We listed the Tomatoes in our last newsletter – it’s here on our news page if you missed it
Here’s a general scale for your information
Brix 4-5: the majority of commercial tomatoes seem to fall into this range; sometimes lacking a distinguishing flavour
Brix 6-7: this is where the tomato starts to taste like a tomato!
Brix 8: A denser, more intense, and concentrated flavour; a really good tomato
Brix 10+: A tremendous flavour – a great tomato
The Brix value can also be used for other fruit, as well as tomatoes. For example, the fragaria strawberry Elan F1 Everbearer has a Brix of between 10-13.
And for any of you new to the language of tomatoes, this may help:
Cordon/indeterminate tomatoes: these are the most common and are grown as cordons (single-stemmed plants with side shoots removed). Cordon varieties require support as they grow, using stakes or string. Start to feed when the first fruit is about the size of a marble. Keep removing the side shoots and pinch out the top around the second week in September to give all the fruit the chance to ripen.
Bush /Determinate tomatoes: these varieties do not need pinching out. If you grow them in a pot or the ground, rather than a hanging basket, a few flower canes to support the trusses can be helpful. They generally crop sooner than cordons. Easy to grow.
