Page 30 - Simply Veg 4 2022

Seed Trialists Report
Further to the update in the Summer Edition of your Magazine, our eager seed trialists have been busy with their Marshalls and DT Brown Seeds, here’s
a flavour of how they are progressing. Our volunteer trialists have been taking lots of notes and photos for our partners to help provide as much feedback as possible.
Firstly, our Marshalls Seed trialists.
Vanessa Jones (Kent) has been picking her Crokini Cherry tomatoes for a couple of weeks now. She has reported that they have a very good flavour and an easy habit and are of the small cherry type. Vanessa advised they were perhaps not as prolific as her other varieties but a good variation as she had not otherwise grown any small fruited with her main purpose being to preserve for the winter so tends to go for more culinary varieties. Vanessa advised they are very standard of size so would perhaps make a good show variety.
Chris Barnard (Hants) reported that his Crokini tomato plants are growing well and have a lot of tomatoes on them and they should be ripening quite soon. He is interested in how they will taste and added that his plants are growing outside in pots.
Russ Giddings (Carmarthenshire) reported that in terms of quantity these are the most productive tomato plants he has ever had. All Russ’s plants have been fed weekly with a seaweed-based plant feed.
In terms of quality when it comes to taste and texture then he didn’t think they hold out very well. He found the taste is not too outstanding and the skin fairly tough (might
Abilgail Clarke with Dad’s Keiwa sweetcorn
be due to the hot weather?). Russ advised he will see what the next ten days of wall- to-wall sunshine bring.
Wojtek Kuzniar(Derbyshire) updated us to say that the tomatoes are doing well. They’ve grown well and are producing
lots of flowers and tomatoes. They taste great, and this year Wojtek used an organic tomato plant food. Wojtek’s tomatoes
are growing in pots, they require lots of feed, so he has been feeding them twice every week. He has had no real problems, and they have been trouble-free, and he advised that he would grow Crokini again. Wojtek also advised that the Tomatoes didn’t seem to have been bothered by
the heat and it didn’t have blossom end
rot, however, he also watered the floor of his greenhouse to keep the temperatures down and watered all his greenhouse crops four times every day to prevent problems.
Bridget Thomas (Chester), Planted out her Crokini plants after hardening off on 23rd May into home grown compost into terracotta pots in a sheltered part of the garden. She has been giving them a weekly nettle feed and has stopped the plant after the fourth truss. Her picture was taken on 31st July, and she has found them healthy, but a bit slow to fruit. You may recall from our summer report that Bridget had had poor germination with her earlier Boston Beetroot but has had success with her later April sowings when it was warmer. Bridget has been harvesting her beetroot from the 15th July onwards and reported they had a lovely taste - very sweet and didn’t have to peel the skins Bridget advised she would definitely grow this variety again. Wojtek Kuzniar’s beetroot Boston was reported to have grown well, and were producing good sized beets, they transplanted well and
Bridget Thomas – Boston beetroot
Libby Archer – Modesto beans with two tails
Libby Archer – Modesto beans first crop
30 Simply Vegetables
FIONA SHENFIELD FNVS