tdlr: any recommendations for a tomato to grow in cold climate, short summer? Trixi does well, Siberian didn't have enough time to ripen
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Hi! I've been reading this sub voraciously, first time poster. Pictures are for fun.
I'm growing tomatoes in southern Finland. It should be zone 6. I can actually see the sea from my garden allotment and being that close to it also makes the garden really cool in the spring. Basically I plant my tomatoes out around late May – early June, eat tomatoes in August (last year July too but it was exceptional), they start splitting with cold humidity in early October. By late October everything is dead except kale.
It's my 4th year growing tomatoes. I got really lucky on my first summer and have been repeating what I did with small tweaks since. I grow a cherry tomato called Trixi which seems to tolerate cold ok and above all be early enough for tomatoes to ripen. The stems are super flexible so I grow them inside a bit too long and trench plant them deep with some composted manure to give them head start. Something like 2/3 of the height goes into the soil. I've actually tested it and it makes a major difference for harvest! Straw mulching they seem to love too. I have a heavy clay soil and mulching keeps it from compacting in rains, I think. Garden fleece for first couple of weeks, it's difficult to keep in place safely. I trim them as single leader, though next summer might try double – I had no idea one could do that, thanks r/tomatoes! I have topped them off after 5 flower trusses and some leaves but might try 4 this year because it's been super cold and rainy. I have 17 plants this year, pretty standard for me, they don't take much space.
This seems to give me an ok harvest for what I have. But as tomatoes are obviously a pet (if I was smart I would grow potatoes), I think I might want to try some other varietes! Asking people at the community garden wouldn't help because I seem to be the resident tomato enthusiast. Generally not many Finns even try to grow tomatoes without a greenhouse.
Any recommendations? I tried Siberian once but it didn't do well, the tomatoes didn't have time to ripen at all, despite it being a very warm summer. Trixi seems to be very reliable if I grow it like this (I've seen it not grow well too, it takes a little work). I think early is the key. Thanks for reading!
by Ancient-Patient-2075
6 Comments
Oh and I avoid hybrids because I like saving my own seed.
I recommend harvesting those red ones
I wonder if varieties from the Pacific Northwest might work for you, given your cool location near the sea. Oregon Spring, for instance. You could also look for parthenocarpic varieties, since they don’t require pollination to set fruit and so tend to do well in cool, cloudy conditions that other types might not.
I’m in zone 6 in the states and I’m looking at some varieties to try starting now for a fall harvest. Check out tomatoes with cold weather/region names like Glacier or Moskovich – those are colder zone/shorter day to maturity varieties that might work for you
Also check out the [dwarf tomato project](https://www.dwarftomatoproject.net/shop/?orderby=popularity) – short stature tomato plants but grow full and cherry sized tomatoes, many with shorter days to maturity like Uluru ochre – I think [meraki](https://merakiseeds.com/dwarf-tomatoe-project#/pageSize=80&viewMode=grid&orderBy=5&pageNumber=2) seeds would work for your area since they are eu based I believe
Lastly check out tomatoes from the breeder Karen Oliver – she’s in Canada and most of hers are for shorter growing seasons / colder zones – like her [karma series](https://secretseedcartel.com/product-category/all-tomatoes/karen-olivier-tomatoes/)
Hope you get to pick some cool ones! Pun intended haha
I’d consider Wisconsin 55 – they were developed to grow in Wisconsin (zone 5) and have decent cold tolerance!
I’m gardening in zone 4b, I still get plenty of tomatoes and peppers