"Tomatoes growing out of your ears!" - well that would be a bit awkward! *winks*

Anyway, I have no problem at all giving away excess tomatoes. There are always quite a few people lined up that are eager to receive them. Unlike with Zucchinis, Tomatoes are always welcome.

We are still enjoying our preserved tomatoes, pickles, chutneys, sundried tomatoes, Sauce, etc.

The number of varieties may seem a bit excessive, but hey! it's better than collecting vintage cars or strange earwax formations.

:)

(Spatz is thinking she's discovered 2 new spots to grow tommies)

I've already staked a claim over those ear canals, Pep.

And then there's the search for the Holy Grail of tomatoes that suits your exact microclimate and gives 30kg of scrumptious fruit per bush without even a hint of early blight.

Spatz, I agree with you about the zucchinis!

Instead of trying your ear canals, I came across this site a while ago about growing tomatoes upside down. Funny what comes to mind when you think of things coming out of your ears :)

I've never tried it though I might when I get more time.

I suppose you Southerners have to grow as many as you can when the seasons suit! Sorry if it might sound like I'm bragging but I do live in Qld, the best place in the world :) (Don't take offence, just joking!)

I hope I get this link thing right as I haven't done it before (technically challenged or too many kids - blame whichever seems appropriate)

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing tomatoes upside down

I have enough trouble growing them the right way up LOL.

I thought of sideways, say on a 60 degree angle. Give them that windswept interesting look.
Goldy...you should ask how long people have been growing. It's often a lot shorter time than you may think. I was really surprised to find, without the odd exception, most people have only been at this for a couple of years!!!!!
"the force is strong in that one"

If you want to know the truth all us Sydneysiders have one hell of a job getting anywhere near a glut of tomatoes, between blight (early, middle & late) fruit fly, nematodes, marauding chickens, drought & who knows what else we're lucky to get a tomato sandwich!
It's not for nothing that Adam & Ray moved to Armidale & Finbar moved to Italy! If I could get away I'd be off to NZ tomnorrow!

It's true . Last year I had thirty five plants jammed into my backyard. I think I got about three kilos tops, and most of them I had to pick almost green. We don't have mould or fungal stuff up here so maybe better this year.

I think yellow pear has to be one of the most blandest tomatoes that I've grown, but for the last six years I have saved the seeds and grown only one plant every year, maybe because its a nice looking tomatoe. When you put then with the blacks, reds, pinks, orange and other yellow tomatoes that I grew last year they look bloody great.

I havent even grown the whites the greens and bicolours yet, BUT there is always next year.

Okay Adam, how long have you all been growing them? Actually I am curious. It's good to see people doing something they love and I bet those few kilos of tomatoes are the best tasting ones ever, all the better because you grew them yourself.

I'm afraid I'm no connoisseur (had to look that one up in the dictionary) when it comes to tomatoes or any vegies for that matter. As long as they aren't bought from the shops.

I generally stick to what grows well for me with minimal care. The yellow pears come up by themselves after the kids have tomato fights, but the kids love them and eat them like fruit (yes, I know they actually are a fruit).

I'm hoping next year when my youngest starts pre-school to start experimenting a bit more. Since the garden club at the school has started my kids have really gotten into gardening and each now have their own vegie patch. The only trouble is I'm expected to buy whatever they grow! Good way to make pocket money I suppose.

Now all I've got to do is find a way to stop the bandicoots from digging the vegie gardens up. The gardens are fenced to stop dogs, chooks and kids running over them but that doesn't keep the bandicoots from undermining the plants. Yesterday I found a tomato bush with fruit just starting to ripen, nearly falling over because of a hole dug down beside it :( and my watermelon seedlings have eventually given up the ghost after having to be replanted every morning.

Ohh goldhills you are very game asking that. I must say that I was thrilled when I saw your post though because it is something I have been wondering after I saw all the interesting posts about (what I thought was the humble) tomato.
What these people don't realise is that they have unlocked a tomato beast in me that must have been festering for years and have since been buying as many weird and wonderful tomato types that I can lay my hands on and then plant.
Not to mention potatoes that my husband had to build me cages for last weekend. whole different story though.....

Goldhills how exciting to have bandicoots! I suppose it's old hat to you and very annoying, but wow, so much better than having our standard suburban Indian Mynahs, Blackbirds and Silvereyes to contend with! Are they regulars in your garden? Is it a family? Do you feed them to distract them from your garden?

there's no such thing as too many tomatoes - work on the following

one jar of chutney each week - 52 jars

chutney for family and friends

two sundried tomatoes (four pieces) per person for each salad you have until the next crop of dried tomatoes arrive

jarred and stored sundried tomatoes for yourself, your neighbours, your friends, your family

fresh toms in your salad (and neighbours,etc etc)

tomato sauce - 52 bottles - a years supply plus extras

tomato jam - work on one jar a month

tomato relish - again, one jar a month

and then if you have kids there's the end of season over-ripe tomato fight. It was obligatory for me.

and of course there's the green tomato - fried or made into green tomato chutney (delish!!)

If you have more tomatoes left over after doing all of the above - there's always chooks or charities

HJ, I occassionally get this urge to stir people (just in fun of course), I suppose it's from putting up with my practical joker husband and son :) actually the whole family is like that!

Even though it was in fun I am interested and I have even been checking out different varieties myself, much to my hubby's disgust because I'm always complaining about having to extend the gardens.

My kids prefer to eat their tomatoes fresh from the bush or sliced on a sandwich or in a salad, though I make up a few bottles of relish for myself and friends and I make a tomato soup/sauce which I keep in the freezer to add to meals. My youngest won't eat cooked peas or carrot but loves peas straight from the bush and raw carrots (turns her into supergirl, as she says).

Sugar Snap, I was quite excited when I first realised bandicoots were visiting until they uprooted strawberries, corn, tomatoes and watermelon :(

Also bandicoots are the main carrier of the paralysis tick. I have a 4 month old pup which has recently recovered from tick paralysis. He hadn't been out of the houseyard for a fortnight and has daily tick checks and had regular tick rinses but I missed a tick deep in his ear. Normally I use frontline but I had run out of it and as I was selling him I hadn't bothered to buy more. The frontline I use on his parents is a larger size so couldn't use it on him. At least now that he is fully recovered, I can try selling him again.

I've been growing with help from these loonies for about two years. This year it looks like we have about 120 plants to plant out, so we may get some help from friends.
But I have four Great White beefsteak this year. YAY!!. I thought they would never grow,.

Wow! Adam, have you grown them before? What do they taste like? If it's the first time growing them, I'd be interested in a taste report. :)

I've just come off the phone negotiating the handover of seedlings. People are keen to try all these tomatoes. Even green ones. It's amazing! I may have to insist on visiting rights. :)