posted
I wanted to start a new topic in response to a question Julianna asked in another topic rather than hijack that one, but this is open to all who are growing tomatoes this year. So please chime in. Pics are also welcome! Of course, this is more for us northern gardeners who have YET to taste a homegrown tomato!!
quote:Originally posted by Sorellina: Are you doing that this year or going with the wooden stakes? You've already done sooo much work with those raised beds and the light setup before that! Those cages look like a lot of work, not to mention the band-aids you'll probably need for your hands.
Also, just curious, since we're at about the same growing rate, whose got fruit-set in your tomato garden? I've only got Borgo Cellano, Sungold F1 (your seeds), Kotlas, Moskvich, Orange Strawberry, Kimberley, Sophie's Choice, Whippersnapper, and today Mountain Princess. Flowers are exploding everywhere now, though..finally.
Ciao Julianna! I should have enough mesh to cage all but a few of my plants. I have a couple golf ball sized fruit on Kimberly and 8 total. Others that have set for me are SFT, New Big Dwarf, Lucky Leprechaun, Lime Green Salad, Stump of the World, Omar's Lebanese, Mortgage Lifter, Sungold, Grub's Mystery Green, and Citron Compact. That's all I can remember. There could be more but I haven't checked them all since Tuesday evening. Looking forward to Kimberly ripening soon!
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
posted
I just recently planted my garden. I have 8 tomato plants, 3 cucumbers, 3 cantalopes, and 1 garlic chive and 1 cilantro. I'm new to gardening so whats the best way to grow maters in zone 6a? My maters are only about 6 in. tall right now but they'er growing.
* * * * people tell me I have the body of a god... too bad its buddah. Plants: 561 | From: Seattle, WA | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 24.224.11.188
posted
I'm an extreme northern gardener, I'm yet to see my plants break past the 6 inch high state, our weather is awful. My garden looks the worst it has ever looked in all the years I can remember.
Good luck to all who have nice tomatoe plants, I'm jealous.
posted
I'm growing only one yellow pear tomato now, and it's about 3 feet tall with a few flowers. I'm growing it up a cedar stake, and it is lightly tied to the stake with twine. My Celebrity was destroyed by a fungus of some kind, so I yanked it out and bagged it in plastic for the trash. The Sungold cherry is doing well, but the tomatoes tasted so horrible (to me) that I gave the plant to a neighbor. My bell pepper has one good sized pepper and two smaller ones. The strawberries are providing me with warm, sweet snacks, a few ripen each week.
* * * * Plants: 1772 | From: Southern California, USA | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 207.200.116.139
quote:Originally posted by Deborah L.: My Celebrity was destroyed by a fungus of some kind, so I yanked it out and bagged it in plastic for the trash.
quote:Originally posted by Deborah L.: The Sungold cherry is doing well, but the tomatoes tasted so horrible (to me) that I gave the plant to a neighbor.
Wow, you are the first person that I ever heard say they didn't care for Sungold.
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
posted
I have one Mr Stripey, and some Sweet 100 cherries. The cherries have lots of blooms, but no fruit yet. Mr Stripey has had some blooms but no fruit yet.
* * * * Real women don't have hot flashes -- we have power surges! Plants: 193 | From: Saint George, Georgia | Registered: Apr 2006
| Seeded: 70.153.200.92
posted
I have 8 tomato plants, cherry,beef,Roma,early girl and a few unknown, there are just starting to get baby tomatoes... I have 8 garlic chive a ton of parsley,basil,thyme, cilantro,dill,rosemary,mint,lavender. also green,red,yellow peppers all kinds onions squash-yellow-cukes-zukes,green and wax beans cabbage and some jalepeno and red chilies and banana peppers. I think that is it?
Happy growing to you all
* * * * Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks. Plutarch Plants: 11590 | From: WI | Registered: May 2006
| Seeded: 205.188.116.9
posted
Not the Jalepeno,Tonya, but many others. Speaking of that, I should get out there and get something done
* * * * Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks. Plutarch Plants: 11590 | From: WI | Registered: May 2006
| Seeded: 205.188.116.9
quote:Originally posted by johnCT: Of course, this is more for us northern gardeners who have YET to taste a homegrown tomato!!
Nothing like being excluded from the party!!! I harvested 4 Principe Borghese tomatoes the other day. I guess I'll keep the picture of my ripening Cherokee Purple to my self....
{walking away pouting}
* * * * Some days there is more laughter than others....Just depends on what/who you focus on.... Plants: 2763 | From: "Smallsbury" NC | Registered: Jan 2006
| Seeded: 64.12.117.7
posted
John, the Sungold, it had a weird winey/sour flavor that just didn't appeal to me. But the lady I gave it to is eating them and enjoying them, so this story does have a happy ending ! To me, the best tomato is a tangy tomato, not the sugary sweet ones. A good beefsteak flavor, if that makes any sense now that there are so many different tasting beefsteaks.
* * * * Plants: 1772 | From: Southern California, USA | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 207.200.116.139
posted
I've been picking Green Tomatos and frying them, also I am getting LOTS of requests for green ones.
I have I think 12 Celebrity and 12 Roma's.
* * * * One OS to rule them, one OS to find them: One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie. Plants: 1077 | From: Haskell Oklahoma Zone 6b | Registered: Feb 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.152.15
posted
Have 44 Cherry Tomato type plants planted- 11 Large fruited Cherry Plants, 11 Gardeners Delight Cherry Toms,11 Supersweet 100 Cherrys, and 11 Juliets. I put mine in the garden on Memorial weekend- started them all from seed though earlier. Alot of them are now flowering- but the plants are growing big fast! Hopefully they should fruit soon!
Plants: 175 | From: McHenry, MD | Registered: Jan 2006
| Seeded: 209.3.112.22
Wow, you already have fruit set on your Silvery Fir Tree..sigh, mine doesn't even have an open blossom on it yet. And Grub's Mystery Green, too! Lucky duck you are. I've got open blossoms on that one but they just opened up in the last few days. There's a HUGE chrysanthemum blossom on one of them, though. I'm thinking it might be a big honking double. My Kimberleys aren't golf ball sized..only about the size of a nickel..BUT, they are the largest of all the fruit that HAS set at least and I have probably 8 or so of those also. It's so weird, Sungold F1 has set fruit, but it's in Cherry Row along with Galina's, Bicolour Cherry, Green Grape, Snow White, and Black Cherry, so I have no clue why the others haven't set. You're going to love Stumpy. It tastes a lot like Brandywine but it's WAY more prolific. Ooooh, it's getting close isn't it! I'm going to be up to my eyeballs in twine this weekend, they're getting so big!
posted
Thanks for all the great replies!! Keep us updated on production, taste, disease, etc!
quote:Originally posted by mator sandwich: I guess I'll keep the picture of my ripening Cherokee Purple to my self....
Hey now!! That is completely unfair!!
quote:Originally posted by Sorellina: Wow, you already have fruit set on your Silvery Fir Tree..sigh, mine doesn't even have an open blossom on it yet.
SFT was started early with Kimberly and Taxi on March 11th. I'm actually suprised it's taken so long, but the weather so far this spring has been terrible for growing. Yes, it is getting close. I just wish the weather would start to cooperate. The past seven days have been good, but now this weekend we're supposed to get 6 to 8 inches of rain again.
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
posted
I've got 37 tomato plants. One of my three Black Plum is loading up with fruit, maybe 3 dozen or more, and that's not counting the 10 or so I picked because of BER. One Bloody Butcher is loading up really well, another is just starting to load up. A few tom's on Yellow Pear. My one Arkansas Traveler, the only tom I didn't start from seed, has one tennis ball sized fruit and numerous smaller ones. I'm trying to decide whether to yank all 4 Mortgage Lifters. They all have a lot of leaves with Early Blight. One is starting to set fruit, though. One German Red Strawberry is now setting fruit...that one has been really exciting to watch. About 5 days ago, a grape sized fruit seemed to just suddenly appear. Within 2 days, it just as suddenly had 8 or so fruit, now 12 or so. The first fruit is already golfball sized. I'm amazed. First fruit showing up on Delicious and Brandywine. My six tomatillos are completely covered in blooms, I haven't looked closely to see if there's fruit yet.
* * * * Dave Even my growlights are getting restless! Plants: 2290 | From: norman, ok | Registered: Apr 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.170.166
posted
Dave, you know....I noticed some suspect leaves that I removed last night on my Mortgage Lifter. It might be nothing. It's a little early for blight around here. That isn't seed you got from me is it?
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
posted
No, John, the seed was Ferry Morse or Burpees that I got from either Lowe's or WM. I've picked off the infected leaves, and they look ok, but we've been having some rain, so I'll have to watch closely. They're not the only plants getting it. It's common to have some here. They are the ones that seem to be the most affected, and they're growing in different parts of the garden among other varieties that aren't affected yet so I suspect it's not the growing conditions...
* * * * Dave Even my growlights are getting restless! Plants: 2290 | From: norman, ok | Registered: Apr 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.170.166
Black Plum, even though it's small, it's kind of in that paste category and those guys are more prone to BER than other varieties. I had some fruits on that one with BER early in the growing season, but I'll tell you what. That plant LOADS up on the fruit, by the middle of harvest season, you won't even bat an eye about it. I got over 50 lbs of fruit, all from one plant last year. I'm not anal enough to record harvest weights from over 60 plants, LOL. Hm, maybe I shouldn't laugh so hard, John and I both know people who do that..*stifled LOL*.
PS Got fruit set on Black Heart and Orange Banana this morning ;o)
posted
Best cherry I've found yet is the Jellybean - great to dry also
Plants: 12 | From: Greensboro, NC USA | Registered: Mar 2005
| Seeded: 152.163.101.7
posted
Black Plum is really loading up on fruit. Bloody Butcher and German Red Strawberry, too, and quite a few on Arkansas Traveler. First fruit on Aunt Rubies German Green and Rutgers, a few on Delicious, ditto Yellow Pear. A few nice fruits on Mortgage Lifter. Looking too be a good season here if all goes well, after a very slow start. Temps have mellowed a bit.
* * * * Dave Even my growlights are getting restless! Plants: 2290 | From: norman, ok | Registered: Apr 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.170.166
Here is my update and I thought I'd include only the date of first fruit set for each variety and add to this list as I go along. Hopefully this information will be marginally interesting for people apart from myself, John, and Dave, lol. I considered including date of first open flower and number of fruit, but decided against it because I'm trying to marginalize my tendency to be overly anal-retentive. Ok, here goes and I apologize for some redundancy..an attempt for complete notes. I'm going in order by row and bed.
Main Bed
Opalka #6: 25 June Orange Banana: 23 June Borgo Cellano: 18 June Cuostralee: 23 June Cherokee Purple: 24 June Aunt Ruby's German Green: 23 June Brandywine Yellow Platfoot Strain: 23 June Black Heart: 21 June Prue: 25 June Anna Russian: 25 June Manyel: 23 June Black Krim: 25 June Sungold F1: 18 June
Left New Bed
Aunt Gertie's Gold NOT: 24 June Grub's Mystery Green: 24 June
Right New Bed
Kotlas: 18 June Moskvich: 25 June Happy F1: 24 June
Munchkin's Garden
Sophie's Choice: 20 June Whippersnapper: 12 June
Front Patio
Patio Orange (pot): 25 June
Driveway
Mountain Princess (bucket): 22 June Kimberley (bucket): 18 June
This last week of cooler weather has helped all of the plants set fruit. A full truss of Manyel and Green Grape abcissed I'm pretty sure due to high heat and humidity. Most of the plants are between 3-4' in height now, with a few exceptions which were very small at transplantation and are not showing any signs of buds at the moment. I have what I think may be curly leaf virus on the smaller of my Kotlas plants..I need to confirm that with a picture sent to "the experts". I counted 23 flowers on one German Red Strawberry flower cluster. Holy Mary, mother of God if all of those set fruit!
posted
Well I'm a Southerner and I'm already eating my tomatoes but I'll chime in anyway lol.
I have one Tiny Tim I should harvest the first two tomatoes off of it this week. They are orange but not red yet.
I have one Cherry tomatoe from phoenix that is producing several tomatoes every week.
I have one cherry tomato that I planted from some that I got at the grocery store. It produces great but the tomatoes don't taste as well as the parent did.
I have several Romas and the first tomato from them should be ready to harvest this week.
I have one surviving brandywine that has one green tomatoe on it that is still growing. And that's my tomato story and I'm sticking to it lol.
Thanks for the post John I've enjoyed reading and participating in it.
* * * * Plants: 8557 | From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
| Seeded: 4.249.72.127
quote:Originally posted by tkhooper: It produces great but the tomatoes don't taste as well as the parent did.
Seed saved from hybrids, which most supermarket tomatoes are, do not normally taste anything like the parents. This is exactly how the big commercial seed companies want it. FORCES you to go to them for the seed.
No problem TK! Did you have other brandywine plants that succomb to disease or something?
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
I've got lots of Sophie's seeds, I'll hook you up. I'm hopefully going to have lots of Yellow BW seeds as well for distribution in Fall.
TK,
I'm assuming you had more than just the one green Brandywine? You've harvested some? How were they for you? We had the sweetest BLTA (A is for Avocado) sandwiches with those last year. One sometimes frustrating thing about Brandywines is that they are quite sensitive to humidity and their blossoms will drop like crazy if it gets hot and humid. So far so good, I haven't had that problem yet, but maybe it's like that in Virginia? Could be why you might be having a dearth of fruit right now.
posted
I planted 6 La Roma II tomatoes. My first ripe tomato off of them probably weighed close to a half pound! It was huge. My neighbor kept insisting that I should have picked it while orangey-yellow and ripened it in the house, which I absolutely refused to do. When do you guys pick your mators? I've probably thrown away 2 dozen BER tomatoes, and each plant still has a least a dozen healthy mators. These tomatoes (even when ripened on the vine) are a little on the bland side. Not like the slicing tomatoes I'm used to growing.
Sarah
* * * * Sarah - Zone 5b/6 Plants: 662 | From: Ks, USA | Registered: May 2006
| Seeded: 70.250.254.29
posted
I have 8 tomato plants--4 are Roma's, one is a cherry and the other 3 I don't know what they are--a big boy maybe and an early girl? I have some pretty green tomatoes on all the plants but it'll still be a while yet before I get to eat/harvest any.
Except for the cherry tomatoes. I expect to have some in a week or two from it.
I'm in northern South Dakota and got my plants in well before the recommended time for my area--I think mine were in in very early May.
Plants: 80 | From: Zone 3 bordering on Zone 4 | Registered: May 2006
| Seeded: 208.53.214.165
posted
Yes, I am north of there but pretty close. I have been to the pageant (?) they do there, but not since I was a little girl.
Plants: 80 | From: Zone 3 bordering on Zone 4 | Registered: May 2006
| Seeded: 208.53.214.165
quote:Originally posted by Deborah L.: JohnCT, what does tomato blight look like? And what causes it?
Have a look for yourself Deb. Blight specifically is caused by fungi, but there are also bacterial diseases that affect tomatoes. Certain weather conditions are also necessary for the presence of blight. Specifically the kind of cool, wet, rainy weather that we are having in the northeast for the past month!!
quote:Originally posted by lakegran: I just read, that some pick off the flowers when the tomato is set. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
It means that some people prefer to pinch flowers off when they transplant their maters in the garden. The theory is that it forces the plant to expend it's energy into root growth and establishment rather than producing fruit. It's nothing to get worried about.
You mean copper spray for use as a fungicide? There are better ones available. From what I've read, they do not provide any control for late blight. Get a product containing Daconil like Ortho's garden disease spray or something similar which will help provide control for both early and late blight. They are two completely different diseases.
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
posted
I picked close to a 20 Roma's tonight, I plan to make sauce out of them very soon.
* * * * One OS to rule them, one OS to find them: One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie. Plants: 1077 | From: Haskell Oklahoma Zone 6b | Registered: Feb 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.152.15
posted
Thank you,John, for the help on my 'mater' questions. I am sooooooooo ready for mine to ripen. Maybe I will have a few by late next week. MMMMMM I spied a little zucchini today.
LOL John, you're ahead of me if you've got some close to ripening. None of mine are close. The gap is closing on ones left to flower and set fruit, though. Less than 10 out of 60 now, whew.
lakegran,
Some of us also take the spent flowers off the plants when we can see a small tomato underneath the petals. This is an extra step, largely compulsive, and unnecessary, but some of us can't help ourselves, nonetheless.
Cheers, Julianna, a self-proclaimed compulsive tomato flower puller offer
posted
Pulling off spent flowers? I've done that on a few plants, here and there, to see if a certain variety is setting fruit. Where'd anyone get the impression that's necessary? John, when did you become an advocate of Daconil? I wish I knew more about that product. Copper sprays and Serenade may, reportedly, do as well, though I've never used any of these. I'm trying Serenade for the first time this year, I like all the Bt products I've ever tried, but I'm scared of products that aren't organic. On the other hand, I'm seeing leaf disease on many plants already. In years past, I assumed this was normal, but I'd like to get maximum yield for my efforts. What do you do, Julianna?
* * * * Dave Even my growlights are getting restless! Plants: 2290 | From: norman, ok | Registered: Apr 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.170.166
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