Varieties suitable for winter greenhouse?

[robinatsia]

Among other things, I'm planning to grow a variety or two a year round in a heated greenhouse (winter temperatures would be around +15 C / +60 F). Obviously, determinate varieties would not and indeterminate varieties would fit (as well as maybe the dwarf ones).'Slivka Sprut F1' (of Russian origin) should be one of those. I have read that 'Sun Gold F1' also should fit.
Has anyone tried something like that? With which varieties then?
Harri.

[Al@NC]

You have me curious now after reading how short your season is, how many hours of sun do you get in the winter?

Al

[robinatsia]

Far less than needed, of course! From October to February additional light definitely is needed. But I grow other things (fe cactus seedlings) under lamps anyway, so I must have the edditional light this way or another.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Sungold is a large plant. If you're looking for determinates or dwarfs, try Maglia Rosa. It's very popular and small, good for containers. Other dwarfs from the Dwarf Project would be good.

Nan

[Cole_Robbie]

Sol Guld (which I misspelled Sol Gold for a long time) has shown the most cold-tolerance out of my early varieties this year. I also like Aura, Agatha, Cole and Mat-Su Express. Maglia Rosa is great, too. Mano and Utyonok are my best red dwarfs. Utyonok is supped to be orange, but mine is red. It still looks like a "little duck" though. Commercial-quality yield - I could see it being grown by the acre in a short-season climate.

[bower]

I must admit, the year my friends stuck a Sungold in my greenhouse, I let it carry on through the fall and into winter without ever cutting it down. No heat or lighting, but in January I found tiny little ripe fruits on it. Tiny like the size of a small pea. So I don't think it's impossible you will get fruit from that one all winter with a bit of heat and light.

[robinatsia]

Hmmm... Sungold may be promising indeed then, though I live farther North than Newfoundland. Especially as this variety is one of the best-tasting ones I ever have had!
Determinate types are too small in a winter greenhouse for my liking - and if I do not mistake, they are not long-living either (unless I clone them from time to time).

[Andrey_BY]

Harry, as far as I see you have an access to Russian modern hybrids via that Estonian shop you may should try Evpator F1, Bragovest F1, Lya-Lya- Fa F1, Intuitsiya F1 and Krasnobay F1 from Gavrish seed company. First two hybrids are the most suitable for growing all year around, they are no so tall and very prolific. And the taste is also quite good for F1 hybrids.
Slivka Sprut F1 is very vigorous for winter growing and need more heat.

[robinatsia]

Actually, I wouldn't expect the tomato plants bear fruits all the winter long, I'd be rather happy if they could just survive nicely and start flowering again in late February or early March.
None of the mentioned modern Russian hybrids is currently available at Seemnemaailm, I just checked.

[bower]

One thing I learned from our southern friends with long seasons, it is sometimes more efficient to start new plants for the second part of the season, than it is to keep the same plants going...

Only because the plant that already went through the fruiting cycle has had lots of stress (and maybe satisfaction?) already, and will be more inclined to go into the disease-and-death part of the cycle as the season changes. I think. ( For plants in containers, the main issue is they have run out of room for new roots. )

You might start some winter seedlings in October or November, to flower in late Feb or March?

Not to say that you can't keep a plant going - certainly some very healthy types should make it okay, but just a suggestion, you might try starting some new ones too.

[Andrey_BY]

Originally Posted by robinatsia

Actually, I wouldn't expect the tomato plants bear fruits all the winter long, I'd be rather happy if they could just survive nicely and start flowering again in late February or early March.
None of the mentioned modern Russian hybrids is currently available at Seemnemaailm, I just checked.

I can send you some of them)

[robinatsia]

Originally Posted by bower

One thing I learned from our southern friends with long seasons, it is sometimes more efficient to start new plants for the second part of the season, than it is to keep the same plants going...

Yeah, sounds reasonable. But my main interest in this is just to get to know how long a tomato plants can live and give fruits rather than to have a heavy crop around Christmas time - which, of course, wouldn't harm either.

[bower]

Well don't forget to let us know what happens! It's so helpful to hear what other people can do or what didn't work is helpful too.
All of us northern people have to be figuring out how to have our veggies in the dark days!

[Andrey_BY]

Buying cherry tomatoes in supermarkets is also resonable in our dark November-April days
Most of them tastes good.

[svalli]

One thing which you could do is to root cuttings from your tall tomato plants in the fall and keep those in the greenhouse through the winter. Those may not produce tomatoes for Christmas, but you could get a head start in the spring with mature plants.

Years ago in Florida's Disney World I saw this huge cherry tomato tree full of ripe tomatoes in in the greenhouse. I do not know how old this plant was, but it was middle of February and the plant was so large that it could very well be over a year old. I guess in perfect climate the indeterminate varieties could grow indeterminately?

Sari