26

603

450

557

516

423

583

27

631

465

561

545

440

602

28

645

480

572

562

448

618

29

671

381

583

588

465

634

30

687

381

592

606

478

670

31

703

381

609

631

490

683

32

729

381

630

655

498

695

33

741

381

656

674

505

714

2nd January 2009 (pre-planting out)

9th February 2009 (pre-planting out)

Growing strong, the tomatoes will soon be ready to plant into our hydro systems.

27th February 2009 (week 1)

The plants are ready to be planted up into their GS100 Hydro Systems.

Looking good!

Height at planting GS100 mark1:

Sungold:

Height: 29cm

Tigerella:

Height: 30cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Height at planting GS100 mark2: Sungold:

Height: 33cm

Cristal:

Height: 31cm

Country Taste:

16th March 2009 (week 3)

Wow! The tomatoes have really settled in well.

Growth since last update GS100 mark2:

Sungold:

Growth: 25cm
Total height: 58cm

Cristal:

Growth: 23cm
Total height: 54cm

Country Taste:

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:

Sungold:

Growth: 14cm
Total height: 43cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 36cm
Total height: 66cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 29cm
Total height: 62cm

31st March 2009 (week 4)

The tomatoes have really come on leaps and bounds in the past
two weeks. For the first month they put steady growth and plenty of
roots. The roots look really healthy.

Top growth is superb!

The two Sungold plants are growing really strongly. The diameter of  the stem is over 2.5cm. There are now trusses of flowers forming on all the tomatoes except Cristal which tends to be a bit slower to get going but it more than makes up for it when it does.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:

Sungold:

Growth: 37cm
Total height: 80cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 28cm
Total height: 94cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 34cm
Total height: 96cm

Growth since last update GS100 mark2:

Sungold:

Growth: 47cm
Total height: 105cm

Cristal:

Growth: 31cm
Total height: 85cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 42cm

Total height: 107cm

3rd April 2009 (week 5)

Excellent news! Our very first tomato of the season. Sungold, always quick off the mark and never disappoints.












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7th April 2009 (week 6)

Country Taste is enormous already standing at over 1.3m. Sungold in the GS100 mark2 is the same. The tomatoes in GS100 are all big and healthy but ever so slightly smaller than those in GS100 mark 2.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:

Sungold:

Growth: 16cm
Total height: 96cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm
Total height: 109cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 22cm
Total height: 118cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:

Sungold:

Growth: 22cm
Total height: 127cm

Cristal:

Growth: 15cm
Total height: 100cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 20cm
Total height: 127cm

15th April 2009 (week 7)

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:

Sungold:

Growth: 20cm
Total height: 116cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 19cm
Total height: 128cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 26cm
Total height: 144cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:

Sungold:

Growth: 32cm
Total height: 159cm

Cristal:

Growth: 18cm
Total height: 118cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 26cm
Total height: 153cm

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22nd April 2009 (week 8)

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 10cm
Total height: 126cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 10cm
Total height: 138cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 18cm
Total height: 162cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2: Sungold:

Growth: 18cm
Total height: 177cm

Cristal:

Growth: 11cm
Total height: 129cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 15cm
Total height: 168cm

28th April 2009 (week 9)

Growth since last update GS100
mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 9cm
Total height: 135cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm
Total height: 153cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 28cm
Total height: 190cm

Growth: 29cm
Total height: 206cm

Cristal:

Growth: 14cm
Total height: 143cm

Country Taste:

12th May 2009 (week 11)

Look how thick the tomato plants have become! They've grown so  much since I planted them in January.

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 31cm
Total height: 166cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 28cm
Total height: 181cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 23cm
Total height: 213cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 14cm
Total height: 220cm

Cristal:

Growth: 33cm
Total height: 176cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 53cm
Total height: 246cm

19th May 2009 (week 12)

The Sungold are ripening quickly and taste delicious! We can’t get enough of them.

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1
Sungold:

Growth: 10cm
Total height: 176cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 13cm
Total height: 194cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 23cm
Total height: 236cm

Growth since last update
GS100 mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 30cm
Total height: 250cm

Cristal:

Growth: 16cm
Total height: 192cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 14cm
Total height: 260cm

Back to the Top

27th May 2009 (week 13)

The Tigerella are developing thick and fast! This week, we performed
solution changes to rebalance the nutrients in each tank.

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1
Sungold:

Growth: 30cm
Total height: 206cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 18cm
Total height: 212cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 41cm
Total height: 277cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 32cm
Total height: 282cm

Cristal:

Growth: 28cm
Total height: 220cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 31cm
Total height: 291cm

4th June 2009 (week 14)

The tomatoes on the Country Taste, this week, are looking superb. The early fruits were a little small but as the plant is maturing so are the fruit.

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1
Sungold:

Growth: 24cm
Total height: 230cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 18cm
Total height: 230cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 26cm
Total height: 303cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 25cm
Total height: 307cm

Cristal:

Growth: 15cm
Total height: 235cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 20cm
Total height: 311cm

10th June 2009 (week 15)

We harvested some of the fruit from the Sungold and Cristal this week and they were delicious!

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1
Sungold:

Growth: 28cm, 13 fruiting trusses
Total height: 258cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm, 10 fruiting trusses
Total height: 245cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 36cm, 4 fruiting trusses
Total height: 339cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 20cm, 17 fruiting trusses
Total height: 327cm

Cristal:

Growth: 18cm, 7 fruiting trusses
Total height: 253cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 24cm, 6 fruiting trusses
Total height: 335cm

17th June 2009 (week 16)

The tomato systems have had a solution change this week. The Costoluto Fiorentino is a tremendous 366cm long!

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1
Sungold:

Growth: 24cm, 14 fruiting trusses
Total height: 282cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm, 12 fruiting trusses
Total height: 260cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 27cm, 4 fruiting trusses
Total height: 366cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 36cm, 19 fruiting trusses
Total height: 363cm

Cristal:

Growth: 21cm, 10 fruiting trusses
Total height: 274cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 23cm, 9 fruiting trusses
Total height: 358cm

Back to the Top

24th June 2009 (week 17)

Growth for the longest tomato, the Costoluto Fiorentino, has reached 4m! The Sungold are producing new fruit on a daily basis.

Growth since last update
GS100 mark1
Sungold:

Growth: 31cm, 15 fruiting trusses
Total height: 313cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 16cm, 13 fruiting trusses
Total height: 276cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 34cm, 7 fruiting trusses
Total height: 400cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 31cm, 21 fruiting trusses
Total height: 394cm

Cristal:

Growth: 14cm, 12 fruiting trusses
Total height: 288cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 25cm, 11 fruiting trusses
Total height: 383cm

1st July 2009  (week 18)

This week we have yielded over 2kgs of fruit from all of the tomatoes. There were plenty to enjoy from the Tigerella, and the Sungold has been keeping us fed for several weeks. We now have three tomato plants over 4 metres long!

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 37cm, 16 fruiting trusses
Total height: 350cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm, 14 fruiting trusses
Total height: 291cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 38cm, 9 fruiting trusses
Total height: 438cm

Growth since last update GS100 mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 47cm, 22 fruiting trusses
Total height: 441cm

Cristal:

Growth: 22cm, 13 fruiting trusses
Total height: 310cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 19cm, 12 fruiting trusses
Total height: 402cm

8th  July 2009 (week 19)

This week I have changed the solutions of the tomatoes and done some remedial maintenance to the root matter to help the nutrient solution to flow more readily. The roots have grown so well that they are blocking the flow of nutrient a little. 
The hot weather has reduced growth rates a little but the fruit are still coming thick and fast; in fact I took a bagful home yesterday!

The largeCountry Taste tomato was picked this week and it weighed a staggering 501.9g!

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 23cm, 18 fruiting trusses
Total height: 373cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 17cm, 15 fruiting trusses
Total height: 308cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 21cm, 9 fruiting trusses
Total height: 459cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 10cm, 23 fruiting trusses
Total height: 451cm

Cristal:

Growth: 4cm, 14 fruiting trusses
Total height: 314cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 18cm, 12 fruiting trusses
Total height: 420cm

15th July 2009 (week 20)

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 33cm, 19 fruiting trusses
Total height: 406cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 18cm, 16 fruiting trusses
Total height: 326cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 27cm, 10 fruiting trusses
Total height: 486cm

Growth since last update GS100 mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 2cm, 24 fruiting trusses
Total height: 453cm

Cristal:

Growth: 9cm, 14 fruiting trusses
Total height: 323cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 19cm, 13 fruiting trusses
Total height: 439cm

22nd July 2009 (week 21)

The tinkering I did with the roots of the tomatoes worked wonders. The plants have responded by growing even more healthy white roots. At this rate, I am going to have to petition for a bigger greenhouse!

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 28cm, 20 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses yielded
Total height: 434cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm, 19 fruiting trusses, 3 trusses yielded
Total height: 341cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 25cm, 10 fruiting trusses, 2 trusses yielded
Total height: 511cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 6cm, 25 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses yielded
Total height: 459cm

Cristal:

Growth: 10cm, 14 fruiting trusses, 1 truss yielded
Total height: 333cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 19cm, 14 fruiting trusses, 1 truss yielded
Total height: 458cm

5th August 2009 (week 23)

In the two weeks since the last update the Sungold in Toms1 has grown a staggering 68cm! The fruit on the Cristal are developing beautifully and look delicious.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 68cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 8 trusses yielded
Total height: 502cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 38cm, 19 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses yielded
Total height: 379cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 45cm, 11 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses yielded
Total height: 556cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 3cm, 25 fruiting trusses, 8 trusses yielded
Total height: 462cm

Cristal:

Growth: 17cm, 14 fruiting trusses, 3 truss yielded
Total height: 350cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 42cm, 15 fruiting trusses, 3 truss yielded
Total height: 500cm

12th August 2009 (week 24)

After a small set-back a few weeks ago during the hot weather, the Sungold in toms 2 is making excellent progress and looking healthy.  We managed to take home 3 bags of tomatoes this week so everyone has a fridge-full to keep them fed over the weekend.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 40cm, 22 fruiting trusses, 9 trusses yielded
Total height: 542cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 31cm, 20 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 410cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 22cm, 11 fruiting trusses, 6 trusses yielded
Total height: 578cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 7cm, 25 fruiting trusses, 11 trusses yielded
Total height: 469cm

Cristal:

Growth: 29cm, 15 fruiting trusses, 4 truss yielded
Total height: 379cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 31cm, 16 fruiting trusses, 4 truss yielded
Total height: 531cm

19th August 2009 (week 25)

I am afraid I had a little accident with the Costoluto Fiorentino whilst tying it in last week and I accidentally snapped off the top. A small set-back, as I am sure it will not take long for the side shoot to take over.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 21cm, 23 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 563cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 17cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 427cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 0cm, 11 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 578cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 14cm, 25 fruiting trusses, 12 trusses yielded
Total height: 483cm

Cristal:

Growth: 14cm, 17 fruiting trusses, 5 truss yielded
Total height: 393cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 19cm, 16 fruiting trusses, 5 truss yielded
Total height: 550cm

26th August 2009 (week 26)

As predicted, the Costoluto Fiorentino is making a healthy recovery. The Country Taste is producing some beautiful, slightly striped fruit of an impressive size.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 50cm, 23 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 603cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 23cm, 22 fruiting trusses, 9 trusses yielded
Total height: 450cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 10cm, 11 fruiting trusses, 8 trusses yielded
Total height: 557cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 33cm, 26 fruiting trusses, 13 trusses yielded
Total height: 516cm

Cristal:

Growth: 30cm, 17 fruiting trusses, 6 truss yielded
Total height: 423cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 33cm, 17 fruiting trusses, 5 truss yielded
Total height: 583cm

Back to the Top

2nd September 2009 (week 27)

Having had a bumper crop so far we are eagerly awaiting the ripening of the latest batch of fruit.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 28cm, 25 fruiting trusses, 14 trusses yielded
Total height: 631cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm, 23 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 465cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 4cm, 11 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 561cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 29cm, 27 fruiting trusses, 15 trusses yielded
Total height: 545cm

Cristal:

Growth: 17cm, 18 fruiting trusses, 6 trusses yielded
Total height: 440cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 19cm, 17 fruiting trusses, 5 truss yielded
Total height: 602cm

9th September 2009 (week 28)

All ripe fruit are being saved, this week for the Mawdesley Funday.

Growth since last update GS100
mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 14cm, 26 fruiting trusses, 15 trusses yielded
Total height: 645cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 15cm, 23 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 480cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 11cm, 11 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 572cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 17cm, 28 fruiting trusses, 15 trusses yielded
Total height: 562cm

Cristal:

Growth: 8cm, 19 fruiting trusses, 6 trusses yielded
Total height: 448cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 16cm, 17 fruiting trusses, 5 truss yielded
Total height: 618cm

18th September 2009 (week 29)

I have had something of a disaster with the Tigerella. A wound has become infected and I have had to remove 118cm of growth.  There is good side shoot to grow on so while I am disappointed, it’s not too devastating.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 26cm, 26 fruiting trusses, 16 trusses yielded
Total height: 671cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 19cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 381cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 11cm, 13 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 583cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 26cm, 29 fruiting trusses, 16 trusses yielded
Total height: 588cm

Cristal:

Growth: 17cm, 19 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 465cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 16cm, 18 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses yielded
Total height: 634cm

23rd September 2009 (week30)

There is no real growth to report on the Tigerella but it will soon recover from it’s little issue last week. Meanwhile, the Country Taste is coming on leaps and bounds. There are plenty of fruit still to ripen of a good size, perfect for stuffing.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 16cm, 27 fruiting trusses, 16 trusses yielded
Total height: 687cm

Tigerella:

Growth: 0cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 381cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 9cm, 13 fruiting trusses, 10 trusses yielded
Total height: 592cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 18cm, 29 fruiting trusses, 16 trusses yielded
Total height: 606cm

Cristal:

Growth: 13cm, 20 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 478cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 36cm, 18 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses yielded
Total height: 670cm

30th September 2009 (week 31)

After a tense week, I am afraid that the Tigerella must be removed from the GS100 system it currently occupies with Sungold and Costoluto Fiorentino. Infected material has been removed and the area sprayed but because of the high humidity in the greenhouse, Botrytis continues to thrive. It is sad, but something that every gardener has to come to terms with at some point. 

On a positive note, the Sungold has broken the 7 metre mark which is a fantastic achievement!

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 16cm, 28 fruiting trusses, 18 trusses yielded
Total height: 703cm

Tigerella:

Total height: 381cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 17cm, 13 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses left
Total height: 609cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 25cm, 30 fruiting trusses, 17 trusses yielded
Total height: 631cm

Cristal:

Growth: 12cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 490cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 13cm, 19 fruiting trusses, 12 trusses yielded
Total height: 683cm

7th October 2009 (week 32)

The weather has been quite grim this last week so the tomatoes haven’t really done much. The Sungold tomato plants continue to romp away though.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 26cm, 28 fruiting trusses, 18 trusses yielded
Total height: 729cm

Tigerella:

Total height: 381cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 21cm, 13 fruiting trusses, 5 trusses left
Total height: 630cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 24cm, 30 fruiting trusses, 17 trusses yielded
Total height: 655cm

Cristal:

Growth: 8cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 7 trusses yielded
Total height: 498cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 12cm, 18 fruiting trusses, 12 trusses yielded
Total height: 695cm

14th October 2009 (week 33)

I have taken the decision to remove the Toms1 system and create some space in the greenhouse. The Toms2 system has been moved over a little so that it is not in competition with the chillies for light. The root mat in Toms1 was lovely and healthy but not as thick as that in Toms2.

Growth since last update GS100 mark1:
Sungold:

Growth: 12cm, 28 fruiting trusses, in total
Total height: 741cm

Tigerella:

Total height: 381cm

Costoluto Fiorentino:

Growth: 26cm, 13 fruiting trusses, in total
Total height: 630cm

Growth since last update GS100
mark2:
Sungold:

Growth: 19cm, 31 fruiting trusses, 19 trusses yielded
Total height: 674cm

Cristal:

Growth: 7cm, 21 fruiting trusses, 9 trusses yielded
Total height: 505cm

Country Taste:

Growth: 19cm, 17 fruiting trusses, 12 trusses yielded
Total height: 714cm