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I’m really pleased to be able to introduce the third in our series of Tomato Lover interviews. In our last interview we met Jim who grow his tomatoes in the Pennines of South Yorkshire. Today we cross the Channel to talk to Scarlet Merrill.
Scarlet and her family have escaped to Le Perche, a regional natural park tucked into the south-eastern tip of lower Normandy in France where they have a 2 hectare small holding.
To find out more about Scarlet’s life (beyond tomatoes !) take a look at her blog The chickens have escaped! and website smellysmallholding .
TL: Where do you do your tomato growing?
SM: Les Rayers, Reveillon, situated in Le Perche.
TL: How long have you been growing tomatoes?
SM: About 14 years, I started on a tiny balcony in Hammersmith, London.
TL: Where do you grow your tomatoes?
SM: In my veg patch, I’m still waiting for my husband to buy me a polytunnel.
TL: What do you grow your tomatoes in?
SM: Straight in the ground.
TL: Which are your favourite varieties to grow?
SM: Urbikany, a medium sized, red heritage tomato and Roma, a delicious, juicy plum tomato which makes great pasta sauce.
TL: Are there any types that you have grown that were disappointing?
SM: Baby Yellow Pear is a heritage tomato I’ve tried growing a few times and get a really poor crop from, so I’ve given up!
(More details on Scarlet’s 2008 tomato harvest here)
TL: Do you grow your tomatoes from seed?
SM: Absolutely!
TL: Is this your own seed or do you buy seeds?
SM: As I grow mainly heritage plants I can save my own seed – and tomatoes are really easy to do. When I want to try a new variety I buy them from Real Seeds, a family-run heritage seed collection.
TL: Do you buy tomatoes plants?
SM: As I never have enough I usually buy a dozen or so extra plants.
TL: How tomato plants do you grow each year?
SM: About 100, although I’m trying to grow more this year in conjunction with the purchase of a chest freezer!
TL: How many tomatoes do you get from those?
SM: Tons!
TL: What’s your favourite way to enjoy your tomatoes once you have picked them?
SM: Warm from the sun with a drizzle of olive oil and a good pinch of salt.
My husband also makes an incredible pasta sauce by caramelising tomatoes, onions and garlic in the oven and then blending in the food processor. It’s like eating concentrated summertime!
(Chutney recipes from Scarlet here. Scroll down through the more ‘earthy’ how to’s for the tomato how-tos! )
TL: What are the mistakes a beginner is most likely to make?
SM: Not pinching-out sideshoots on vine varieties. If you don’t do that you just end up with a triffid that can’t be held up or even got near and very few fruits.
TL: What would be your top 3 tips for a beginner who wants to enjoy the experience of growing their own?
SM: Just grow a few plants until you get the hang of it.
Fertilise if nothing else, they’re hungry plants.
Don’t let your kids eat them until you’ve had your fill.
TL: We’re in April – what tomato growing activities are on your to do list for April?
SM: I’m just watching my babies grow on the window-sill!
Many thanks to Scarlet for sharing her knowledge and experience.
100 plus tomato plants! If you want to see for yourself what that looks like (and even better, tastes like !) Scarlet and her husband Ian, also run a B&B from their restored 19th century bakery. Tomato Lover’s Heaven !
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